Author: Dan Graziano

Leaked images reveal upcoming Nokia Lumia smartphone with aluminum casing

Images said reveal an upcoming Nokia Lumia smartphone appeared on the popular Chinese social network Sina Weibo earlier this week. The images, which have been confirmed as authentic by WPCentral, show an improved design with an aluminum case, a shift away from the traditional polycarbonate cases of past Lumias. The upcoming handset is said to be equipped with a 4.5-inch display, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor and an 8.7-megapixel rear camera. Other specs are rumored to include 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM and a 2,000 mAh battery. The smartphone will reportedly be announced on May 15th for a late June release date on T-Mobile. A second image follows below.

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April 18, 2013
LG’s next-gen flagship smartphone to debut in Q3

LG’s latest Optimus G smartphone hasn’t even arrived in the U.S. and the company is already planning to release a sequel. LG head of mobile marketing, Won Kim, confirmed to reporters on Thursday that “something different and something unique” is coming later this year, Engadget reported. The executive didn’t give specific details, however he revealed that the new flagship device will stick closer to a 5-inch screen size rather than the 5.5-inch display on the Optimus G Pro. The handset is also expected to be one of the first devices to run the new version of Android, rumored to be called Key Lime Pie. Kim said LG’s next-generation flagship smartphone is scheduled to be released sometime in the third quarter.

April 18, 2013
HP’s latest plan to boost PC sales: Integrating Leap Motion 3D motion control sensors

Things haven’t been going well for PC vendors as of late with sales recently experiencing their steepest decline ever in a single quarter. HP is just one of the many companies that is looking for unique ways to boost its deteriorating computer sales. The company announced this week that it has partnered with Leap Motion to bundle its 3D motion control sensor and Airspace App Store with specific HP desktop and laptop products. In the future, HP plans to embed Leap’s technology directly into some of its computers. BGR was left impressed after we tested Leap’s motion control sensor last July, calling the technology “a total game-changer” and “one of the coolest pieces of technology we’ve seen in a while.” The Leap Motion standalone sensor is slated to arrive at Best Buy stores on May 19th for $80. HP’s press release follows below.

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April 17, 2013
Smartwatch shipments could surpass 1 million in 2013

Smartwatches have been around for the last decade, but they have failed to gain any real attention until recently. The Kickstarter-backed Pebble generated massive hype, as have rumored devices from Apple, Google, Samsung, LG and Microsoft. Market research firm ABI Research is now predicting that 2013 could be a breakout year for smartwatches with more than 1.2 million devices expected to ship.

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April 17, 2013
Samsung, HTC and LG join wireless charging alliance, compatible devices coming in 2014

Wireless charging advocacy group Power Matters Alliance (PMA) on Wednesday announced that it has recruited Samsung, HTC and LG to support its cause. The group has a long list of members, including AT&T, Google, Blackberry, NEC, Texas Instruments and ZTE. PMA is pushing a unified wireless charging standard and has already deployed with its partners more than 1,500 charging stations across Starbucks coffee shops, airports and other locations. The group has asked its device partners to integrate PMA-certified wireless charging solutions into their products by 2014 and AT&T has also pledged to embed the technology into its smartphones within the same timeframe. Until then, the group is working with members to “deploy PMA-certified handsets and accessories as quickly as possible.” PMA’s press release follows below.

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April 17, 2013
Next-gen battery tech can charge a smartphone in seconds

Mobile devices have come a long way in a short period of time. It seems as if smartphones and tablets are capable of just about anything, however battery restrictions are holding these powerful devices back. The rate of innovation has not be been the same in the battery field and users are forced to bring chargers with them wherever they go. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are looking to change that with a new lithium-ion battery that is 2,000 times more powerful than comparable technologies.

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April 17, 2013
First Samsung devices with flexible displays could be delayed

Samsung is said to have hit a bump in the road during development of its flexible display technology. According to ETNews, the company has run into a problem with its encapsulation technology and may be forced to delay its flexible displays. Manufacturing was reportedly going as planned, however the encapsulation process, which protects the display from moisture and oxygen, was said to be adding significant time to production. A Samsung spokesperson told the Korean newspaper that the company is now exploring new encapsulation technology that will shorten the process to less than two minutes.

