Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Crashed McLaren F1 is the saddest way to see its beautiful underbody

McLaren F1

Friends, this is why we cant have nice things. A McLaren F1 was flipped down an embankment in Italy yesterday, and this video of the crashs aftermath is about as sad as when Old Yeller was shot.

According to Italys La Nazione, this one-off, red-on-white F1 was crashed during a four-F1 tour between the towns of Saline di Volterra and Pomarance in the province of Pisa. Its unclear what caused the driver to lose control and invert our British hero on a grassy hill, although as this is a McLaren F1, we wouldnt be remotely surprised if speed ended up being a factor.

YouTuber Marchettino, an Autoblog reader and well-known source of videos from Ferraris Fiorano test track, was on the scene to capture the video available below. The footage shows the McLaren accelerating away, only to cut away to the aftermath of the wreck. Emergency personnel were tasked with righting the stricken hypercar, a process that was accompanied by the cringe-worthy cracking of its Peter Stevens-designed bodywork. At least they had the decency to cover the crumpled Brit with its fitted black cover as they loaded it onto a flatbed, a fitting yet somehow disturbing visual.

According to reports, the driver and passenger were airlifted from the scene with non-lethal injuries, and both are recovering in a hospital. Given the rising worth and rarity of F1s, despite the extensive damage in evidence, we reckon that this wont be the last the world sees of this special car. Take a look below to view the video.

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Leno meets the nicest people on his bored out Honda CB750

Honda CB750 Titan

Jay Lenos Garage is back to its tried-and-true formula this week with Jay taking a close look at a seriously cool vehicle with a guest. This time he invites in Adam Gaspic from Gasser Custom to take a look at a highly customized 1975 Honda CB750.

The bike is really an amalgam of styles from different eras and various Honda parts. Its looks are inspired by 50s hot rods with its white-wall tires and satin, metallic fuel tank, but there is a little British café racer in there, as well. A digital instrument panel and LED turn signals lend an air of modernity to it, too. Mechanically, the bike rides on a modified 75 frame with the front and rear suspension from an 80s Honda. However, the pièce de résistance is its engine, bored out to 836cc with additional head work and a custom exhaust.

Once on the road, the bike really sings. It sounds just the way a classic Japanese motorcycle should with a mix of whine at high-revs with rumble down low. A cycle that mixes this many styles should probably be a mess, but this fuses it all together perfectly. Scroll down to take a look at this motorcycle mixing classic and modern in Jay Lenos Garage.

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Monday, April 6, 2015

The rise of the phablet

Go back to 2010 and youd be hard pushed to find a handset which sported a screen bigger than 4 inches.

Back then the big phones of the year were the 3.5-inch iPhone 4, 3.7-inch HTC Desire and the 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S.


Today were seeing handsets rocking screens in excess of 6-inches, while the bustling budget tablet market is churning out top quality devices in the 7-inch arena.

The line between phones and tablets is more blurred than its ever been and the considerable amount of crossover has resulted in the coining of the rather inelegant phrase "phablet" - love it or hate it, the phrase and the devices its attached to are here to stay.

In the beginning


Our first real taste of a phablet was back in 2011 when the Samsung Galaxy Note was launched to a muted response. People scoffed at its ridiculously large 5.3-inch display and 90s S-Pen stylus, but little did we know Samsung was onto something.

Alan Thomas from Carphone Warehouse explains: "The phablet was a slow burner. When the original Samsung Galaxy Note hit the shelves it wasnt instantly popular. The industry as a whole didnt know what to make of it.

"But, as Samsung marketed it and showed what it could do, why you use it, people found it offered something they wanted."

Samsungs Note series remains the most recognised of the phablet generation with the Korean firm adding the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 3 in the following years, but it has now been joined by the likes of Sony, Nokia and HTC in the race for the best supersized smartphone.

Its still not clear what defines a phablet, and Thomas told us "its getting a bit debatable, but typically a phablet has a screen size larger than 5.3 inches and smaller than 7 inches. Tablets normally have screens of 7 inches and over and smartphone screens tend to be 5.2 inches or under.

"There is a little bit of overlap and its largely due to how the manufacturer chooses to market their devices."

Why oh why?


There wasnt much of a calling for our smartphones to dramatically increase in size before the Galaxy Note popped its head up, so what advantages do phablets actually provide?

Thomas notes: "people have really begun to use their smartphones a lot more for the internet, and the larger screens make it more practical.

"Smartphones are always in your pocket, turned on and its very easy to just look something up. With a tablet or a computer, odds are you need to get it out of a bag, and turn it on."

For those of you who like to be on the cutting edge of technology Thomas also highlights the phablet range as leading the current mobile revolution.

"New phablets have the best technology offered by the manufacturer. The best screen tech, resolution, processor. If customers want the latest and greatest, it has to be a phablet.

"We find that a lot of different types of people buy phablets. There are those that commute often and need something to entertain them on tubes and trains. There are those that work a lot and want an organiser or PDA like device. The extra features and screen size are well suited to this.

"Ive seen a lot of female users who appear to use the Note as a diary – my friends mum has a Note and is constantly scribbling things into the notepad and calendar."

Carphone Warehouse currently offers four of the best phablets around, and if youre still unsure which one to plump for weve broken down each one for you to compare.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3


The original phablet is now in its third iteration and the Galaxy Note 3 is definitely Samsungs best yet, boasting an excellent 5.7-inch full HD display, punchy 2.3GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM.

Its an all-round powerhouse of a phone and will gobble up anything you throw at it, kitchen sink included.
"All the Note phones have had the S Pen and the Galaxy Note 3 is the newest. The S Pen is a new, more comfortable shape and allows for all manner of handwriting features on the Note 3," Thomas says.

