Tesla Motors’s Car Model S Safety Is Their Primary Goal

Tesla Motors is working on the issue to add titanium shields and aluminum deflector plates on their Model S. After two cars caught fire last year causing damage, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a safety investigation. Since Tesla Motors made an announcement that it will triple the protection on the car batteries and getting the risks down to zero, NHTSA closed it.
According to the Tesla Motors costumers, the Model S is actually very safe. Just a few months ago, a Tesla driver had a serious collision, slamming into the passenger’s right side door with 20 mph. There were four children under the age of eleven in the car. The airbags immediately deployed, as the car began to slide and rotate. After that, the driver asked if his four children were okay, and they were only with minor scratches. Everybody was feeling minor dizziness due to the airbags, but that was it. The car was severely damaged on the side, but the windows didn’t have a scratch. A normal car, according to him, would’ve been flipped and rolled over with that speed, but that’s to the low center of gravity and the car’s heaviness, the situation had a happy ending.
Another recent incident with a Model S was at a 60 mph drive, when another careless teenage driver missed the stop sign. The damage compared from his BMW to the Model S was enormous. The BMW’s entire right side was damaged, while the Model S was only scratches on the front.
Ellon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors also commented that the Model S is been in production for six years, and they have zero record of deaths and serious injuries. That’s a proof that the Tesla car is the safest on the road.
The winter driving with a Tesla car is also, redefined. The carmaker finds its own market to be the best for now in the Northern European countries, whose winters are very long. A costumer from Norway explained that his Model S is incredible for driving on roads that have fresh fallen snow for up to seven inches. The car performs very satisfactorily on low temperatures. It doesn’t have a problem turning on and off, and it can be heated before the ride since everything is operated through an iPhone app. No more worries about removing snow and scratching the windows! The car can be heated instantly; making sure the drive is safe and secure. The driving range is twice as greater than a normal car, which makes it very efficient for having longer trips.
Tesla’s cars are not just about safety. The Model S has so much space because there are two trunks – on the front, where originally there is an engine, and on the back, just like everybody’s car trunk. It could fit drums of a professional drummer, furniture, large objects that fit only in an SUV
It seems that Tesla Motors is pretty good at accomplishing Nikola Tesla’s dream, as their priorities are big in safety, space and using no fuel. Using an invention is not always just about what it can do, but what can someone do with it.

Alien: Isolation releasing in October

At Rezzed 2014 this weekend, developers Creative Assembly have announced the release date for their upcoming Aliens video game.

Alien: Isolation has been dated for October 7, 2014 on all platforms - PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.
The title is a first-person survival horror experience that will focus on capturing the horror and tension evoked by Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic film. On a decommissioned trading station in the fringes of space, fear and panic have gripped the inhabitants. Players find themselves in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger as a Xenomorph is stalking and killing deep in the shadows.

Microsoft Set to Make an Impact in 2014

Ever since Satya Nadella has donned the cap of the CEO at Microsoft (MSFT) tables have turned in the tech-giant’s favor. Things seem to be shaping up for a very bright Fiscal 2014. When things have not gone well in MSFT’s favor for past few days, things have now started to change. As much as quality and care of design language is natural to Apple (AAPL), the ability to persist through growing pains and breakthrough to profitability is natural to Microsoft. Experts are of the view that Nadella is probably the best thing to have happened to MSFT so far. This is so because of his long innings with the company. His experience as the company’s vice president of the company’s Cloud and Enterprise group will definitely come in handy in his stint as the CEO.
The Performance
The Cloud Services revenue for the company grew by an astounding $315million or 107%. This is owed to the hugely successful Commercial Office 365 which yielded higher revenues. One more thing to look forward too is the launch of Office for iPad. This has clear sent clear indications that the revenues for Microsoft's Devices & Consumer Licensing division can grow revenues and profit year-over-year. During FY2014 Q2, Office revenue declined $244 million or 24%, reflecting the transition of customers to Office 365 Home Premium as well as continued softness in the consumer PC market. The iPad’s is a growing market with oodles of revenue. This therefore more than makes up for the softening markets for the now unwanted PCs. For the record, in the fiscal quarter that ended on December 28, 2013 Apple sold 26 million iPads. There lies gold for MSFT. Making use of this ever increasing market cap of the iPads, MSFT can hit a jackpot. What is even more impressive is that Microsoft managed to get into the iPad market first before Google introduced its own suite of enterprise focused offerings.
MSFT’s Performance in the Rest of the World
Microsoft’s latest strategy seems to be striking deals with fast growing Indian mobile phone makers. A rumored deal with Micromax is currently doing the rounds. This, the company thinks will save them more cash rather than upgrading their Windows Phone.
The company has also decided to go ahead with the launch of its much awaited Xbox One that comes with the “Titan Fall”. This is company’s latest strategy to capture the advanced gaming market where Sony’s PS4 is ruling the scene. This is why the company has decided to price it at par with PS4. This was evident when Microsoft cut the prices to its Titan Fall XBox One bundle to $449 in its Microsoft stores and other retailers. This boosted sales of Xbox One by 96% over a week in the UK.
With Satya Nadella at the helm, there’d be no stopping Microsoft. Satya’s efficient policies to channelize Microsoft’s huge resources will drive it past many a top performing companies. A couple of deals with fast growing Indian OEMs and the deal with Apple for an Office Suite for iPads are surely going to bolster the growth in revenues. The investor’s can put their money in MSFT stocks as it looks to be the safest now.

Facebook drones to expand global internet access

Facebook is working on solar-powered drones to deliver and improve internet access around the world.
The social network unveiled its new Connectivity Lab, which includes experts from Nasa, and was described as a team working on “new aerospace and communications technologies” with the overall aim of expanding global internet access.
The company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a post on his personal Facebook page: “In our effort to connect the whole world with Internet.org, we’ve been working on ways to beam internet to people from the sky.
“Today, we’re sharing some details of the work Facebook’s Connectivity Lab is doing to build drones, satellites and lasers to deliver the internet to everyone.”
In a video post on the Facebook website, Yael Maguire from the social network spoke about the different ways the company is looking at extending the reach of existing Internet connections.
“We’re looking at a new type of plane architecture that flies at roughly 20,000m, because that’s a point where winds are at their lowest, it’s above commercial airliners, it’s even above the weather, and actually it can stay in the air for months at a time. These planes are solar-powered and they sit there and circle around, and have the ability to broadcast internet down.”
Zuckerberg also announced the industry in Britain was now part of the project.
“Today we are also bringing on key members of the team from Ascenta, a small UK-based company whose founders created early versions of Zephyr, which became the world’s longest flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft. They will join our team working on connectivity aircraft.”
The new project is an extension of the Internet.org group which Facebook helped found in 2013 along with other major technology companies like Samsung and Nokia, with the final goal of bringing the Internet to the parts of the world without access.
According to the group, two thirds of the world are without access to the web, and bringing wider access would lead to “humanity firing on all cylinders” for the first time.
The launch of Facebook’s Connectivity Lab follows a similar move from Google with the creation of Google X, a group which is responsible for the development of both Google Glass and the smart contact lenses that were announced in January. These lenses can measure glucose levels in the tear ducts, and could be used to monitor conditions like diabetes.
Facebook offered no details on how far advanced the project was, or any timeframe for completion.

