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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.

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.

KOLIBREE BRUSH: HOW IT WORKS

Near Field Communication technology (NFC) has spread its way across the mobile landscape like a forest wildfire, yet how many of us actually use it, let alone use it to its full potential?


We all know how NFC works (if not, then heres all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Googles Android Beam.

In order to help you make the most out of your hardware heres our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.

What is Android Beam?

Having been baked into every iteration of Googles mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether its a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.

How do I use it?

The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Once this has been confirmed for both handsets its as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isnt always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although wed suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.

The handset that youre hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam".

Just tap the screen and youll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.

What if my handset doesnt show Android Beam?

As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.

If you find that Android Beam doesnt appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldnt fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.

Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as youll find out if you read on.

What is S-Beam?

S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.

Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.

Are there any downsides?

One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.

In mobile phones the problem isnt so bad given theres limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.

This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each others presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didnt want to register Beam.

It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhones dont even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones dont want to know.

What does the future hold?

Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.

Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.

At a stretch its not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.

While NFC hasnt quite caught on as a payment method, theres still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - heres hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.

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.

With the Padfone 2 and the FonePad, Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has established itself as the master of the Android hybrid.

While Android smartphones continue to thrive and Android tablets - but for a few exceptions - continue to flounder, Asus has come up with a novel way to capitalise on the former and circumvent the latter.
Mash them both together.


However, Asus doesnt quite seem to have decided on a definitive format. Both the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad combine key elements of the smartphone and tablet form factors, but they go about it in very different ways.

The Asus Padfone 2 takes the mash-up idea quite literally, presenting you with a decent upper-mid-range smartphone that slots into a 10-inch tablet dock when you want to go large. The FonePad, meanwhile, is an altogether subtler blend, offering a sleek 7-inch tablet that happens to accept a smartphone SIM for 3G calling.

Join us as we take a look at how these two Android phone-tablet hybrids compare, and ultimately try to establish which you should buy.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Contacts

Both the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad use Googles stock People app for managing your contacts, so navigating through to make calls is a pretty similar experience across the two devices.

However, when it comes to the experience of placing calls, the difference is pronounced.

The Padfone 2, when in its default phone state, is a thoroughly pleasant device to make and receive calls on.

Its 4.7-inch display and relatively slim 10.4mm body make navigating its interface easy even while out and about, and lifting it up to your ear looks and feels normal. The odd circular groove pattern on the back even makes it quite comfortable to grip.

The FonePad, by contrast, is unavoidably a 7-inch tablet rather than a phone, so holding it up to your face feels faintly ridiculous. In fact, scratch that - its hugely ridiculous.

Bear in mind that many people scoff at the idea of holding the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 up to their noggins, and hopefully youll see where were coming from here.

Of course, theres always that Bluetooth headset or those mic-equipped earbuds youve been holding onto, but still...

As a pure phone for making and taking calls, the Padfone 2s flexibility and fit-for-purpose design makes it the clear winner.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Messaging

Again, the messaging experience is nigh-on identical from a software perspective between these two devices. Both feature the same default Android messaging app, and the same native email application too.

Weve got mixed feelings about Asuss custom keyboard, but regardless of your preference there are plenty of fine alternatives on the Google Play Store. Its also another thing the Padfone 2 and the FonePad share, so its hardly a deciding factor between the two.

Were left, then, with the differences between the actual physical process of messaging on each phablet device. Its undoubtedly the toughest area to call.

On the one hand, the Asus Padfone 2 offers the two extremes of messaging on the go - the potential for one-handed typing with the phone element and the potential for a full-sized two-handed typing option with the tablet peripheral engaged.

However, the Asus FonePads 7-inch display appears to strike a fine balance between the two. Held in portrait view in one hand and typing with the other, we found messaging on the FonePad to be an error-free process. Its just got that extra bit of breathing space that makes texting and emailing a solid experience.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Gaming

After a slow start, gaming has become an increasingly prominent part of Android devices, and with Googles planned social and achievement integration its only going to get bigger.