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April 17, 2013
SoftBank plans to complete Sprint merger by July, despite offer from Dish

SoftBank doesn’t appear to be worried about Dish Network’s recent bid for Sprint. The Japanese carrier said in a statement to AllThingsD that it believes its proposed merger offers a superior option to Sprint shareholders with both “short and long-term benefits to Dish’s highly conditional preliminary proposal.” Dish on Monday challenged SoftBank’s merger proposition with a bid of its own worth $25.5 billion. The proposed deal values the carrier at $7.00 per share, considerably higher than SoftBank’s offer of $4.03 per share. Despite the higher bid, SoftBank remains confident and said that it expects the transaction to be completed by July 1st.

April 16, 2013
Dell executive defends Windows RT, company planning new ARM-based tablets

Despite negative reception and poor sales, Dell remains committed to Microsoft’s Windows RT operating system. The company has confirmed that it plans to release “future generations” of ARM-based tablets that will be lighter and faster than before, IDG News reported. Neil Hand, Dell’s vice president, acknowledged that adoption hasn’t lived up to expectation, although he believes the platform has a good chance to succeed once users become more familiar with the new tile-based interface.

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April 16, 2013
Motorola and Google plan to fight against the rise of phablets

Manufacturers have continued to blur the line between smartphones and tablets with screen sizes on smartphones reaching as high as 6.3-inches. Sales of phablets have taken off since the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Note and an increasing number of companies now have plans to release their own oversized devices. Motorola will not be one of these companies, however. Jim Wicks, Motorola’s design chief, revealed in an interview with PCMag that the company has adopted the philosophy that “better is better” rather than “bigger is better.” The executive noted that Google has been spending the past eight months on next-generation Motorola phones and has “seen positive feedback and collaboration.”

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April 16, 2013
Microsoft exec says no plans to launch Surface phone

Microsoft has long been rumored to be building a flagship Surface smartphone for its Windows Phone operating system. In fact, we know there’s a Surface phone in the works, though launch plans are up in the air at this point. Those waiting for the phone to hit store shelves got some bad news on Tuesday as Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Phone, Terry Myerson, denied that the handset will launch anytime soon while speaking at AllThingsD’s Dive Into Mobile conference. The executive said that if Microsoft were to produce its own smartphone it would be an effort to provide a unique user experience that its Windows Phone partners are not able to achieve, Business Insider reported. For the time being, however, he believes that partners such as HTC and Nokia are already providing a great mobile experience to users.

April 16, 2013
Andy Rubin admits Android was originally intended for cameras, not smartphones

The Android operating system millions of people rely on each and every day to power their smartphones and tablets almost never was. Andy Rubin, the creator and former head of Android, revealed in a speech at the Japan New Economy Summit in Tokyo on Tuesday that the platform was originally envisioned as an operating system for smart cameras.

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April 16, 2013
Anonymous hackers bring down North Korean websites for a second time

Hackers associated with the group Anonymous earlier this month demanded that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un step down from power and adopt democracy. The demands went unanswered and the group has subsequently launched a variety of attacks aimed at North Korea’s online properties. Hackers defaced social media accounts and other websites belonging to Pyongyang and mocked Kim Jong Un with images associating him with a pig. Now, for the second time in less than two weeks, Anonymous members have taken down nearly a dozen new North Korean websites.

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April 15, 2013
HTC One may arrive at T-Mobile stores on April 24th

T-Mobile previously revealed that it plans to offer HTC’s latest flagship smartphone later this year, however it is the only U.S. carrier that has yet to announce a launch date. The HTC One will be available from AT&T and Sprint for $199 on April 19th, and while earlier rumors suggested that T-Mobile’s version would be released on the same day, a new leak hints otherwise. According to internal documents published by TmoNews, the HTC One will reportedly arrive in select stores on April 24th. Similar to the initial release of the Galaxy S III, it would appear that not all T-Mobile stores will be carrying the HTC One. The company previously announced that it will price high-end smartphone such as the Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 and HTC One for $99 down and $20 per mont for 24 months. The leaked images follow below.