"You can handwrite notes – like phone numbers or reminders – and the Note 3 can save them into the app perfectly. The Note 3 can also search your handwritten notes, so you dont have to type everything up in perfect Times New Roman."

Nokia Lumia 1520


If youre looking for a phone with a big screen and a top notch snapper then youll want to be checking out the most powerful, and largest, Nokia and Windows Phone handset to date.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 comes equipped with a great full HD 6-inch display, 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and of course a Carl Zeiss optics rear camera clocked at 20MP.

Thomas notes that "at 20MP its one of the most powerful cameras on any smartphone. The Lumia 1520 also uses the Nokia Camera app – the same one as on the best camera phone, the Nokia Lumia 1020 – which gives you control over advanced features like shutter speed.

"This lets you take shots that just arent possible on other phones. It also comes with Microsoft Office built in, making it the most practical phablet around for getting some work done."

HTC One Max


With an incredibly sharp 5.9-inch full HD display and dual front-facing BoomSound speakers the HTC One Max is the phablet for any movie buffs and TV addicts out there.

As well as a quad-core processor, decent chunk of RAM and fancy Ultrapixel camera the One Max also has a party trick in the form of a fingerprint scanner on its rear - similar to Touch ID on the iPhone 5S.

"The fingerprint scanner makes all the things saved on your One Max safe and secure. Its also pretty practical as it can remember up to three fingerprints, and you can program the One Max to start up different apps depending on the finger you used on the scanner," Thomas explains.

"The BoomSound speakers are unbelievably loud. We thought the HTC One was a noisy little box, but this is arguably the loudest phone going. Boom Sound indeed!"

Sony Xperia Z Ultra


Want to be the talk of the town with the biggest smartphone around? Then step this way and say hello to the 6.4-inch Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

With such a large full HD display the Xperia Z Ultra can genuinely function as both your smartphone and your tablet, allowing you to purchase just one device instead of having to splash the cash on two.

Thomas is a fan of Sonys phablet too: "the Xperia Z Ultra is probably the most impressive phablet to look at as its so thin and Sony still managed to make it waterproof, so if you happen to submerge it for half an hour in 1.5m of water itll keep going like nothings happened.

"We also discovered that the Z Ultra has the sharpest screen of all the phablets, even though its the largest. This is because of the X-Reality feature. It up scales low-res content and sharpens HD quality visuals. It really works and is easy to notice the difference, making it the best for movie watching."

The phablet future


While phablets might be ploughing a supersized furrow through the mobile market at the moment can these larger than life handsets remain popular or are they just a passing fad?

"Phablets are here because we all want to use our phones for more visual content. This is unlikely to change.

Well want bigger and bigger screens, just like we want more screen space on the monitors for our computers and larger TVs for out front rooms," Thomas predicts.

"Phablets will still be here next year for sure, but specs might drop in comparison to the flagship devices to bring phablet prices down a bit."

It might not all be about the static size of the screen on future phablets, with flexible technology waiting in wings, as Thomas explains: "were expecting screen technology to take over and curved screen phones are already here with the LG G Flex.

"This has a 6-inch screen which curves round and while the display is extra large for videos etc, the curve keeps the phone size down and makes it better for making calls as it curves round your head.

"Once we move onto bendable and even foldable screens in two to three years well have phones with screens that can be expanded to the size of a tablet, but shrunk down when you dont need a screen that big.

"It might even completely spell the end of the tablet as these super phablets become ever more practical with screens that can change from 5 inches to 10 inches or more."
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McAfees free antivirus app for Android hits the Google Play store

A free version of McAfees Mobile Security app for Android has hit Googles Play store.


Announced at MWC 2014, the move to offer McAfee Mobile Security for free is part of an intiative by its parent company, Intel, to "integrate security more deeply into the consumer experience." The plans to offer free mobile protection were unveiled by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich at CES 2014.

McAfees Mobile Security for iOS is already available for free, but its Android that particularly needs protection from online nasties. According to a report by NQ Mobile, Android malware accounted for 95% of all smartphone infections in 2012.

AV-Best


McAfee Mobile Security received a 100% detection score and was given a top ranking in recent independent testing by AV-Test. It features anti-theft, anti-virus, app protection, Web protection, call and SMS filtering functionality.

A new Wi-Fi Security feature alerts users to any risky or non-protected networks to which they may be connecting.

Additionally, a CaptureCam feature will take a picture of whoever is holding the device in the event of it being stolen and will send it to the owner, and an SOS feature can log the last location of the device before battery life expires if it is misplaced or stolen.

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Sunday, April 5, 2015

Motorola wants YOU to design the Moto X touts devices homegrown cred

Motorola has hinted buyers will be able to customise the design and hardware specs of the still mysterious Moto X handset in a new advert scheduled to appear in U.S. newspapers over the 4th of July holiday.


In a new ad, revealed by AdAge, the company promises the device will be "the first smartphone you can design yourself" while boasting that the handset will be assembled on home soil in the United States.

Within the full-page ad, the company teases Moto X is "coming soon" and that "users should have the freedom to design the things in life to be as unique as you are."

What Google-owned Moto means by design yourself isnt exactly clear yet, but earlier this year Google advisor Guy Kawasaki did (sort of) suggest the device could be personalised like a Porsche sports car.
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Unlocked Nokia Lumia 1020 goes on pre order in the USA for 735

Nokia Lumia 1020 was officially unveiled just last week and understandably caused quite a lot of excitement. Its the long awaited 41MP PureView Windows Phone-powered smartphone that had been in the rumorlands since Nokia 808 PureView came around.


