In Other News: 27/02/2013.

• Nokia have launched a new feature for their Windows Phone device, Nokia NFC! The new app allows you to read or write any standard NFC tag and what you write can be read by anyone, irrespective of their operating system. On top of that there's Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ support and you can do various things with each of these accounts! You can download the app here!
  Via WPCentral.

• Dropbox have said that they handle more than a billion uploads per day from their 100 million users!
  Via CNet.

• Samsung have launched their new wallet app which is in effect an Android version of Apple's Passbook. Take a look here for all the details!

• Adobe have announced Photoshop Touch for phones. We already have the tablet version which has been available for $9.99 for a while, but there is now a cheaper $4.99 option for your phone. The app supposedly has an “almost identical set of features [as] the tablet app, in an experience designed for smaller screens.” That means you can use layers, advanced selection tools, adjustments and filters.
  
  Any purchase of the app will also come with 2GB of free Adobe Creative Cloud storage to save your work to. The only limitations are that it requires Android 4.0 ICS or better! You can get the app here!
  Via AndroidCommunity.

• Ubuntu's owner Canonical are rolling out daily builds of their Ubuntu mobile OS on a variety of devices! Devs are currently busy working on Galaxy S III, HTC One X and Galaxy Nexus builds, but development for tablets is happening simultaneously on the Transformer Pad Infinity, Galaxy Tab 2 and Kindle Fire HD!
  Via Engadget.

• Apple's will be forced to pay VirnetX $368 million after the former's request for a reconsideration of a ruling which said Apple's Facetime infringed on some of VirnetX's intellectual property. , said a federal court has upheld a ruling against Apple Inc in a patent infringement lawsuit and denied the iPhone maker's motion to reduce the $368 million in damages. The two companies have been given 45 days to come to a licensing agreement too as VirnetX's request for a permanent injunction was rejected.
  Via Reuters.

• EE have announced that their 4G LTE is now live in: Barnsley, Chorley, Coventry, Newport, Preston, Rotherham, Telford, Walsall, and Watford!
  Via Slashgear.

• Reuters have speculated that if Microsoft released Office for iPad they could earn as much as $2.5billion from it per year! Naturally it removes some of the appeal of Windows based tablets, but that is a heck of a lot of money!

• Spotify for iOS has been given a huge overhaul! Grab the update while it's hot or download the app here!

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09/01/2013: OLPCA announce their new learning tablet and system, Facebook tease something they're 'building', WLM being retired and much more!

One Laptop per Child Association release their new learning system and XO tablet!

   In case you haven't heard of the One Laptop per Child Association then they are essentially a company with a dream, which you might have guessed is to put a computer in the hands of every child in developing countries to bring them up to speed on the expectations of the modern world! (You can read more about them here). The organisation has turned up at CES this year to show off two new products: the first is the XO tablet pictured above and they also exhibited the XO Learning System, which is also the interface of the tablet.

   Firstly, the XO Tablet is currently expected to pop up at your local Walmart and on their website sometime in the future. This will have the XO Learning System installed on it and essentially it's a software package made to help the child learn. It promises to channel creativity and divert energy away from annoying things to the 12 different 'dreams' which your child can then learn from.

   The 'dreams' are actually just jobs and they're introduced through the “I want to be...” and then a click will take the child through the things which make successful doctors, musicians, scientists and things of that nature!

   Each dream offers books, games, and videos which are tailored towards children from the ages of 3 to 12. Thankfully you won't have to cough up money for extra content because there isn't really any which is probably for the best seeing as the children will be using these!

   The XO Learning System, will be available for other manufacturers to license and Sakar International has already taken up that offer and is currently building one for its Vivatar brand. Sakar will soon produce a 7" slate, but we don't know anything about either the design or the specifications. Similarly price, availability and hardware specifications are currently AWOL for the XO tablet too. If we get hold of the details we'll be sure to let you know!
Via Slashgear.

In other news:

• Microsoft has announced that Windows Live Messenger will be retired on March the 15th and the company wants people to transfer over to Skype, which seems like a logical step given the better brand recognition and arguably better capabilities of Skype!
  Via Engadget.

• The Unwired View things that Verizon will be offering a the Droid Razr M and the Nokia Lumia 822 in lovely new purple and red hues especially for Valentines day! If you're interested then the guys think that they'll be offered for around about $50 on contract so you'll probably be able to find them at either Amazon or BestBuy for next to nothing!

• Verizon has announced that they have activated 9.8 million smartphones in Q4 2012, a new record for Big Red. The carrier was keen to point out that they activated a “higher mix of Apple smartphones” than normal. We will have some more concrete figures around January 22nd and we'll be able to see if AT&T sold more phones than Verizon in Q4! Just for reference in Q3 Verizon outsold AT&T selling 6.8 million to 6.1 million!
  Via TheVerge.

• Those of you living in the UK will soon see the closure of Jessops! The iconic camera brand has entered administration and currently we're not sure of the future for their 192 stores and around 2,000 employees. The troubles Jessop is facing is symptomatic of the move towards internet shopping instead of heading to the typically more expensive high street!
  Via Reuters.

• Adobe has rolled out security updates to their Acrobat, Flash, and Reader programmes. The hope is that these updates will fix the problems which have been causing computers to crash!
  Via Slashgear.