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April 15, 2013
Firefox OS smartphones to debut in June in emerging markets

Speaking at AllThingsD’s Dive Into Mobile conference on Monday, Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs announced that the first Firefox OS smartphones will launch around June, Business Insider reported. The executive revealed that initial availability will be limited to emerging markets including Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Portugal and Spain. The HTML5-based operating system will also be making its way to the United States, as Sprint has previously confirmed that it plans to launch a Firefox OS smartphone sometime next year. Kovacs noted that the delay is due to the company’s plan to build a desirable ecosystem before launching in the highly competitive U.S. market.

April 15, 2013
Verizon reportedly offering $1.5 billion to lease Clearwire’s spectrum

Clearwire disclosed in a securities filing on Friday that it had received an offer from an unnamed company for use of its spectrum. According to The Wall Street Journal, Verizon is behind the proposed deal and has offered $1.5 billion to lease Clearwire’s spectrum. Verizon is said to be interested in Clearwire spectrum in big markets to help it bolster its 4G LTE service. The carrier is expected to face a few obstacles, however. Wireless rival Sprint has a controlling stake in Clearwire and recently proposed a takeover of the company, while at the same time Sprint is in the middle of dealing with its own merger offers from Japanese carrier SoftBank and from Dish Network. Clearwire, Sprint and Verizon, nevertheless, will come together to evaluate the offer and discuss it in further detail.

April 15, 2013
Sony-backed ISP shames Google Fiber, launches 2Gbps service in Japan

A Sony-backed ISP has announced that it now offers the world’s fastest home broadband service. So-net Entertainment on Monday began offering its “Nuro” fiber-based service to residents in Tokyo and six surrounding areas. The service is available for Y4,980 ($51) per month with a two-year service agreement and a Y52,500 ($535) installation fee. Customers who apply online, however, will have the one-time fee waived. Upload speeds top out at 1Gbps and download speeds come in at a blisteringly fast 2Gbps, double that of Google Fiber. Although most users are unlikely to experience these speeds due to limitations of most consumer network adaptors, this doesn’t change the fact that residents of Tokyo will still have access to speeds well above the rest of the world. Google Fiber currently offers the fastest speeds in the United States with its 1 Gbps service plan for $70 per month, however it is only available in limited markets.

April 15, 2013
HTC One seen as HTC’s savior, revenue expected to increase 50% in Q2

HTC may have turned a corner with its latest flagship smartphone and its worst days could be behind it. Alvin Kwock of J.P. Morgan Securities believes the HTC One is the company’s “last chance for a turnaround,” adding that improved supply will help the struggling smartphone vendor see a sharp rise in revenues this quarter. The analyst upgraded shares of HTC’s stock to Neutral from Underweight and more than doubled his original price target of NT$160 ($5.35) to NT$330 ($11), citing strong anticipated sales of the new smartphone.

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April 15, 2013
EU reportedly accepts Google’s settlement agreement, rivals still aren’t happy

European antitrust regulators are said to have accepted Google’s settlement terms following a two-year antitrust investigation into the company’s search and advertising practices. The European Union launched an investigation after several companies alleged that Google was promoting its own services ahead of the competition. The company recently proposed a deal that would have it specifically label its own properties within its search results and also display links from rival search engines in certain situations. The New York Times reports that regulators have accepted Google’s settlement offer, and the deal won’t require the company to change its search algorithm.

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April 15, 2013
Dish Network said to be interested in merger with T-Mobile

Dish Network’s (DISH) Chairman Charlie Ergen is said to have “informally approached” T-Mobile’s parent company about a possible merger deal, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company is said to be interested in a deal with the carrier so it can bundle wireless service with its satellite TV offerings. Dish’s proposal reportedly came at around the same time Deutsche Telekom was looking to sweeten its offer for MetroPCS. Deutsche Telekom is said to be considering the merger, though only after the deal with MetroPCS is complete and after verifying that Dish won’t subsequently pursue a similar deal with Sprint (S).

April 12, 2013