Google Wants Us To Know How They Respond To A U.S. Search Warrant For Data

Google takes privacy seriously, and so do we as users. While online privacy is important and it’s important to know how things are handled so you can feel secure, it still sucks to have to broach these issues. In an age like today where virtually everything about out personal lives is floating around out there online, it can be good to understand that should the scenario ever come up where a US search warrant would be issued requesting information on you, or someone you know, or any random person that has a Google account, how Google would handle that entire process and make sure that they are as compliant as they can be within the confines of the law, but also protect your privacy and information as much as they can.
Google has been in the news plenty as of late in regards to privacy and collected data, and interestingly enough most of that also involves the government. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Google wants to reassure users that privacy is no laughing matter to them and, in this video that they posted today they depict how the process of a US search warrant requesting data on a particular user would play out. It’s a friendly little video and definitely puts things into perspective of how things go down, and of course it has that unique Googley touch that you would expect to come from the search giant. The video isn’t too long, only about three and half minutes, but if you’re curious and have a few minutes of time to spare you should definitely check it out.
The basic idea is simple. If the US government is requesting data on a certain person, they go and retrieve a search warrant, which in turn gets taken to Google, who has to verify and check out the warrant, then make sure that all the data being requested in the warrant is relevant to what the government really needs. Eventually once everything is verified Google supplies relevant data and thus the process is finished. While the video is entertaining to watch and informative, the only people need really worry about this are probably those who are doing things they shouldn’t be.

Study shows newer versions of Android more stable than iOS

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We didn’t really need a study to tell us this, but it’s nice to have a study to point to when talking to other fanboys. A study done by Crittercism has shown that the later versions of Android are significantly more stable than iOS, and that Gingerbread is the most unstable OS out of those tested. But interestingly enough, iOS and Gingerbread are very closely tied for that position.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread, released almost three and a half years ago, was reported to have a crash rate of 1.7%. The most stable version of iOS tested had a 1.6% crash rate, which is better but not by much. Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat all have a low crash rate of 0.6%. This just goes to show how much Google has improved the operating system, and will hopefully dispel any of that old talk of Android being unstable. Interestingly enough, the report also concluded that the most stable Android devices were made by Samsung.
Of course, these statistics have a lot of wild cards. We can’t forget that the difference in users will often change the outcome, and those people who never bother to fix their devices after they start crashing will skew the numbers. But it’s still nice to see real world information like this. Tell us your thoughts on this study in the comments!

Bigger iPhone Coming in September

   

Japan’s largest business daily, Nikkei, reports the next generation of iPhones will be coming out as early as this September and will "likely be offered in 4.7 and 5.5-inch versions." They will also have a “significantly” higher display resolution. While the phones are reported to be released sometime in September, the two versions “may or may not launch” at the same time.

GM Halts Sales of Some Chevy Cruze Models

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General Motors (GM) on Friday halted sales of certain Chevrolet Cruze compact cars for an unspecified reason, potentially adding to the automaker’s safety woes.
GM is asking dealers to stop selling Cruze vehicles with 1.4-liter turbocharged engines from model-years 2013 and 2014.
Company spokesman Jim Cain confirmed that GM sent the stop-delivery order but was unable to provide additional details on the problem. Cruze models with the 1.4-turbo engines account for 60% of all Cruze sales, he added.
Automotive News first reported on the notice, which was sent to GM dealers on Thursday night.
The stop-delivery order covers a production period of 60 days, meaning the number of vehicles affected could be limited.
GM is already battling the fallout from an ignition-switch issue that sparked a recall of 1.6 million vehicles globally. The problem has been connected to 12 deaths.
The nation’s largest automaker also announced three separate recalls, totaling 1.7 million vehicles, as part of an effort to quicken the pace of safety reviews currently underway.
GM chief executive Mary Barra is scheduled to testify before a House subcommittee on Tuesday to answer questions on the timing of the ignition-switch recall. GM has said its engineers knew of a defect as early as 2001.
In cars with the faulty ignition switches, keys can inadvertently slip out of the “on” position and cause vehicles to stall, cutting off power to air bags.
Shares of GM were trading 1.4% higher at $34.98 on Friday

Cliff Bleszinski defends Oculus-Facebook deal, calls Notch "pouty kid"

In addition to making the Unreal series, Cliff Bleszinski is also an investor in Oculus VR. He admits in a recent blog post that, as an early investor in the company, he stands  to make a lot of money from Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition. But he also thinks the deal is great for Oculus VR overall.
“IF [Oculus Rift] is going to be (hopefully) a dedicated system instead of a (ugh) peripheral they need their version of whatever the app store would be,” Bleszinski said. “Your device is only as good as the store and community around it; if users can’t say shut up and take my money, if developers can’t post their work then the device will ultimately flounder. Facebook can assist with this sort of thing, as well as having a multi billion user reach.”

 

 

Bleszinski then goes on to explain what he thinks Kickstarter backers actually buy into when they back a product, Mark Zuckerberg's assurances about keeping Oculus Rift as a gaming device first, and other arguments you already heard elsewhere, including in our reaction to the acquisition.
Interestingly, in a postscript, Bleszinski calls out Markus “Notch” Persson specifically, who announced he was pulling the plug on an Oculus Rift version of Minecraft shortly after news of the deal first broke.
“Notch, your cancelling Minecraft makes you look like a pouty kid who is taking his ball and going home,” he said. “It’s a bratty and petty move and it saddens me greatly.”