Nokia Lumia 1020 will hit the USA on July 26 exclusively via AT&T. It will cost $300 with a two-year contract and the carriers pre-order campaign is going live tomorrow. Lumia 1020 will hit the shelves worldwide before the end of September.

Meanwhile, the retailer Negri Electronics is taking pre-orders for the unlocked version of the cameraphone. You can book your unit for $735.50, but there is no specific shipping date. We guess youll receive it shortly after the official premiere on AT&T.

Yesterday, we also saw the Lumia 1020 go on pre-orders in Germany, but users there will have to wait longer to get their units. The European version of the device that is supposed to launch by the end of Q3.

Europeans will also need to pay quite a lot more to own the Lumia 1020, with pre-orders going for the hefty €800 (we suspect final price will be a bit lower, though).
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OnBeat Solar Headphones charge your phone in the sun

Phone battery always dying on you? The OnBeat Solar Headphones could be the perfect solution to your smartphone woes.



















A UK-based Kickstarter campaign is trying to raise funds for a pair of solar-powered headphones that can charge smartphones and tablets in the sun.

The OnBeat Solar Headphones work via a flexible solar panel that covers the entire headband to soak up the rays. This channels the solar energy to a pair of Lithium ion batteries located inside the ear cups.

When its not sunny outside, theres also a USB connection so you can hook your tablet or smartphone and charge it via a PC.

OnBeat claims that the headphones will provide a full battery recharge for a mobile phone however the company fails to provide evidence of the charging performance for specific devices.

In terms of the standard headphone specs, the OnBeat headphones feature 40mm drivers, have a frequency response of 20hz to 20,000Khz and include an integrated remote to control the volume.

OnBeat is searching for £200,000 and with 29 days to go has reached just under £8,000. At the bottom of the pledging scale if you give £5 you can get a mention on the website. If you chip in £89 or more you’ll get a pair of the headphones sent to you if they successfuly launch.

The headphones will end up costing around £119 and an estimated delivery date of February 2014 suggests you will have to wait until next year to see the first pair. You can find out more on the OnBeat Solar headphones Kickstarter page.
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Saturday, April 4, 2015

No let up in Android and iOS duopoly the rest still fighting for scraps

The vice-like grip of the iOS and Android operating systems is only getting tighter, according to new sales figures published late last week.


New data from Comscore, released on Friday, showed Android leading the way at the end of May 2013 with 52.4 per cent of all US sales, up from 51.7 per cent at the end of February.

iOS share of the US market rose 0.3 per cent to 39.2 percent during same time period.

Despite the launch of BlackBerrys new BB10 operating system and the best selection of Windows Phone 8 devices yet, both of those platforms saw their share fall to 4.8 and 3.0 per cent respectively.

Numbers dont lie


It was a similar story for hardware sales. Apples iPhone led the way with the 32.9 per cent, closely followed by Samsung which enjoyed a sizeable 1.7 per cent jump to 23 per cent of sales.

The next three, HTC, Motorola and LG all endured a fall in sales during the three month period, all of which remain under 10 per cent.

Samsungs continued rise will have been fuelled by the launch of its new flagship Galaxy S4 handset but, worryingly for HTC, its critically acclaimed HTC One release couldnt stem the the drop-off in its share.

There is, of course, hope for those competing operating systems and manufacturers, but until the numbers start going in the other direction, its difficult to be too positive. They have to start gaining at some point, right?
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Apple met with the FDA reportedly readying Healthbook for iOS 8

Later this year, iOS 8 could give new meaning to the phrase "an Apple a day keeps the doctor away," as the iPhone maker is reportedly focusing on health tracking technology.


Apple executives met with directors of the US Food and Drug Administration to discuss mobile medical applications last month, The New York Times discovered in the FDAs public calendar.

The talks involved high-level Apple employees, including Jeff Williams, senior vice president of operations, Bud Tribble, vice president of software technology, and Michael OReilly, a medical doctor in Apples government affairs department.

The FDA meeting details havent been disclosed, but combined with a report today about iOS 8, it suggests that Apple is going all-in with health monitoring in its next iOS update.

What is Healthbook?


Healthbook is supposed to be a pre-installed iOS 8 app that monitors and stores fitness metrics, according to unnamed sources who spoke to 9to5Mac.

Its interface is said to match Passbook, but instead of accumulating digital tickets and coupons, it calculates steps taken, calories burned, miles walked and weight loss.

These are pretty standard stat-tracking features that can be obtained from current wearables like the NikeFuel Band SE and Fitbit Force.

iWatch and Healthbook


The Healthbook report contains a "one more thing" style surprise when you factor in the unconfirmed iWatch, which is said to enhance this software with vital signs the iPhone is incapable of tracking.

Blood pressure, hydration levels, heart rate, and possibly glucose levels are additional metrics that could be introduced, according to 9to5Macs sources.

Were not sure how wearable can keep track of hydration outside of a user manually logging every drink consumed, but when it comes to glucose levels, Google found a way in its smart lens prototype.

Logging medication information is said to initiate helpful pill-taking reminders at scheduled times, a feature that could tie into the existing iOS 7 Reminders app.

iPhone 5S was just the beginning


Apples first foray into health monitoring came last year when it introduced iPhone 5S and its M7 coprocessor that could keep track of steps.

The company showed how Nike was integrating its Nike Fuel metric into the new phone and Fitbit has since expanded its app to use the M7 processor to log steps walked even without a Fitbit tracker.

Itll be interesting to see if Apple works with or against Nike in realizing its health monitoring ambitions.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is still on the sneaker companys board and Apple snagged at least Nike employee last year.

