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Snapdragon 800 confirmed for LG Optimus G successor

Farrha Khan — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:58:00 GMT

LG and Qualcomm today announced that the next G series phone will sport the super-specced Snapdragon 800 processor, confirming months of rumours.

Although details of the phone haven't been announced, the Optimus G follow up will supposedly feature Android 4.2: Jelly Bean, a 5-inch full HD display, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, 13MP camera and a 3,000mAh battery.

With the Snapdragon 800 capable of hitting speeds of 2.3GHz and including LTE, the processor will make the Optimus G2 a very powerful, 4G-enabled phone.

"The new, best-in-class Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor will help deliver blazing fast web browsing, eye-popping graphics, seamless connectivity as well as an unmatched multimedia experience," said Murthy Renduchintala, Qualcomm's Executive Vice President.

The G series sequel

According to Renduchintala, the new LG phones will be "fully tailored and tightly integrated with the entire next G series platform".

Qualcomm touts that the Snapdragon 800 will deliver 75 per cent better battery performance than its S4 Pro processor, supports higher display resolutions and also allows the recording and playing of 4K, or Ultra HD, video.

While exact specs for the Optimus sequel is unknown, the new processor leaves the door wide open for a number of extra features for the Optimus G2.

Reportedly, the phone could also sport always-on voice command, which is also a feature set of the Snapdragon 800, allowing users to create custom phrases for phone commands.

Facebook photo comments just means more cat and meme replies

Matt Swider — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:05:00 GMT

Adding a photo inside a Facebook comment has been a laborious task, but the social networking site is addressing this first-world with photos that can be uploaded directly inside replies.

"When I'm talking with a friend, sometimes showing a photo helps me tell a story much better than words alone," explained Facebook engineer Bob Baldwin in a post.

"If we're hanging out in person, I can show a photo from my phone, but on Facebook I'd have to post a link to a photo. Now, you'll be able to attach a photo directly when posting a comment."

Baldwin asked his friends to try out Facebook's new photo-in-comments feature, to which 25 people replied - one with an obligatory cat meme.

The latest Facebook tweak

Previously, to get a photo inside a Facebook comment, users had to insert a link to another destination like the popular photo uploading service imgur.com.

This created an awkward "link preview" along with the image, and kept the usually way-too-long hyperlink string intact.

Today's change does away with the need for a "link preview" and distracting hyperlink, and simply puts just the photo out there for everyone to see.

This is the latest update to the Facebook, which recently added nested comments and a streamlined Timeline in advance of its mobile-friendly design rollout.

Check out Facebook's new newsfeed, which is still rolling out to members.

Everybody wants Nokia: the Microsoft edition

Michelle Fitzsimmons — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:06:00 GMT

The bond between Microsoft and Nokia may have narrowly missed getting even closer, according to a report out today.

The Wall Street Journal has it on the authority of "people familiar with the matter" that Microsoft was as recently as this month in advanced talks with Nokia to buy the company's device division.

Though such a union would significantly alter the mobile phone landscape, the Journal's sources said the talks have broken down, with one person advising the discussions won't likely pick up again.

Price was apparently one problem for Microsoft, but another facet of its decision to walk away was Nokia's "strategic predicament" behind Apple and Samsung, while other firms are gaining on the Finnish firm.

Nokia in demand

The talks, which took place in London, sound as though they made significant headway and were even on the cusp of an oral agreement before Microsoft backed off.

A plus of buying the foreign company's device business, the Journal noted, would have been that Microsoft could have used its approximately $66 billion (about £42.6 billion, AU$70.6 billion) in offshore subsidiaries to seal the deal.

Nokia and Microsoft are already bedfellows as the phone maker made a commitment over two years ago to solely use Windows Phone in its handsets. While WP is inching upward, the partnership hasn't yielded the big returns either hoped for.

The news of Microsoft's hot-now-cold interest in Nokia comes one day after a Huawei executive commented that his company would be open to the idea of purchasing the maker of the Lumia 920.

Another executive later said Huawei has no plans to acquire Nokia, but didn't go so far as to say the Chinese hardware maker isn't considering it.

Despite its struggles, Nokia clearly has something to offer, and we doubt this is the last we hear of suitors looking for its phone-shaped hand.

Microsoft made headlines earlier with a 180 turn on its DRM and always-on policies for the Xbox One

Siri, the travel agent? New Apple trademarks offer clues to her future

Michael Rougeau — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:57:00 GMT

Apple recently revised some patent applications registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, possibly revealing some upcoming new Siri features.

The iPhone maker updated three trademark applications on June 13, plus one prior to those in May, Patently Apple reported yesterday.

The applications describe new Siri features including hotel booking and education services.

Apple already detailed part of what's new with Siri in iOS 7, so it may be that these features arrive in future updates, or not at all. Then again Apple hasn't described every new nook and cranny of Siri's consciousness and there could be many more new features awaiting us in the fall.

Siri, order me room service

One trademark application details new Siri features like the ability for the virtual personal assistant to make hotel reservations and provide services similar to what travel agents and concierges do.