Beyond that, comparing the gaming performance of the Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad acts as a fine barometer for their relative hardware merits. After all, nothing puts a phones innards to the test like a modern 3D game.

A performance comparison is especially interesting because the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad, despite being produced by the same company at around the same time, could scarcely be more different internally.

While the Padfone 2 is built on a fairly typical - though also very capable - quad-core Qualcomm CPU and Adreno 320 GPU combo with 2GB of RAM, the FonePad takes a very different approach.

Its built on an Intel Atom Z2420 processor, which uses PC-like Hyper-Threading rather than multiple cores. Its backed by the slightly creaky PowerVR SGX540 GPU and a relatively meagre 1GB of RAM.

Comparing the two using the Antutu benchmarking tool, which provides a number of graphics-intensive (both 2D and 3D) tasks for Android devices to run through, theres a clear winner. With an average score of 21,607, the Padfone 2 more than doubled the 9,208 average score of the FonePad.

This apparent doubling in performance is understandable. While the Qualcomm chip is a premium component, the Intel processor is intended for relatively low-cost devices. Sure enough the FonePad can be had for about a third of the price of the Padfone 2.

If youre after something that will be able to run high-end games both now and into the future, the Padfone 2 is a better bet - if you can spare the £600/US$720/AU$750 it will take to obtain it.

Otherwise, the FonePad will run pretty much anything currently available reasonably well - even advanced 3D games such as Real Racing 3 - and youll pay just £180/AU$315 (around US$275) for the privilege.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Multimedia

The first thing to note is that both devices name the Google Play Store as the main source for their media. Through this increasingly impressive online media library you can get access to thousands of cheap video rentals and the comprehensive Google Books.

Wed prefer to watch a video and read a book on the Asus FonePad than on the Padfone 2, though. Its down to the difference in screen dimensions.

The FonePads 7-inch 1280 x 800 display simply makes for a clearer and more engaging experience than Padfone 2s 4.7-inch equivalent.

The latter may be a little brighter and sharper, but the extra two inches of screen real estate more than makes up for that when watching a widescreen blockbuster or settling down to read a sprawling novel.

Obviously the Padfone 2 also has that 10.1-inch tablet adaptor, but with no increase in resolution and an inferior picture, both video and text can look a little grainy and washed out when blown up to such a size. It really offers little advantage.

Storage is another issue here. While the FonePad is only available with 8 or 16GB of internal storage compared to the Padfone 2s 16, 32, or 64GB, the former has the massive advantage of a microSD card slot. Not only does this open up the possibility for an extra 64GB of cheap memory expansion, it also offers another way to get media onto your tablet from other devices.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Internet

Once again, Google provides the default arrangements for internet software here in the shape of Chrome. Its a brilliant mobile browser, with its minimalistic interface, intuitive use of multiple tabs and ability to sync bookmarks with the desktop equivalent.

The respective screens play a big part in deciding which internet experience is preferable here. Once again, the Padfone 2s sub-par tablet component lets it down somewhat, compromising the full-size internet experience with its fuzzy, dim picture.

However, the phones vibrant 4.7-inch display really shows off the increasingly mobile-optimised web nicely, and the phones speedy CPU and GPU loads content up just as fast as its internet connection will allow it.

Theres the sense with 7-inch tablets such as the FonePad that youre getting an internet browsing experience thats caught somewhere betwixt and between - neither small enough to make the stripped-back mobile-optimised versions of websites feel natural, nor big enough to display full web pages comfortably like, say, an iPad can. Not without some vigorous zooming and panning, at least.

Theres not much in it, but browsing the web feels a little less forced on the Padfone 2 - and there is something to be said for a full-sized tablet web browser, no matter how low-res.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Music

Listening to music is pretty much identical on both devices. Both have access to the marvellous Google Music service, which enables you to upload 20,000 tracks to the cloud for free, as well as to listen to your music through a stylish UI and to shop from Googles reasonably priced music store.