• The GameStick console from Kickstarter, which we reported on a few days ago, has now smashed through its funding goals and has $280,000 worth of backing, they only want $100,000! We'll give you more details on the device as it starts to become a reality!
  Via AndroidCommunity.

And finally, Facebook has sent out invites offering journalists the opportunity to 'come and see what we're building'. This sounds slightly ominous: we're not sure what it is at the moment, but we assume it'll be some sort of connected device, we're reluctant, and slightly concerned, to think that this could be a Facebook phone, but you never know! There's not too long to wait to find out either, the event is scheduled for the 15th of January!
Via Slashgear.

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15/08/2012

HTC promises to come back!

   There's quite a few mobile phone companies who are facing a tough time at the moment. The most obvious two are RIM and Nokia, but HTC is having a bit of a crisis at the moment after they lost all moment half way through last year when they released a huge group of decidedly average device. Unfortunately HTC's One Series wasn't quite good enough to steal mindshare back from Samsung and Apple; there were issues with small battery capacities in the One X and some dodgy ceramic work on the One S. 

   It's been reported today that the companies chairman has sent out an email to all their employees in a bid to rally the troops! Chou has laid out how his company needs to “kill bureaucracy” while improving communication; “We have people in meeting[s] and talking all the time but without decision, strategic direction or sense of urgency. Bureaucracy crept in without clear ownership. We agreed to do something but we either didn’t do it or executed it loosely.”

   He continues on to comment on his disappointment that the company’s sales have fallen despite the huge growth in the overall smartphone market. “Our competitors can leverage their scale, brand awareness and big marketing budget to do things which HTC could not do. The fast growth from the last two years has slowed us down.”

   But fear not Chou is confident in the company and promises “We are coming back.”

In other news:

• It's been reported today that Amazon's updated Kindle Fire has slipped through the FCC so hopefully we'll be hearing some sort of official announcement soon!

• Nokia has today reiterated their commitment to Windows Phone 8 and Stephen Elop didn't deny that the company could announce a new set of devices on September 7th, so not too long to wait now!

• Netflix has expanded their service to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland!

• Samsung Vs Apple: Today Samsung has argued that Apple's designs are always 'obvious' and so they should not be patentable, we'll see whether people agree with that, it seems reasonable.

• Adobe has confirmed there will be no more Flash releases for Android, only security updates and from today you won't be able to install a copy on any devices that don't have it! Unless, that is, you have such a huge desire to find the APK and install it yourself from 'untrusted sources'.

• LG has managed to sell 5million LTE phones worldwide in the last few years! Not bad going now all we need is some updates LG!

And finally is this 5.5" (14cm) screen and bezel combination that of the upcoming Galaxy Note 2? Keep it locked here for all the news from IFA as it happens!

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29/06/2012

Microsoft Surface really did put off OEM's?

   There have been reports today that, in spite of the positive reactions of the press, Microsoft's surface really did put off their other OEM partners from continuing with their Windows 8 tablet plans.

   One company this has had a significant effect on, is reported, to be HP. Given the obvious failings of the Hewlett Packard's Touchpad last year, it's quite understandable that they are cautious when it comes to tablets. Microsoft themselves supposedly commented that, “If Microsoft had seen compelling enough plans from [PC makers],” Moor Insights & Strategy’s Patrick Moor said, after talks with Windows RT OEMs, ”they wouldn’t have needed to do this". This clearly demonstrates the failings of the plans from HP and their competitors.

   The story here focuses particularly on Windows RT because the reported $90 pricetag on that version of Windows 8 is off-putting for potential partners, this is something Microsoft themselves are exempt from because the Surface tablets are made in-house. This is said to be pushing other OEM's into the hands of the OpenSource (and free) Android Operating System.Although no other specific names are mentioned, sources apparently claim that “just about every OEM out there is scrapping one or more [Windows RT] designs, with most renewing Android efforts with every resource at their disposal."

Chrome for iOS already a top app!

   Less than two days after the app launched onto iOS, Chrome for iPad and iPhone is already a hit! The reality is that the app is just a skin on top of Safari in iOS because of Apple's restrictions, but that doesn't stop it being awesome!

   So far there have been well over 4,000 reviews of the app and 80% of posts have given the app the full 5 star rating, with the app currently averaging 4.5stars!

   If you didn't hear the app was available then head to your app store and hit download on Chrome! It's free!

In other news:

• Google admits MacBook Chrome crash bug, but blames faults in Apple's kernel for being partly to blame as well, they've informed Apple of the issue!
• Matias Duarte, Android's headhoncho for the User Interface, has suggested ailing RIM could turn towards Android. He said that the company could make some great Android hardware and we have to agree! Although, there's rumours Microsoft could repeat the 'Nokia process' on them!
• Google has claimed the creation of the Nexus 7 is proof that they won't automatically give Motorola priority over the rest of their OEM partners!
• Twitter for Windows Phone has now received Push notifications!
• A Google Nexus 10 is reportedly in the works!
• Adobe has reported they will pull support for Flash in Android in Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) so no more flash!
• RIM reports dire Q1 2012 results; there's a $518m loss and BlackBerry 10 has been delayed until Q1 2013!

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