Android apps secretly trick phones into mining cryptocurrency

Tags
Bitcoin, Currencies, Gizmos, Hacking, Internet, USA

Has your cell phone been overheating lately? If it’s one of the more than one-million devices that’s installed either of two seemingly normal Android apps, then it may be secretly mining cryptocurrency without your knowledge.
Researchers say that two programs available in the operating system’s official application marketplace, Google Play, are embedded with scripts that force devices running those apps to silently mine for Litecoin and Dogecoin — two emerging forms of digital cryptocurrency derived from the immensely popular Bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies only exist in the digital realm and are “mined” by way of a computing-intensive processes that is best carried out by high-end machines equipped with state-of-the-art graphics cards, and in some cases entire networks comprised of these computers. According to new research, though, Android users that installed either the “Songs” or “Prized” apps available for download in the Google Play store have been unknowingly allowing developers to take advantage of compromised devices to create new e-coins.
Veo Zhang, a mobile threats analyst for antivirus firm Trend Micro, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday this week that the malware known as “ANDROIDOS_KAGECOIN” had been repackaged in the two suspect apps.
“These apps have been downloaded by millions of users, which means that there may be many Android devices out there being used to mine cryptocurrency for cybercriminals,” Zhang wrote.
Indeed, statistics available through Google Play indicate that Songs was installed between one million and five million times since becoming available for Android devices, and Prized was put on anyway from 10,000 to 50,000 phones and tablets.
“Analyzing the code of these apps,” Zhang wrote, “reveal the cryptocurrency mining code inside.”
Unlike other malicious apps, however, these mining programs are developed so that Litecoin and Dogecoin are only generated when the devices are charging, presumably so that the legitimate user won’t notice rapid battery drainage. Because of the intensive process involved, however, the computing power of those devices are put to the test once mining begins, and someone physically holding the Android machine may become aware of malware being present because their phone or tablet will inexplicably start to overheat.
“Given the extremely modest resources of the typical smartphone, it's not at all clear why anyone would take the time to create an Android app that overtly or covertly mines currencies,” Dan Goodin wrote for the Ars Technica website on Wednesday this week.
Nevertheless, Trend Micro predicts that thousands of affected devices containing those apps have allowed cybercriminals to accumulate what Zhang says is likely “a great deal of Dogecoins,” and adds that the “murky language and vague terminology” contained in the applications’ terms and conditions suggest users who install those programs are rarely aware of the mining feature only publicized this week.
“Users with phones and tablets that are suddenly charging slowly, running hot, or quickly running out of batteries may want to consider if they have been exposed to this or similar threats,” Zhang wrote. “Also, just because an app has been downloaded from an app store – even Google Play – does not mean it is safe.”
On Thursday, Ars Technica updated their post to say that the one application, Prized, was no longer available in Google Play. Since then, links which previously directed to the “Songs” app in the Android marketplace have become defunct.
Also on Thursday, a LinkedIn profile was circulated online of a Ryan Ramminger from the Cincinnati, Ohio are who boasts of being the founder and CEO of Prized. American Civil Liberties Union technologist Chris Soghoian tweeted that the American-based app would thus be applicable to federal regulations.

More Reports Tip Phablet-Sized iPhones

Japan's Nikkei Asian Review tips 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone.

Spring is upon us, and so are fresh iPhone rumors.
A new report from Japan's Nikkei Asian Review tips a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of the iPhone this year, dwarfing the current 4-inch Retina display iPhone 5s.
Reports about larger iPhones have been making the rounds for ages - with Bloomberg tipping 4.7- and 5.5-inch devices in November, though the news service said both phones would also feature curved displays. The Wall Street Journal had a similar report in January, but PCMag's Sascha Segan warned consumers not to believe the hype.
Rumors about the next-gen phone also point to a thinner version of the current handset, much more closely resembling the iPod lineup. Blogger Sonny Dickson last month published a series of photos showcasing the iPhone 6's inner workings and Space Grey rear casing, though there is no way to verify the images' authenticity.

More recently, designer Sam Beckett published an "iPhone 6 Air" concept video, which envisioned a 4.7-inch sapphire crystal display with 1,920-by-1,080 display and 468 pixels per inch. In his rendering, the bezels are scaled down to practically nothing, and the device sports a 10-megapixel camera with an increased f/1.8 aperture and a faster A8 chip.
Meanwhile, production of the upcoming smartphone, whatever it may be, will reportedly begin in the second quarter of this year at a new 80,000-square-foot, $147 million Pegatron factory just outside of Shanghai.
Citing unnamed sources, Nikkei suggested that mass production of mobile LCD panels will begin between April and June at Sharp, LG, and Japan Display factories.
Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
For more, see PCMag's reviews of Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as the slideshow above.

Apple iPhone 6 release 'as early as September,' in two sizes -- report

The iPhone 6 will arrive in September in two sizes: 4.7- and 5.5-inch, according to Japanese publication Nikkei, which cites sources at domestic display manufacturers.

Apple

The iPhone 6 will arrive as early as September in two screen sizes, according to Japan's largest business daily.
The next-generation iPhone 6 "will likely be offered in 4.7- and 5.5-inch versions," Nikkei reported in its Friday edition. The current iPhone 5S has a 4-inch screen.
The displays will be made in Japan by Sharp at its Kameyama factory and at Japan Display's Mobara plant, as well as other facilities, according to the report.

Oculus Rift Facebook Buy: The Internet Backlash Begins, Gamers Start Backing PS4 Project Morpheus VR Headset Instead

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It has begun. As soon as word spread that Facebook has purchased Oculus Rift VR, seemingly out of nowhere, for around two billion in cash and stock- well, you knew the backlash was coming. Facebook's been increasingly criticized for their data mining policies and issues with protecting privacy, and for them to take control of a formerly beloved startup company like Oculus Rift VR was unthinkable. After all, the Rift was for gamers by gamers, a Kickstarter project that was destined to change the world. Are gamers now turning to Sony's upcoming Project Morpheus headset for the PS4 instead?
One only need look at reddit for thousands of people up in arms. Images like the above one are commonplace and the number one topic right now shows you how to cancel your Oculus Rift order, directing you to this page on their official site. Thousands of comments are pouring in, from Kickstarter backers disefanchised with the technology they helped fund to gamers concerned with the direction the company is going.
If you check out Oculus Rift Facebook communities you'll find all sorts of angry comments, like "Good job on the sellout.", "You just betrayed your entire audience", and "RIP."  Every post now is just full of irate gamers. It's still amusing to see people complaining about Facebook while utilizing the service, but that's people for you.
Oculus is trending on Twitter right now and people are complaining on there as well.
But is Sony's Project Morpheus the answer? Will hardcore gamers back it in the same way they once did the Oculus Rift? Sony showed off the unit at the recent GDC unveiling but Oculus has had units in developer's hands for quite a while now. If Oculus comes out sometime this year will Sony be able to play catch-up? Convincing gamers that have shelled out $400 for a PS4 to plop down another $300-$400 for a peripheral is going to be hard, as well.
Regardless, this year's E3 will likely see both Sony and Microsoft (yes, they're working on a headset too) revealing their plans for VR. This is really shaping up to be one of the most exciting E3s yet- forget the new consoles, the virtual reality war will be the most thrilling of this generation.