Either way, this blip on Apples radar last year could become the highlight of iOS 8 this fall if development of Healthbook gets into shape and joins the rumored iPhone 6 and iWatch in time.

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Why is Samsung trying to hide the Galaxy S5

So it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S5 may make an appearance at MWC 2014 after all - but why? Samsung, do you have something to hide?


If Samsung was looking to get the maximum publicity for its marketing buck it would stick to the standalone launch event which served it so well for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4.

These events managed to generate almost Apple levels of hysteria and excitement - a buzz many manufacturers can only dream of, and one which should be carefully preserved, not thrown into a melee of announcements at MWC.

Im not saying people will ignore the Galaxy S5 if it does arrive in Barcelona, everyone (myself included) will still cover it with the same vigor as previous Galaxy S launches as its going to be one of the big phones of the year, no matter what turns up - but Ill be doing it in the middle of covering announcements from a multitude of other manufacturers.

All part of the plan


Samsung is going to lose out on coverage compared to previous years - theres no two ways about it.
But perhaps thats exactly what its trying to do. Maybe Samsung has finally run out of ideas on how to reinvent the wheel on an annual basis and is fearing a backlash as it unveils a handset which boasts only minor improvements over the Galaxy S4.
 
People were not overly excited by the Galaxy S4, which brought a slightly updated design and new eye, face and hand tracking tech - branded a gimmick by some.

Taking a look at the Galaxy S5 rumors there doesnt seem to be a great deal to get properly excited about.

A higher resolution display is hardly going to blow us away, a 16MP camera still pales in comparison to the 20.7MP Xperia Z1 and 41MP Lumia 1020 and Samsung will be late to the fingerprint scanning tech with the iPhone 5S and HTC One Max beating it to the punch.

With less of a focus put on the Galaxy S5, there will be less analysis of its flaws as media outlets attempt to churn through all the new products at MWC - leading to coverage of the sentient points, which realistically, is all the consumer needs anyway.

While this earlier-than-expected launch would see Samsung get its handset out the door before HTC - the Taiwanese firm may have the upper hand with its own event in March, allowing the HTC One Two to garner a lot more interest, especially if it can get the phone on shop shelves within a fortnight of announcement.

And what about the design? Is Samsung finally admitting it might not be that desirable? Its still thought that the South Korean brand will stick with the tried and tested plastic chassis for the Galaxy S5, but consumers now have a taste for the finer things in life.

The metal clad HTC One and One Mini join the iPhone 5S and Xperia Z1 in terms of premium look and feel - something that Samsungs handsets have always lacked, and its falling further behind.

And the winner is...


This is great news for MWC. After a drab CES 2014 the relevance of trade shows was called into question, so having the Galaxy S5 showing up in Barcelona would be a massive coup for MWC - which may boast two major phone launches with the Sony Xperia Z2 also tipped for an appearance.

Weve also got some decent tier two phones in the shape of the Nokia X Android phone and the LG G2 Pro - they might not be big hitters, but will certainly garner some decent coverage.

That potentially spells more trouble for Samsung as the Galaxy S5 will be going head to head with one of its biggest rivals almost immediately.

Get the Galaxy S5 wrong and it could be over before its even hit stores, if critical acclaim is showered on Sony with Samsungs offering failing to impress - OK, thats a bit of a stretch as marketing also plays a huge part, but its not a fight anyone should want to pick.

Sure, the Galaxy S5 will be powerful and brimming with the latest tech - but I fear it will also be underwhelming, and Samsung knows it.


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Friday, April 3, 2015

The smart toothbrush that nags you if you miss a spot while brushing

A £60 ($100) smart toothbrush that can tell you if you’ve missed a spot when you brush is set to go on sale this year.


The Kolibree toothbrush is filled with sensors, and uses an app to show people exactly where they have brushed and if they’ve missed a spot.

Its makers boast it will tell you whether you brushed long enough and reached the hard-to-reach but important parts of your teeth and gums.

It connects to your smartphone, and you’ll have an app that tracks the time, and the effectiveness of how you brush - the motion - and how far back in your mouth you get, Amy Forrester of Kolibree told MailOnline.

It’s like having a dentist inside your phone.

The device was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where the world’s electronic manufacturers are meeting this week to unveil their products for the year ahead.

The smart toothbrush sits on a small white charging stand so users dont run out of power, and uses Bluetooth to communicate with a phone.

The app - available on both Android and iOS - is able to show a dentist if the user has been brushing properly, and owners can even share their daily dental routine with friends.

Each brush is given a star rating out of five.

It’s a really interesting idea - I use a Sonicare brush at the moment, and I presume it’s working, but with this I’d know for sure, said Stuart Miles of gadget website PocketLint.

I could even show my dentist my data to see if I’m brushing correctly. The question is whether there’s a big enough market for it.

Mr Miles predicts 2014 could be the year of the connected gadget.

I think this year we are going to see more things around the home than ever before get connected online, he said.

The toothbrush is due to go on sale after April this year.

KOLIBREE BRUSH: HOW IT WORKS


Users load a special Kolibree app on their phone.

Sensors in the toothbrush can monitor exactly where in the mouth it is, and how much pressure is being used.

The toothbrush sends the data to the app after each brushing, and can tell them if they have missed a spot or not brushed for long enough.

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NSA collects daily data from over 200m text messages around the world

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has collected and stored data from over 200 million text messages daily from users across the world.


According to UK spies part of a joint investigation by the Guardian and Channel 4, the NDA extracts and stores the data from your SMS messages.

The investigation discovered the NSA’s activities through material leaked by ex-NSA employee, and whistleblower, Edward Snowden.