Its also about to go full-on Spotify on us, so watch out for an extra subscription-based incentive to opt for an Android smartphone or tablet (or both) in the near future.

Its considerably more wieldy listening to music on the go with the Padfone 2 thanks to its more pocket-friendly size, but then the FonePad has the benefit of that microSD slot for loading up even more music locally.

Back in the Padfone 2s favour, however, is the fact that it comes with a half-decent set of earbuds (the proper in-ear variety) packed in, while the FonePad has none.

Yes, any music fan should really be investing in a decent set of third-party earphones, but the fact remains that only one of these devices enables you to listen to music out of the box - at least without relying on a tinny speaker.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Battery

Both of these Asus phone-tablet hybrids impress when it comes to battery life. The Padfone 2 has a slightly larger than average 2,140mAh battery, which is technically removable if you dont mind performing minor surgery on your phone (thats what it feels like, at least).

Combined with the famously power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, we were easily getting through a full day of moderate to heavy usage without running out of juice.

But thats not the biggest plus point in its battery life box. That comes from the unique tablet dock, which doubles as a back-up charger.

If you carry this around with you, the tablet portions 5,000mAh battery can be used to completely recharge the phone section three times over. When youre away from a power point for a prolonged period, this could be a massive plus.

The FonePad, for its part, has no such gimmicks to rely on, but thats not to say its 4,270mAh battery doesnt sport impressive stamina.

We clocked around eight and a half hours of continuous usage - which involved whacking the screen brightness up to full and repeatedly looping an HD video - before the battery died. Impressive stuff.
Whichever Asus device you opt for, you wont have a problem with battery life.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Verdict

As weve hopefully made clear, the Asus Padfone 2 and Asus FonePad are far more different than their shared heritage and similar names would suggest.

This means that when it comes to deciding which is the right Android phone/tablet hybrid for you, your mileage may vary.

If youre after a capable smartphone first and foremost, with a competent tablet experience considerably lower down on your list of priorities, then the Asus Padfone 2 is the device for you. Its nicely proportioned and very powerful, while its 4.7-inch display is very impressive.

Sure, its tablet dock provides a sub-par full-sized tablet experience, but it does the job. This component also acts as a portable recharger for the phone, which could prove very useful for the frequent traveller.

If the tablet side of things is more - or even equally - important to you, then the Asus FonePad is probably the better buy. Its a superbly well balanced device with a sharp display, exemplary build quality and an irresistibly low price tag.

Indeed, its the Asus FonePads sheer value for money that nudges it over the line for us when weighing the two against each other. At a third of the price of the Asus Padfone 2, this competent all-rounder is firmly in impulse-buy territory - and few will be disappointed with such a snap decision.

BlackBerry 10 users, have you been dreaming of the day that you get Wi-Fi Direct compatibility and souped up notifications?


Because we have excellent news, if so. Some leaked screen grabs of BlackBerry OS 10.2 show that both of those features are en route to your BB10 device.

The screen grabbed leaks hit the Crackberry forums (of course) and brought with them news of actionable notifications which is a horrible way of saying that you can reply to messages and that kind of thing from within notifications instead of having to spend precious seconds opening the messaging app.

Sharing and caring

Wi-Fi Direct, meanwhile, allows users to share bits and pieces between devices over Wi-Fi, but without needing to go through a router or an established Wi-Fi network - similar to Bluetooth.
 
Other new bits and pieces include a native Evernote app (oooh!), an upgraded settings app (aaah!) and a better app manager (swoon).

As for when the software will launch, your guess is as good as ours. One things for sure though, its not coming to the PlayBook.

Smartphone photography, iPhoneography, mobile photography or whatever you want to call it, its clear that taking great pictures with a phone has become a thing now.

Smartphone photography apps

1. Learn to use your camera software

2. Learn compositional basics

3. Learn how to see light

4. Find an interesting moment

5. Work the scene

6. Dont stop shooting