Twitter gets a new look… it’s Facebook: ‘Tags’ and ‘shares’ appear on micro-blogging platform

Copying Facebook? Twitter’s new features have not gone down too well (Picture: Getty)

Twitter users have accused the micro-blogging platform of copying Facebook with the introduction of ‘tags’ in photos and replacing retweets with a ‘share’ option.
They will now be able to include up to four images in each tweet and tag up to ten people without using any of their allocated 140 characters.
Twitter software engineer Cesar Puerta said it would make ‘conversation around photos fun and easy’.
But technology websites rushed to tell tweeters how they could opt out, especially if they were worried about embarrassing pictures getting out.
Twitter also experimented with replacing the word ‘retweet’ with ‘share with followers’, to make it more attractive to newcomers.
Some users poured scorn on the tweaks. Bournemouth university computing student Paul Cousins tweeted: ‘Surely not ?! @twitter ..Retweet better buzz word!’ Another, @wantedjustin, posted: ‘It’s R-E-T-W-E-E-T not share @twitter YOU COPY CAT! I HATE YOU’
Twitter altered some users’ profiles last month, adjusting their main photos to the left-hand side rather than top of a page – in a move many compared with Facebook.
Earlier this week, reports suggested it was also considering the removal of ‘hashtags’ and ‘@’ symbols, for fear they deter potential newcomers.
Chief executive Dick Costolo is said to be concerned the site has stalled at 241million users.
Facebook has recently had a redesign to offer more Twitter-style options, such as ‘trending’ articles.
Meanwhile, Twitter has announced a new service that will rank the artists and songs spoken about the most on the site for a chart to appear on US music magazine Billboard’s website.

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit

Samsung CEO J.K. Shin presents the new device Samsung Gear Fit at the Mobile World Congress. Photo / AP

Who'd have thought that geekery and sports - two things which have long been like oil and water - would ever mix?
Now it seems like the impossible is happening as tech firms such as Samsung bet big on fitness tracking technologies, making it a key feature of their Galaxy S5 smartphone and the Galaxy Gear Fit smartwatch.
Look and Feel
While the original Galaxy Gear didn't get rave reviews owing to limited battery life and it sheer bulk, the Galaxy Gear Fit ticks remedies these issues, ticking a lot of boxes along the way.
For a start it's far less bulkier than the Galaxy Gear. It also has simpler functionality, tracking anything exercise related plus doing the usual smartwatch duties.
Perhaps the most noticeable thing with the Galaxy Gear Fit out of the box is its touch sensitive curved AMOLED screen. It not only matches the curve of a typical wrist, but this also helps minimise its bulk. Not only is the 1.8" screen vivid and bright, but the Fit itself also feels good to wear thanks to a well thought out strap and clasp design.
In Use
A button on the side of the fit acts as a power on/off allowing you to activate its display. According to Samsung marketing blurb, its Battery life is a respectable 3-4 days. This can vary, depending on how many notifications you get and how often the screen is used. Another Factor figuring in the Fit's battery life is the use of the more energy efficient Tiezen operating system.
On the functionality front, the Fit has plenty of bells and whistles. Not only can you control music tracks on a Galaxy phone, you can also accept or reject calls (I found this via by digging around the options in the Gear Fit manager app). Nicer still I could also do all this in the shower as the fit is IP67 rated which means it can handle getting wet.
As with other smartwatches, the Fit displays email, SMS message headers and other notifications. One feature that impressed was the ability to swap out the default wallpaper for photos snapped on my smartphone. These needed to be cropped so they'd work with the Fit's odd 432 x 128 screen resolution.
As its name suggests, it'll also track fitness levels using a heart rate sensor and accelerometers. My daily exercise regime typically consists of the ripping open of potato chip bags and some mild weight lifting as I move a pint towards my mouth. This said, I found myself using the fits stats to push myself to walk that little bit further. The heart rate monitor function also motivated me to up the pace when exercising and to better deal with stress.

Verdict
So did it work? With only a short time to test it, I can say that I found its fitness functions useful as a motivator, elevating me from slob to semi-sloth status. Left with the fit a bit longer, who knows what'd be possible?
Samsung say that the Fit will be compatible with many Galaxy Phones, which highlights about the only real limitation of the Fit - it's a Samsung only show.
This is a real shame as it is s smoking bit of gadgetry that could've been a fantastic strategic beach-head for Samsung to gain traction with non-Samsung smartphone owners.
None the less, the fit is a sexy wearable that does exactly what it says on the box and can be had for the reasonable sticker price of $299.

Powered by Android is the new Intel Inside

If you asked a handful of HTC One or Galaxy S users what operating system their phone was running, I’m sure a surprising amount would tell you they have no idea. Android branding on Android powered handsets is surprisingly lacking. Especially when compared to manufacturer, carrier or even Google branding. But it looks like Google is going to change that.
When the Samsung Galaxy S5 was announced, it was noted that the boot-screen of the new device featured a “Powered by Android” logo. At the time speculation on the inclusion of the nod to Android was rampant. Was it a result of the talks between Google and Samsung that had taken place shortly before the S5 was unveiled? Is it a new requirement to using Google’s suite of apps? With the reveal of the new HTC One, we gain a little more insight into the situation.
In big, bold letters, as soon as you turn the new HTC One on, you’re greeted by what will soon be a familiar sight: “Powered by Android.” Russell Holly of Geek.com is reporting that Google is “mandating that the phrase ‘Powered by Android’ be present during the boot animation on new phones.” Exactly what this gains manufacturers, or the terms under which they have to include the logo, is uncertain. It could be as important as access to Google apps or as simple as a good relationship with Google. Either way, there’s a good chance it’s not going away anytime soon.
What exactly will Android brand awareness do for Google? Probably not a whole lot. We’ll still be keeping an eye out for where else “Powered by Android” shows up, though.

EE announces Kestrel cheap smartphone and cheaper 4G pricing

IF YOU'VE GOT A TON, get a dog and bone. That was the message from mobile operator EE as it announced the EE Kestrel on Wednesday, its first own-branded handset priced at £99 on pay as you go.
The Kestrel is an entry-level 4G Android smartphone running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It has a quad-core 1.2Ghz processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card. It boasts a 5MP rear-facing camera with another 1MP camera at the front.
The more keen-eyed will notice that this sounds a lot like the Huawei Ascend G6 that we saw at Mobile World Congress, and in many respects it is, albeit with slightly lower specifications.
Along with the low-priced phone comes a range of price plans that are also easy on the pocket, starting at £13.99 a month, including a free Kestrel handset, 500 minutes of talk time and a 500MB data allowance.
Tariffs range up to £74.99 for EE's 4GEE Plus service, capable of speeds up to 300Mbps, with 50GB of data and unlimited talk time. All plans come with unlimited text messaging.
The addition of unlimited text messaging is a reflection of recent findings that users are abandoning SMS in favour of online messaging apps such as Whatsapp and BBM, meaning EE can afford to be generous.
EE also announced business plans on Wednesday starting at £17 per month and sharing plans starting at £5 per month for a SIM-only contract.
The reductions might herald the start of a price war in the 4G market as networks fight for leverage to earn returns on the billions invested in next-generation LTE infrastructure.

Dell, Microsoft sign Android cross-license patent deal

Microsoft and Dell have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement, where Dell pays Microsoft royalties on products based on Chrome OS and Android in return for patent protection.