From the “untargeted” collection and storage of over 200 million texts per day, the NSA gains personal information like your location, credit card details and contact networks, according to the documents leaked.

The NSA program, codenamed Dishfire, collects “pretty much everything it can”, according to documents held by the UK spy agency GCHQ, rather than only from surveillance targets.

GCHQ has used the information obtained by Dishfire to search the metadata of “untargeted and unwarranted” communications of UK citizens.

“The implication that NSA’s collection is arbitrary and unconstrained is false,” said the NSA in a statement. “NSA’s activities are focused and specifically deployed against – and only against – valid foreign intelligence targets in response to intelligence requirements.”

The GCHQ also stated that all its work was “carried out in accordance with the strict legal and policy framework.”

In addition to storing the SMS data, the NSA also employs a program called “Prefer” to conduct automated analysis on all the communications.

According to the investigation’s findings, the NSA is able to extract the following each day:

  • More than 5 million missed-call alerts, for use in contact-sharing analysis
  • Details of 1.6 million border crossings a day, from network roaming alerts
  • More than 110,000 names from electronic business cards, which also included the ability to extract and save images
  • Over 800,000 financial transactions, either through text-to-text payments or linking credit cards to phones

The GCHQ isn’t allowed to trawl the NSA data unless it has a warrant, and a memo sets out clearly what access to Dishfire is allowed. It does clearly state that Dishfire’s unique property is that it stores a huge amount of untargeted and unselected information.

“In contrast to [most] GCHQ equivalents, DISHFIRE contains a large volume of unselected SMS traffic. This makes it particularly useful for the development of new targets, since it is possible to examine the content of messages sent months or even years before the target was known to be of interest”, reads the GCHQ memo.
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Cutting the cord why wireless charging will finally power up in 2014

Wireless power today is mostly about convenience; not having to fish out a cable and get it the right way round when you plug it in. But once it becomes ubiquitous, it will change the way devices are designed; they can have smaller batteries or save space by not needing the power port at all.


This year at CES, as well as seeing the latest wireless power products and the next step in wireless charging technology, we also got some good news on getting more users and businesses on board with wireless power - 2014 will definitely be a big year for wireless charging.

There are over 60 different phones that have Qi wireless charging (the inductive charging standard) built in today - and 40 million of them have been sold - and because its a standard, you can put your phone down on any Qi charging surface and it will just start grabbing power.

If your phone doesnt have Qi built in, Incipio introduced a line of wireless charging pads and protective cases at CES that add it (including Lumia models like the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 1520 that have a connector designed to simplify adding a charging case).

That surface doesnt have to be a pad on your desk either. It could be a light or a mouse mat: silicon valley startup Kudos Tech had prototypes for both, although no dates for putting them into production yet.

You dont have to only charge a phone; IDAPT has added a Qi charging module to its clever Modulo battery system, which lets you connect up to five external 2000mAh batteries to charge your phone or tablet.

Snap on as many batteries as you need to take with you and drop it onto a wireless charger to keep them topped up before you leave.

Or it could be a car cradle (Nokia has a wireless charging cradle already and Tylt was showing off a prototype of its own at CES, with a perpetually sticky surface to hold your phone in place) or a tray built into your car. Both have NFC which can trigger your phone to launch a specific app, like GPS navigation, or pair with the cars Bluetooth automatically when you start charging it.

Car makers like that, John Perzow of the Wireless Power Consortium says, because it will let them take information from your phone – like your personal music collection – and display that on the screen on your dashboard. "They want a path for extending your personal device into the car and shifting some of the load to your phone, but you can only do that if you can charge the device."

The Jeep Cherokee will have a wireless charging shelf in the 2014 model, Toyota will put it in the Avalon and Prius and the German auto consortium that advises Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi and BMW is recommending Qi, after a three year study on wireless charging.

We even saw an FAA-approved wireless charger for use on planes; expect to see it in private jets first rather than on your next economy flight though.

Making wireless power resonate


So with a standard like Qi and products already in the market, why is wireless charging still not common?
Perzow says that confusion over standards has been slowing adoption. Yes, theres the Qi standard, but there have been plenty of other wireless charging launches that havent been part of Qi. Even Qualcomm has its own wireless charging system for electric cars (it charges the motor, not your smartphone, but still, its something else to confuse people).

The WPC is trying to tackle that by bringing new wireless charging developments into the Qi standard, and we saw some of that at CES.

Today Qi uses near-field coupling, between the coil antenna inside your phone and the one inside the charging mat; you have to either put multiple coils in or rely on people lining up devices in just the right spot.

The latest Qi mats give you a little more freedom of movement but to be able to put devices down anywhere on the surface and to be able to fit the charging pad underneath a thick surface like a table or a kitchen worksurface requires the next technology to be included in the Qi standard, magnetic resonance.

Resonant charging lets you put the phone off to one side of the charging spot or have something else in the way and still get charge.

We saw a new charger from Convenient Power that has resonant charging thats fully backwards compatible with Qi, so we were able to stack two notebooks on the charger and put a Nokia Lumia on top of them and have it charge. Bolt the pad under a table and you can charge through the surface.

Convenient Power also showed us a five-device charger that automatically detects the power requirements of the phones and tablets you put on it and delivers the right charge, and again you dont need to worry about lining them up neatly.

New Zealand wireless power experts PowerByProxi also creates resonant chargers, although it will licence its designs to other companies rather than selling them directly like Convenient Power. Phones will need to have a new charging antenna but theyll still charge on older Qi pads.