In return, Dell will license back certain undisclosed intellectual property that would affect the Xbox game console, according to a Microsoft representative.
Microsoft has signed a number of patent cross licenses with companies of all stripes, covering patents that the company has asserted as part of the Android operating system. In 2011, for example, Microsoft signed a similar deal with Samsung, plus Acer, Foxconn,  Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic and Wistron, among others.
Representatives from both Microsoft and Dell publicly and privately downplayed the deal, calling it the natural offshoot of a long, 30-year business relationship. 

“Our agreement with Dell shows what can be accomplished when companies share intellectual property,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of the Innovation and Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft, in a statement. “We have been partnering with technology manufacturers and vendors for many years to craft licensing deals, instead of litigation strategies.” 

What the agreement does signify, however, is that as PC makers begin moving away from their traditional reliance on Microsoft, Microsoft will begin enforcing its patent rights. In 2011, Dell seemingly abandoned the Dell Streak tablet, signifying an apparent end to its Android experiment. But then Dell aggressively pushed back into the space late last year with its new Venue tablet lineup. Dell also announced a Chromebook, which runs Google's ChromeOS operating system.
Google, which pioneered both Android and Chrome, has yet to indemnify, or legally protect, companies which use either Chrome or Android. In 2011, Microsoft challenged Google to do just that, but Google failed to respond. Google representatives did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Although Dell will now pay a royalty to Microsoft for the use of Android and Chrome OS, the real message is that other OEMs who choose to follow in Dell's footsteps risk the same treatment. That might not include HP, which signed a broad cross-licensing agreement with Microsoft in 2009.

Microsoft Finally Gave Away MS-DOS. Now It Should Open Source Everything Else

Microsoft just released the source code of one of its most important computer operating systems. The catch is that the software is over 30 years old.
Yesterday, with permission from Microsoft, Silicon Valley’s Computer History Museum published the source code for MS-DOS, the text-based operating system that ran so many personal computers in the ’80s and turned Microsoft into one of the industry’s dominant software companies. For computer geeks, the move can provide a bit of fun — a glimpse into how software was built in the past — and it provides a nice metaphor for a Microsoft that’s evolving with the times. Microsoft was once vehemently opposed to open source software, believing that it would cut into its core business, but in a modern world where open source is so very important, the company is changing its tune.
But the company shouldn’t stop at symbolic gestures. We love that the MS-DOS code is now available to the world at large (even if you can’t distribute your own changes to it, as with truly open source software). And we love that Microsoft has also released the code behind another seminal piece of software: Microsoft Word for Windows, originally released in 1990. But if the company is to regain its place at the head of the tech table, it needs to start open sourcing operating systems that are used today, not 30 years ago. Microsoft needs to open up the Windows Phone mobile OS — and maybe even desktop Windows.
Google already gives away both the source code and the licenses for its Android and Chrome operating systems, and that strategy has been quite successful in stealing market share from Apple and Blackberry. Especially in the developing world, handset makers are flocking to Android, and there’s little reason for them to pay a fee for Windows Phone.
There’s even reason to consider extending this policy to the desktop. Apple long ago open sourced the foundation of its OS X operating system through a project called Darwin, and now, it gives away new versions of the operating system to existing customers. Microsoft licenses Windows Phone to manufacturers for as little as $10 per device, and desktop versions of Windows may sell for even less than that. As the price of operating systems approaches zero, Microsoft is running out of excuses not to open up its operating systems. Plus, this could give the company added currency among the world’s software developers — something it desperately needs.

Trust the Source

Releasing source code resonates on so many different levels. It helps software spread. And it accelerates the pace of innovation. But it also engenders an added trust in the companies and individuals doing the open sourcing, a trust that spreads among developers as well as users. People are often more likely to use and build on top of software if they can see into the source code. The history of MS-DOS can actually provide a window into this phenomenon.
Microsoft started out as a company that sold tools for programmers. But tiny outfit got its big break in 1980 when IBM asked for help building an operating system for its new desktop PC line. The result was MS-DOS. It was hugely successful, but a cloud has hung over it from the very beginning. For years a man named Gary Kildall claimed that parts of Microsoft’s operating systems were copied from an OS he built at a tiny company called Digital Research Inc.
The questions that plagued Microsoft during its early years could have been resolved long ago had it simply published its source code under the same license it did today. Rivals wouldn’t be able to use it in their own products, but curious parties could have decided for themselves just how closely Redmond mimicked Kildall’s work.
In similar fashion, Microsoft could help answer lingering questions about Windows. Rumors about NSA backdoors into Microsoft products have swirled since at least 1999, and trust in Microsoft and other large tech companies has only eroded since Edward Snowden leaked a large cache of documents showing the breadth and depth of NSA spying. Microsoft could help clear this up by publishing the full source code of its modern operating systems — even if it’s under a very restrictive license.

Microsoft Does Android?

According to reports, Microsoft is already looking to license certain Windows operating systems at no charge. This is different from open sourcing. But it’s a start. And through Nokia, the handset maker it’s acquiring for $7 billion, Microsoft may even build low-cost phones with Android, the poster child for how successful an open source OS can be.
Now the question is whether Microsoft will go so far as to emulate Android with its own OSes. Yes, Microsoft would lose a revenue stream, but first and foremost, it needs to ensure that Windows is widely used. This will not only encourage developers to build software to the platform — something that will lead to even wider use. It will provide a widely used platform for all sorts of other Microsoft software and services as well as ads. That’s how Google makes it work.
You may see open source DOS as a novelty. But it provides the seeds for a new Microsoft.

Wayfarers that connect to the web? Google joins forces with Ray-Ban maker to give Glass a makeover

The partnership with Luxottica, which owns Oakley and Ray-Ban, is part of Google’s effort to make Google Glass less geek and more chic so wearable technology appeals to consumers.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images Luxottica will develop frames fitted with Google Glass.

SAN FRANCISCO — Google is hoping to make its Internet-connected eyewear more stylish as part of a partnership with the makers of Ray-Ban and Oakley frames.
The alliance with Italian eyewear company Luxottica Group announced Monday represents Google's latest attempt to make wearable technology look less geeky as it tries to develop new ways to ensure people can stay connected to the Internet wherever they go. Last week, Google disclosed that fashion accessory maker Fossil Group is working on an Internet-connected wristwatch that runs Google's Android software for mobile devices.
Luxottica will develop frames equipped with Google Glass, a computing device that includes a thumbnail-sized screen above the wearer's right eye to view Internet content. The $1,500 gadget also includes a camera that can take hands-free pictures and video, a feature that has raised privacy concerns.
Google Inc. so far has only sold Glass to a select group of test subjects known as "Explorers," who have frequently been mocked for wearing a piece of futuristic eyewear that looks better-suited for cyborgs than for humans.
Luxottica is expected to help broaden Glass' appeal. Google is also planning to tap into the more than 5,000 stores that Luxottica runs in the U.S. to help sell Glass once the device is released on the general market.
Google still hasn't spelled out when Glass will be broadly available, although the Mountain View, Calif., company is still aiming for later this year.
More than 10,000 people have bought Glass as part of the Explorer program.
In another move to make Glass more practical, Google in January unveiled four frame styles that could also be outfitted with prescription lenses. Those frames cost an additional $225.
The prices for Luxottica's line-up of Google Glass products won't be announced until they are closer to going on sale. Besides Ray-Ban and Oakley, Luxottica's other brands include Vogue-Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli and Arnette.