The big advantage of the PowerByProxi system is that it puts devices in charge of setting the power level they need, and it can send different power levels to different devices. That means your almost-flat tablet can get lots of power instead of just the trickle of power needed to top up your almost-fully-charged phone
Getting new developments into a backwardly compatible standard like this is vital if we want to see wireless charging on offer at Starbucks and every hotel the way wireless networking is – something that would really make wireless power ubiquitous and something Perzow is working on.

"Infrastructure has been stalled because its a very conservative market. A hotel wants maximum usability and long life before theyre going to put this on every night stand. There needs to be an experience that adds value beyond charging," he says.

The new chargers that can be bolted under tables without having to chisel out a slot will help, as will more freedom of positioning. "You just put the phone down on the charger; you dont have to get the placement just right."

And so will management software that shows which devices are sitting on a table, charging, and whether the power is getting through to them properly. Making wireless power easy to fit, easy to support and easy to use could be what we need to see it everywhere in the next couple of years.
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Data The Pacmen Working v1 0 Apk Version

The Pacmen APK + DATA v1.0 Android Download
Info The Pacmen APK + DATA v1.0 Android Download

The legendary character is back! A famous story in a revolutionary design.An ideal way to fill in time and enjoy forgotten emotions. The Pacman is classics that never goes out of fashion!
• Really comfortable control specially designed for the game
• The popular ONE FINGER system; you need only one finger to play, so you can play anywhere, anytime
• A fascinating story with video intros will tell you about the alien civilization PAC
• All illustrations for the game were created by a well-known artist George Redreev
• An excellent soundtrack created by two talented composers
• Continuous development: two add-ons are already under development – Office Days and Zombie Invasion.

Instructions:
Install apk.
Extract and copy com.oldgameproduction.thepacmen map into /sdcard/Android/obb/ COPY HERE
It should look like this /sdcard/Android/obb/com.oldgameproduction.thepacmen
Launch the game.

MORE INFO AND SCREENSHOTS FROM GOOGLE PLAY

Download:
DOWNLOAD from UploadRocket
DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

Tags: The Pacmen apk, The Pacmen apk free download, The Pacmen apk full version, The Pacmen apk paid version, The Pacmen android apk
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Thursday, April 2, 2015

LG Optimus G2 to crash through the full HD 5 inch smartphone barrier

The forthcoming launch of the LG Optimus G2 may be a little more newsworthy than previously expected judging by recent rumours and speculation.


Last week we heard the device may feature volume buttons on the back and today reports claimed the new Optimus will be the first smartphone from the company to boast a full HD screen larger than 5-inches.

Up until now, speculation had suggested the device would be rocking a 5-inch 1080p screen, but TechBlog brings word that the Korean company plans to stretch it out another two-tenths of an inch.

That would officially make it the largest 1080p smartphone phone from a major manufacturer, something that LG would be wise to trumped when the device eventually launches.

Say cheese


Other new information from the TechBlog report claims the device will also have a 13-megapixel camera, bringing it in line with most of the other top-line handsets on the market.

Previous leaks have shown an edge-to-edge display, while its highly likely the device will arrive packing Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

LG has already said the device will pack the Qualcomm 800 series processor, while the company is also thought to be working on a phone with always-on voice commands.

In terms of a release date? Well we should hear more about LGs August 7 press event in New York where the Optimus G2 is likely to be unveiled.
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SanDisk 64GB Extreme Released Fastest microSDXC card in the world

SanDisk has officially unveiled what it claims is the world’s fastest microSDXC memory card, the SanDisk Extreme 64GB.


The SanDisk Extreme 64GB is the largest-capacity model in the company’s microSD range, and uses the ultra-high-capacity microSDXC standard.

The card is rated for write speeds of up to 50MB/sec and read speeds of up to 80MB/second.

Far surpassing the Speed Class 10 SD standard, which ensures read/write speeds of 10MB/second, the SanDisk Extreme 64GB also meets the UHS Speed Class 1, which is designed to ensure you can record 4K video happily.

The card is also waterproof and shockproof, although virtually any microSD card will survive being dunked in water.

The SanDisk Extreme 64GB takes over from the SanDisk Ultra 64GB as the top-capacity, high-speed small memory card on the company’s books. That card is rated for transfer speeds of up to 30MB/sec, making the Extreme model significantly quicker.

Although 64GB microSD memory cards have been available since 2011, this remains the storage limit.

At the Extreme 64GB card’s launch, SanDisk marketing manager Ruben Dennenwaldt said the company is working on the next level of storage – 128GB – and is currently “making very good progress.”

Prices for the SanDisk Extreme 64GB have not yet been posted on SanDisk’s UK website, but the range tops out at $200 in the US.

If speed is more important to you than storage, SanDisk also offers an Extreme Pro range, which offers write/read speeds of 90/95MB/sec.

However, Extreme Pro cards only come in 16GB and 8GB capacities in the microSD form.
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How to expose a Twitter fraud Its all about the time of day and how often you receive Tweets

The timing of tweets is the major clue as to whether they are authentic or not, new research suggests.

Scientists determined the difference between human tweeters and automated Twitter accounts based solely on the timing of tweets.


The researchers, from Imperial College London, found that they could easily tell if humans were responsible for tweets, without even looking at their content, based on when the user’s tweet was posted.

Their technique also enabled them to distinguish between individuals and those accounts managed by groups of people.

Surprisingly, they found that there was not an obvious pattern for automated Twitter accounts, which were more random than humans in terms of the timing of tweets.

The technology behind the research could provide a new way to verify the authenticity of Twitter account users.

The study, published in the journal PloS One, is also providing fresh insights into how our brains operate when using social media tools.