Windows Phone 8.1 tipped to allow developers to reply to app reviews

Sometimes there is a need for a developer to respond to app reviews but there isn’t a way to do so. A recent leak of Windows Phone 8.1 will reportedly allow developers to respond to reviews users leave on their apps. This is said to be part of a feature that will let users flag inappropriate or offensive comments and those containing virus or malware. Another option in that feature is to report the inappropriate response to a review to the developer.
There is no confirmation yet about this feature but we might learn more about this (or not) at the upcoming Microsoft BUILD conference.

Facebook buys Oculus VR, a virtual reality gaming company, for $2 billion

Zuckerberg views gaming headset as a "new communication platform."

FORTUNE -- Facebook's deals are becoming the stuff of legend. In the last few months alone, Mark Zuckerberg has spent $19 billion on a messaging app, and reports say he's paying $60 million for a drone company. Today he announced Facebook's latest head-scratcher: $2 billion for Oculus VR, the maker a virtual reality gaming headset called Oculus Rift.

Facebook (FB) will pay $400 million in cash, with 23.1 million shares of Facebook common stock valued at $1.6 billion, the company said.  In addition, the deal includes a $300 million earn-out in cash and stock. Oculus Rift got its start on Kickstarter, but went on to raise $93.4 million in venture funding from Spark Capital, Matrix Partners, Founders Fund, Formation 8, BIG Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.

So: Why? Is Oculus Facebook's answer to Google Glass? Is it the social network's desperate attempt to inject itself with fresh innovation? Is it a cynical play for Oculus Rift's legendary CTO, John Carmack? Does Facebook want to fill a Zynga-shaped hole in its games-related revenue?

According to a Facebook post from Zuckerberg, he views Oculus Rift as a communication platform. The company will operate independently from Facebook and continue its path of developing a platform for virtual reality games. (This, by the way, marks the third time Facebook has veered from its acqui-hire strategy of shutting down the companies it acquires -- the other two are Instagram and WhatsApp.) But Facebook's vision for Oculus is much bigger than games:

After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home.

The team at Oculus echoed Zuckerberg's sentiment in their own blog post:

At first glance, it might not seem obvious why Oculus is partnering with Facebook, a company focused on connecting people, investing in internet access for the world and pushing an open computing platform. But when you consider it more carefully, we're culturally aligned with a focus on innovating and hiring the best and brightest; we believe communication drives new platforms; we want to contribute to a more open, connected world; and we both see virtual reality as the next step.

Shares of Facebook were slightly down by 0.88% in after hours trading.

Facebook is hosting a conference call to discuss the deal; Fortune will update this post as it unfolds. In the meantime, here's a video Fortune produced on the headset:

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A closer look at your Windows XP investment

Nothing lasts forever. We expect that we'll get years of use out of our cars, refrigerators, and mattresses but that eventually they'll need to be replaced, usually with newer, better models. We’ve now reached that point with Windows XP PCs.
But as the clock winds down on Windows XP support, there is a growing clamor from many Windows XP users. They’re pretty sure Microsoft is just trying to squeeze money out of them by “forcing” them to upgrade their operating system or buy a whole new PC.

With a little proactive preparation, the expense of a new PC won't be such a burden.

To be fair, Microsoft isn’t forcing anyone to do anything. It's making a business decision to stop investing resources to support an OS that is over a decade old. Windows XP users can continue to use the OS, but it will require additional security tools to protect it, and it will very much be at their own risk. However, the fact that some people are still using an OS that was superseded years ago and haven’t made any effort to upgrade or prepare for this moment is not Microsoft’s fault.
Consider a refrigerator. I think most people would agree it’s an expensive but necessary appliance. If your refrigerator dies today and it's not still under warranty, you’ll have to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to replace it.
Assuming your refrigerator is more than a few years old, you probably won’t blame the manufacturer or claim that the need to replace it is just a blatant money grab on their part. Hopefully, you were aware that this day would come, and you had been setting aside money in preparation.
The same thing is true for a PC. It might be a monitor that stops working or a hard drive that crashes. Or it may be that the operating system you’re using is no longer supported by the developer, as will soon be the case with Windows XP. Whatever the reason, you should understand that it’s inevitable and plan to invest more money in your PC when that day comes.
In December of 2001—a couple months after the launch of Windows XP—there was a variety of middle-of-the-road desktop PCs available with the new operating system. You could buy a Compaq Presario with a 1.5GHz Celeron processor, 256Mb of RAM, and a 20GB hard drive for $570 from Best Buy. For $1000, you could choose the Compaq Presario with a 1.5GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512Mb of RAM, and a 40GB hard drive.
Those machines are so old it’s unlikely many of them are still in use, and if they are, it’s likely thanks to substantial upgrades. But if someone is still using an original Windows XP PC from 2001, that would mean they've gotten more than 12 years of use out of it, so an initial investment of $570 equates to less than $50 per year.
Let’s consider, instead, the math for a Windows XP PC purchased in 2006 just before Windows Vista launched. In April 2006, you could buy a Gateway 3700+ from Best Buy with an AMD Athlon processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 200GB hard drive for $600. That system is much more likely to still be in use today. Breaking down $600 over the eight years between then and now makes the investment for such a system $75 per year.
In each case, you have to admit that isn’t much. Most people spend 15 to 20 times that annually on coffee.
Seventy-five dollars per year breaks down to only $6.25 per month, but let’s round up. If you just set aside $10 per month, after a few months you’d have enough money set aside to replace your PCs power supply if it dies. In about half a year you’d be able to buy a 1TB or larger hard drive in the event that yours crashes. In less than a year you’d have enough to buy a new 21-inch monitor if you need to.
Had you set aside $10 a month since April of 2006, you’d have about $960 amassed so you could go buy a new PC, or three. You can get an HP Pro 3500 desktop with Windows 7 from Best Buy right now for only $400, or a brand new Lenovo desktop with Windows 8 for around $300.
Windows XP PCs and the Windows XP operating system itself have not been available for purchase for quite a while now. Whenever you bought your PC or upgraded to Windows XP, I think it’s fair to say you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of that investment. Now, it’s time to invest again in something new.