Study author Doctor Aldo Faisal, said: We found that it does not matter whether you are a model in Sao Paulo or a student in Beijing; it seems that we all share something very similar in our tweeting pattern that dictates the timing of when we send out messages.

Why is this important to know? Well, it suggests that there is something fundamentally similar in the wiring of our brains that comes into play when we use twitter to communicate.

Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has accrued more than 200 million active users worldwide, producing 400 million tweets per day. 

The researchers analysed 160,000 tweets from around the world using computer programmes that they developed to spot complex behavioural patterns in Twitter users.

By analysing the timing interval between tweets the team were able to determine that personal accounts holders tweeted more evenly throughout the week and, on each day, more tweets were recorded during typical waking hours of 7am to midnight.

Managed accounts, run by people in corporations, were more active during the five working days and during working hours between 8am and 8pm.

However, tweets from automated accounts were less easy to predict using their method because they were random in terms of when they were sent out.

Dr Faisal added: I am a Twitter user and this project was born out of my curiosity in wanting to know who I’m actually tweeting with.

Sure, there are methods for verifying account holders, but are they fail-safe methods? Are we really speaking to a Member of Parliament on Twitter or a PR representative or a machine? We have now developed a method that can help us determine who it is we are actually tweeting with.
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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Zooming in on the Lumia 1020s camera apps and features

Its seemingly impossible to go a week without a new smartphone announcement, with manufacturers falling all over themselves to announce the "next big thing."


Some may be tempted to write off yesterdays reveal of the Nokia Lumia 1020 as just another debut of yet another Windows Phone 8 device, albeit one with a humungous camera, but the Finnish firm is hoping consumers will find that it actually enhances the mobile phone experience.

When CEO Stephen Elop took the stage to put the focus on the bombastic 41MP Pureview camera fitted into the Lumia 1020s frame, he showed the world the Nokia is ready to evolve beyond the traditional idea of a smartphone.

In addition to attempting to blaze a new path in the cellphone sphere, Nokia believes its latest flagship will offer prospective users true control and confidence in capturing their lives at the press of a button.

Two camera apps, one focus



That the Lumia 1020 has a better camera than most point-and-shoots, and low-end DSLRs for that matter, shouldnt intimidate potential users.

For Nokia, one of the core concepts of its latest phone is putting confidence back in the hands of the amateur photographer.

According to the companys research, consumers will take 7-10 pictures with a camera just to make sure they got the right image.

As Nokias reps explained to us, with the Lumia 1020, the first picture you take will hopefully be the picture you keep. Granted, it make take the phone a little longer to save the 15MB image, but the aim is that its worth the wait.

The phones Pro Camera app should alleviate some of the unease and uncertainty users might have about getting the shot just right, as well.

Useful features like Reframe allow you to craft multiple images from just one massive 41MP shot, while more experienced photographers will still find all the ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed options they could hope for, allowing them the same level of customization they have with a full camera in a device decidedly smaller. The features arent inaccessible to the non-photogs among us, either.

The Smart Camera app provides a range of "been there, done that" options at a slightly lower resolution, but is still capable of offering more creative ways to personalize your pictures.

Though you wont be able to take 41MP images with Smart Camera on, youll have much more freedom and flexibility for action shots and editing within Nokias built-in Creative Studio.

Technically, theres a third camera app in the default Windows 8 camera, but its not fine-tuned for the new Pureview lens like the other two Nokia-developed apps.

It will still take pictures just like youd expect, but it doesnt offer any of the bonus features found in either Smart Camera or Pro Camera.

Regardless of which app you use, all photos are taken with the new stabilization, multi-layered lens, and flash, which should help give even novices a chance at capturing the elusive "perfect" image.

The forest for the trees



Unless youve got an actual photographer in your family, most of your photo albums are probably full of either close-ups or wide-angle shots.

Your smartphone camera album is probably even worse, as most digital zooms end up looking awful and distorted.

Pro Cameras Reframe takes all the guesswork out of the equation, and lets you snap pictures now and decide what the story is later, without the loss of pixel density or fidelity.

To be fair, in our time with the Lumia 1020, we found zooming in all the way for the tiniest of details left things muddled, but the range of post-photo zooming is miles above whats available elsewhere.

Reframing works as soon as the photo is saved, giving you the choice of repurposing the still to your exact specifications quickly and easily.

While more savvy photo fiends are already doing these kinds of things in editing programs on their computers, having the option available instantly and on the go certainly helps the Lumia 1020 appear more flexible for the average consumer.


Simple and smart


Even if youll be losing some of the ridiculous pixel density by using the Smart Camera app, there are still some advantages to the secondary application.

Weve seen camera features like action shots, multi-shots, face-swapping, and the ability to wipe moving objects before, but that doesnt make them any less relevant for a phone like the Lumia 1020.

By including a wealth of options like those above, Nokia has effectively eliminated the hoping and praying typically associated with trying to get just the right shot.

In theory, users will be able to take solace that no matter what, theyre going to get the shot they wanted... with a little help from Nokias software.

Of course, theres something to be said for the lens and flash coming with the Lumia 1020 as well, as those components will do a lot of the heavy lifting in making sure photographs turn out the way you intended.

Intelligent design



The Xenon flash isnt as harsh as an LED flash, but it is brighter and faster, which means images taken in low-light will come out stronger, even if people are moving.

Outside of turning the flash on or off, thats not something youll ever have to manage; thats just the way the phone is built.

Additionally, the five lenses (one glass, four plastic) compacted together to create the Pureview design have stabilization measures built-in to ensure they all move in unison.

By ensuring the lenses will never be out of sync, you have a markedly lower chance of shaky cam happening with stills or with video.