HTC One (M8) Hands-on Review: First Impressions Suggest Stiff Competition For The Samsung Galaxy S5

Today HTC unveiled the new HTC One, the much anticipated successor to identically named HTC One – 2013’s most critically acclaimed phone. To separate the two HTC is naming the new handset the ‘HTC One (M8)’ while it is now also referring to its predecessor as the ‘HTC One (M7)’. Yes the branding is something of a mess, but having attended the launch and had a half a day with my M8 review sample I can comfortably say in (almost) every other way HTC is onto another winner.
Design – Changes For The Better
At first glance no much looks to have changed, but on closer inspection HTC has made a number of subtle yet very welcome improvements.
The most obvious is the switch from a 4.7in to 5in 1080p Full HD screen which brings the M8 in line with the LG Nexus 5 (5in) and closer to the Samsung Galaxy S5 (5.1in) and LG G2 (5.2in). HTC is keeping quiet about the screen technology inside the M8, but with the bar already raised high the handset matches the razor sharp images of its rivals and appears to have better colour saturation and even wider viewing angles than the already excellent M7.



The downside is the jump in screen size has meant an increase in the overall size and weight of the M8. It now measures 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm (5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 inches) and weighs 160 grams (5.64 ounces) making it substantially bigger and heavier than the competition,. Even the 5.2in LG G2 comes in at 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm (5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 in) and 143 g (5.04 oz).
Consequently the M8 feels heavy in the hand, but it has gentler curves and more tapered edges than the M7 so is actually more comfortable to hold. Furthermore the weight penalty is down to the M8’s superb build quality. The original HTC One was the first Android phone to challenge the iPhone in terms of build quality and the M8 arguably surpasses it.
The back is now 90% metal (with the antennas built in the body to avoid blocking signal) and there are fewer parts and seams with the metal now reaching right up to the glass. If you’ve been waiting for a truly luxurious feeling smartphone, the M8 is it and it feels leaps and bounds ahead of the plastic bodies used by the Galaxy S5, G2 and Nexus 5. HTC has also fitted the M8 with a microSD card, an omission many lamented from the original One.



Speed & Battery Life – Faster and Longer Lasting
In addition to the screen and chassis improvements, the M8 has also been given some notable specification upgrades. Powering it is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with 2.3GHz quad-core CPU. This is a step up from the Snapdragon 800 in the Nexus 5 and G2 and matches what will be featured in the as yet unreleased Galaxy 5.
The leading smartphones are already lightning quick and the higher clocked chipset on the 801 gives it a further boost, but the real benefit for the M8 is its QuickCharge technology. This results in 75% faster battery charging and greater power efficiency which HTC claims will see the handset last well over a day on a single charge.



Furthermore HTC is introducing ‘extreme’ battery saving modes which HTC boasts will make the M8 last 2 weeks on standby, 60 hours with 20% charge, 30 hours with 10% charge and 15 hours with 5% charge. This is aided by an enlarged 2600mAh battery, up 300mAh on the M7.
One oddity is while the M8 has QuickCharge, the supplied charger is not QuickCharge compatible. HTC will release a QuickCharger charger at a later date, but it seems a bizarre corner to cut. I’ll take an in depth look at the M8′s real world performance when I post my full review.



Speakers – Louder and Even Better Bass
The M8 is also more media friendly. Its acclaimed front facing ‘BoomSound’ stereo speakers were already the best on the market in the M7 and they now have redesigned chambers and 25% greater amplification. From my initial impressions the tweaks pay dividends. They aren’t a radical improvement on the M7, but they have made the best better.
For those who like to listen to the radio or podcasts with their phone speaker the M8 will be a revelation and while we’d still advise earphones for music, YouTube clips sound pretty good with a surprising amount of bass. Given HTC ended its relationship with Beats, it doesn’t seem to have hurt the M8 one bit.

BlackBerry Ltd’s plans to make money from BBM begins with launch of BBM Shop this week

BloombergBBM's evolution into a potential revenue generator could be key to helping BlackBerry transition from a company that relies primarily on the sale of smartphones to a provider of specialized software and services.

BlackBerry Ltd.’s plan to transform BlackBerry Messenger into a money maker will begin in earnest sometime in the next week with the launch of a new virtual storefront within the popular instant messaging application.
BlackBerry plans to roll out a new virtual goods storefront known as BBM Shop sometime in the next week as part of a broader previously announced strategy to begin generating revenue from the company’s most popular piece of software.
The first items to go on sale in the BBM Shop will be enhanced emoticons known as “stickers” that can be created by brands and which users can purchase and then use in their chat windows. Launch partners for BBM Stickers include World Wrestling Entertainment and the children’s property Shaun the Sheep.
For example, instead of sending a smiley face emoticon to a friend to indicate they are happy, BBM users could use a sticker of a WWE wrestler with his arms raised to convey the same visual emotion.
In addition to the virtual storefront, BlackBerry also plans to generate revenue from BBM in the coming weeks and months with the addition of new marketing initiatives such as sponsored content, enhanced features for enterprise users and, eventually, a secure payments platform.
Shortly after assuming command of the embattled Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker in November, BlackBerry chief executive John Chen identified BBM as one of the company’s key strengths, and a possible revenue source for the company. In December, Mr. Chen said BlackBerry could begin recognizing revenue from the BBM division as early as the 2016 fiscal year.
For BlackBerry, the evolution of BBM from an instant messaging service to a mobile social networking platform began in earnest when the company enabled users with non-BlackBerry devices — namely Apple Inc.’s iPhone and handsets running Google Inc.’s Android software — to begin using the service last year.
BBM’s evolution into a potential revenue generator could be key to helping BlackBerry transition from a company that relies primarily on the sale of smartphones to a provider of specialized software and services.
In a meeting with a handful of reporters in Toronto on Tuesday, BlackBerry’s senior director of BBM, David Proulx, said the addition of BBM Shop and other features to BBM will provide users with “incremental value.”
“At no point should monetization come at the expense of the user,” Mr. Proulx said. “Messaging is first and foremost a utility, and the value of that utility needs to be enhanced and supported by everything we do, and not distracted from or infringed upon.”
Facebook Inc.’s recent acquisition of rival messaging platform WhatsApp for US$19-billion and Japanese retail giant Rakuten’s deal to purchase Viber Media for US$900-million, have thrust mobile instant messaging platforms into the spotlight and helped bolster BlackBerry’s case to generate revenue from BBM.
In addition to BBM Shop, BlackBerry is also gearing up to release a new sponsored content service for marketers which will allow advertisers to target specific groups of BBM users. Marketers will be able to pay BlackBerry to promote their BBM Channels or BlackBerry OS applications to BBM users.
Later this summer, BlackBerry also plans to begin offering a new enterprise-grade version of BBM to its corporate customers, known as eBBM.
With eBBM, BlackBerry plans to offer its core enterprise clients a new version of its BBM messaging software that is designed for “regulated industries,” such as governments, financial institutions and companies in the health care industry.
The first component of the new eBBM platform will by BBM Protected, which will provide enterprise messaging with “end-to-end encryption of messages.” The new system is designed to enable employees to communicate with one another using BBM with an enhanced level of security, while still allowing those users to message their friends using BBM.
The enhanced security features of BBM Protected will work between any two users, provided both devices are on corporate networks running the eBBM platform, even if the two users don’t work for the same company.