Again, this should aid in taking all of the worry out of picture-taking, which in turn allows users have faith in their abilities, and should keep them snapping away without having to worry about standing perfectly still.

Point of sale


The Lumia 1020 is still a pricey piece of hardware (priced at $299.99 in the U.S. or about £199/AU$327) when compared to some competitors, but Nokia and its products appear set to take a different path than phones like Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One.

The Lumia 1020 doesnt quite hold up to the screen and hardware power of its top rivals, but as the line between spec-heavy devices has blurred, Nokias phone is a bold statement about where it sees itself going in the future.

Based on our earliest impressions, every aspect of the Lumia 1020 has been fine-tuned to appeal to the snap-happy consumers that have flooded social networks with pictures of everyday life, while also offering power and performance that should impress pros.

As it will be arriving in just a few weeks in the U.S., we wont have long to wait to discover if consumers are willing to shell out premium prices for the convenience, and confidence, the Lumia 1020 provides.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Android 4 4 update to bring KitKat to the Google Nexus 7 ‘in the coming weeks’

Following the Nexus 5 unveiling, Google has confirmed that an Android 4.4 update will be rolled out ‘in the coming weeks’ to bring KitKat to Google Nexus 7 and certain Samsung Galaxy S4 users.


With the latest confectionary based iteration of the operating system having launched today aboard the newly confirmed Google Nexus 5, the search turn software turn hardware giant has now revealed that an Android 4.4 update will land for a range of favoured devices shortly.

"HTC One Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks">Android 4.4, KitKat, which comes on Nexus 5, will also soon be available on Nexus 4, 7, 10, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks," the company stated during its official launch event.

While a Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 update is tipped alongside the HTC One, these refer only to the Google Play sold vanilla Android additions of the phone. Standard S4 and One owners will have a considerable wait on their hands before getting the Android 4.4 update.

A relatively minor update on the now superseded Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS, Android 4.4 KitKat introduces a range of small improvements and minor features, with the operating system to be more accessible to not only users, but more basic handsets.

"Building a platform that makes mobile phones accessible for everyone has always been at the heart of Android," Googles Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome & Apps Sundar Pichai stated in unveiling the revised operating system.

With Android 4.4 having reducing the system demands on host phones, Pichai revealed that KitKat will “run comfortably” as long as phones have just 512MB of RAM.
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Saturday, October 4, 2014

How to root the HTC One

The HTC One is a massively popular phone -- so popular that its manufacturer is struggling to keep up with demand. Should you be lucky enough to own this blisteringly fast Android powerhouse, then youve no doubt already marvelled at its terrific screen, punchy stereo speakers and solid build quality. If all of the Ones built-in features are still not enough to satisfy you, then perhaps youre ready to take your handset to the next level -- and that means getting root access.


Root access allows you to do all kinds of amazing things, such as installing custom firmware, removing stubborn applications and generally gaining more control over your device. Like so many things in life, rooting isnt without its risks. Tampering with your phones software invalidates your warranty, and if something goes wrong during the procedure you could end up with an expensive paperweight. As always, we can take absolutely no responsibility for any damage or loss of data that may occur from following this guide.

Mercifully, the process outlined below is pretty foolproof and weve already tested it ourselves, so assuming youre still brave enough, lets get down to business. The guide assumes youre using a Windows-based PC.

1. Back up your phone 


To root the HTC One youll need to unlock the phones bootloader. This wipes everything on the handset, so make sure youve already backed up all of your valuable data, such as photos, videos and audio. Once you move onto the next step, youve got to be prepared to lose it all.

















 

2. Unlock the phones bootloader 


Before you can do any rooting, youll have to unlock the HTC Ones bootloader. Visit HTCs dev site and register, if you havent already. Follow the steps provided to place your phone into Fastboot mode and request the device ID token required to perform the unlock. Youll need the latest version of the Android SDK to do this, so make sure youve downloaded it beforehand.

Once youve got the token, youll need to input it into the HTC dev site, after which point youll get the code used to unlock the phone, plus instructions on how to do it. During the unlock process youll need to place all related files in a folder. Make sure you place it on your desktop, as youll be putting more stuff in there as part of the next step of the guide.



















3. Download TWRP recovery 


Grab the latest version of TWRP recovery (currently 2.5.0.0) and place it in the same folder where you downloaded the previous files.

4. Open up a command prompt 


Youll need to regress to the world of MS-DOS for this next bit, which might bring back unhappy memories for anyone over the age of 30. Open up the Start menu in Windows and type "cmd" and press enter, then use "cd/desktop/xxxxx" (with the "xxxxx" being the name of the folder) to navigate to the folder where you previously downloaded all the files.


















5. Place your HTC One into fastboot mode 


Youre prepped PC-side, but now you need to make sure your HTC One is ready for the rooting process to begin. Place the phone into Fastboot mode by turning it off completely and then holding down the Power and Volume Down buttons. Select Fastboot using the volume rocker and press the power button to select it. Now connect your phone to your PC using a Micro-USB cable.

























6. Flash TWRP recovery to your HTC One 


In the command prompt, type "fastboot flash recovery twrp.img". The TWRP recovery will then be flashed to your phone. After this has completed, restart your phone.

7. Download and install SuperUser 


Download the SuperUser application from here and copy it to the root of the phones internal memory. To install it, youll need to boot the phone into recovery mode. Switch off the handset and hold down the Power and Volume Down buttons again. Navigate to Recovery and press the power button. From the next menu, tap Install and then select the SuperUser.zip file you copied across earlier. Once that process is complete, reboot your freshly rooted HTC One and enjoy.

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