Google releases official APIs for Windows Phone developers

Here’s some potential good news for a handful of ambitious developers. Google has released over 50 Google APIs for .NET. Google quietly made the announcement last week on their developer blog. The release of the Google APIs Client Library for .NET should hopefully produce some nice Windows Phone and Windows 8 apps that tie into Google’s services.
Some services you can look forward to in the API library include Ad Exchange, Blogger, Google Compute Engine, Drive, Google+, Tasks, Translator, YouTube and many more. Just head on over to the Google APIs Client Library for .NET to get the full list. You can find the library hosted on NuGet. It’ll be an open-source effort and allow desktop or Windows Phone applications to integrate with Google’s services.
We might not see any more official Google apps on Windows Phone in the near future, but at least some entrepreneuring developers can potentially build something useful with official APIs.
Any developers out there have a chance to look into the APIs? Any plans to integrate or build apps with them? Sound off below.

Apple's iPhone 5 beats Samsung Galaxy S4's adoption rate in North America - study

Credit: Chitika Insights

A new report by Chitika Insights regarding the adoption of smartphones in North America found iPhone 5 to gain new users the fastest, building Apple's lead in the U.S. and Canada.
Despite Apple's larger existing American install base, adoption rate of iPhone 5 ousted Samsung Galaxy S4 throughout the two months after each device' individual debuts. Just a week after iPhone 5 hit retailers' shelves, its users already generated nearly 4 percent of iPhone traffic.
Meanwhile, Galaxy S4 usage share is longer than expected, enjoying its adoption peak only between the fifth and ninth weeks. By the ninth week, iPhone 5 had 11 percent of Web traffic while Galaxy S4 held the single digit six percent.
The Chitika Insights report profiled late 2012 web analytics of Apple's iPhone 5 and early 2013 data for Samsung's Galaxy S4, charting adoption of each handset over the first two weeks after release.
The report likewise observed, though Samsung was not able to defeat Apple in terms of adoption, it succeeded in dominating the Android market of North America. Samsung phones ousted Android devices, giving the Korean electronics a plurality of the Android user base.
Both Apple and Samsung occupy a well-positioned spot to maintain their part in the global market share on smartphone devices. When it comes to sales figures, each of these electronics giants has its own strengths in North America.

Mobile Threat Monday: Android App Steals Text Messages and Calls

Each week on Mobile Threat Monday, we look at a different nasty application targeting mobile devices. This week, security company F-Secure tipped us to an Android app that is very interested in your phone calls and SMS messages. In fact, it watches all your communications, and even uploads phone recordings for reasons unknown.
Message Snoop
According to F-Secure, the malicious app is dressed up like a system settings application. It even request device admin access, meaning it's capable of locking you out of your device entirely.
But this app seems more interested in your messages. It watches SMS and phone calls, checking to see if any phones numbers have a Korean code prefix (specifically, +82). If it detects one, it clears that number from your phone's log. It can also send SMS messages on its own.
Scariest of all, the app records phone calls, SMS messages, phone numbers, and network data, and uploads its stolen data to a remote server.
What's It Doing?
In their analysis, F-Secure didn't speculate about the malware's goal. That's understandable, because the behaviors are pretty odd. Clearing call logs of specific numbers and sending SMS messages sounds like some kind of premium SMS scam, where victims are nickel and dimed with small charges made via surreptitiously sent messages. Such malware relies on geographically-locked shortcodes to send SMS messages. That might explain why the app profiled by F-Secure checks for a Korean code prefix.
On the other hand, this malicious app is also interested in very personal information—like recordings of phone calls. This suggests something more targeted, something more along the lines of a login-capturing Trojan or a legal-ish spyware app installed by a jealous spouse.
How To Stay SafeWhatever the app is doing it's not the kind of thing you want on your phone. Unfortunately, F-Secure isn't sure where the app is coming from. If it's run-of-the-mill malware, then it's probably lurking in third party app stores. If it's a more targeted tool, it's likely being sent around by bad guys/creepy boyfriends. Either way, the remedy is the same: don't sideload apps. By default, your Android won't let you install apps from "unknown sources," and it's best to keep it that way.
Android security apps like Editors' Choice winners avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus and Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus can also help keep your phone safe with malware detection and numerous other security tools. For its part, Google bakes in a number of unique security tools to help protect your device even when you're installing apps from outside Google Play.
Lastly, use some common sense when installing any application and read over the list of requested permissions. After all, you never know when an app might be listening to you.

LG Smart Lamp: Lighting, Meet Smartphones

Control lighting with your smartphone for security and energy-saving purposes.
LG today announced the Smart Lamp, an LED light bulb that can be controlled by Android and iOS smartphones. The bulb offers a number of different functions and promises to change how we think about lighting.
The LG Smart Lamp uses Bluetooth or WiFi to connect to devices running either Android 4.3 and up or iOS 6.0 and up. A companion application allows smartphone users to perform functions such as turning the bulb on or off and dimming it.
The bulb has two main modes: security mode and play mode. Security mode lets homeowners set the light to go on or off at select times. This function can be controlled from anywhere, so homeowners could deter burglars by making it appear that someone is home. Unlike conventional light timers, which might offer two programs and vary on/off times by 15 or 20 minutes, the LG Smart Lamp lets users adjust lighting on the fly. Homeowners or small business owners can even use several Smart Lamps together to make things interesting, whether users are out for a night on the town or attending a conference thousands of miles from home.
[Is your perspective on Google Glass accurate? Read 10 Google Glass Myths, Translated.]
Play mode is more for fun. It adjusts the light's brightness according to music played on the smartphone. The light can also be set to flash in time with up-tempo tunes to help create a party atmosphere. It won't quite achieve the effect of a rotating disco ball, but it can certainly make for a more entertaining get-together outside of the local club scene. Party mode currently works only with Android devices.
Other features are more practical. For example, owners can set the Smart Lamp to turn on and gradually increase brightness. LG envisions this could be used as an alternative to an alarm clock to wake up users more gently. Another option: The Smart Lamp can blink to alert owners of incoming calls or messages, a potentially helpful feature if the phone is in another room.

The LG Smart Lamp is a 60-watt LED that works with any standard socket. LG says it can last up to ten years when used an average of five hours per day, which the company claims amounts to an 80% energy savings compared to a traditional incandescent bulb. LG is selling the Smart Lamp in its home market of Korea for 35,000 won (about $32). The company has not announced plans to offer the Smart Lamp in other markets.
The product goes head-to-head with the Philips Hue personal lighting system. Hue, which has been available since 2012, offers similar controls for on and off times, brightness, and more. Hue relies on an Ethernet-connected bridge, which talks to the bulbs. The owner's smartphone talks to the bridge rather than directly with the bulbs. The bridge is about the size of a smoke detector and requires a power source. Hue offers a starter pack that includes the bridge and three bulbs for $200 via Amazon.
Smart lighting can not only help save energy. It can also help protect homes and businesses from some threats.
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