That's where another Apple patent for an iWallet or even Apple's rumored iTravel services could come in, Patently Apple suggested.

Siri could also learn more about wine, the patent suggests, to answer the questions of more cultured iPhone users.

The patent from May describes Siri services that would provide information relating to education, including online instruction in fields ranging from elementary school to university-level subjects.

Apple has staked its claim in education before, so a feature like this would certainly make sense.

Now it just remains to be seen whether we see these features in iOS 7 this fall.

Voice commands across multiple systems appear to be getting more robust, if rumors of a new Snapdragon 800-powered LG phone have any credence.

Updated: Microsoft does an Xbox 180 on Xbox One DRM, always-on policies

Michelle Fitzsimmons and Matt Swider — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:28:00 GMT

Microsoft confirmed reports that it's doing an about-face on its used games and "always on" policies for the Xbox One.

"Today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360," wrote Don Mattrick in an official blog post today.

The Microsoft president of interactive entertainment business went on to say than an internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games.

The system will only require a one-time connection to setup a new Xbox One. After that, gamers are free to play any disc-based game without going online again.

This does away with the much-maligned 24-hour check-in requirement that would have made even offline, disc-based games null and void with a day-long dropped internet connection.

Trading in the trade-in policy

Just as important, Mattrick announced the end of Microsoft's short-lived used games policy that would have banned certain types of trade-ins of disc-based games.

"There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360," he wrote, noting that games will be required to be in the system now.

Previously, Microsoft set up the Xbox One with a one-time lending policy for disc-based games that would only be possible if the recipient was your friend on Xbox Live for more than 30 days.

Although "downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold," this policy is the same as the one in place on Xbox 360 and PS3 today. Also the same, digitally distributed games will be playable offline.

Microsoft's final about-face regards its original intention to region-lock games. There will be "no regional restrictions," which would have put Xbox One owning importers and travelers in jeopardy outside of Xbox One supported countries.

The downside to these changes

Overshadowed by gamers' pitchfork and torches uproar over Xbox One's used game and "always-on" policies were some novel check-in-required sharing ideas. They are now unsalvageable.

Microsoft's new console was destined to allow gamers to access their entire games library from any Xbox One, including disc-based games.

"A digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend's house, you can play your games," Microsoft explained earlier this month.

Xbox One was also going to be the first console in which ten members of a broadly defined "family" could log in and play a game bought by one person, further extending this idea of a shared games library.

Both ideas are now unfeasible without 24-hour check-ins, as Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten told Engadget, "that functionality goes away."

Geez, thanks for the feedback

Microsoft's mea culpa is in direct response to consumers' reactions following E3 last week.

"Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback," admitted Mattrick.

"I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One."

He noted that consumers like the flexibility they have today with disc-based games and realizes the importance of the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

Sony didn't PlayStation around

More than anyone's feedback, however, Sony's lethal shots at its competitors may have been the drive behind Microsoft's newfound DRM stance.

Revealing a console - the PS4 - that's not only cheaper than the Xbox One but also doesn't require online check ins and supports used games was a huge score for Sony, one that left Microsoft on damage control.

We've reached out to Microsoft for further clarification on its new policies and will provide an update as soon as we have more information.

Want to know just how much the Xbox One costs? Head this way

LG may say 'hello' to voice commands with new Snapdragon 800 device

Michael Rougeau — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:14:00 GMT

LG is developing a phone with always-on voice commands for release in 2014, or so said a report out this week.

Gotta Be Mobile spoke with three sources "who are familiar with the situation" and said that a new LG Android smartphone will feature voice commands integrated more broadly than virtual personal assistants like Apple's Siri.

The voice commands featured in the device will be designed to allow users to go hands-free more often, particularly while driving, the sources said.

The site said that voice commands will come built in on the device thanks to its use of the next-gen Snapdragon 800 SoC.

A flawless plan

Qualcomm announced in February that the Snapdragon 800 chip will feature a low-power, always-on voice recognition system specifically for the purposes described for the rumored LG phone.

The chip maker stated that manufacturers and users can create custom phrases for the phone to listen for, but BGR suggests the default will be a simple "Hello."

That could cause some problems for users who accidentally activate their phones while trying to simply start a conversation, but that's a hill of beans at this point.

Microsoft decided to take heat against "always on" head on today. Read how.

Updated: Vdio, Rdio's movie and TV service, is now available for everyone in the US and UK

Michael Rougeau — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:17:00 GMT

Update: "This summer" availability apparently meant June 19, as now everyone, Rdio Unlimited subscribers or not, can use Vdio.

"[S]tarting today, you don't have to be an Rdio listener to buy, rent, and share your favorite moves and shows with friends," wrote the Rdio team in a blog.

Vdio is still only available in the U.S. and U.K., and expectant users can hurry to the service's website or download the iPad app.

Original story from April 3...

The Rdio streaming music service that launched in 2010 has been joined by a related pay-per-video video service known appropriately as Vdio.

Unlike Rdio, though, Vdio has more in common with iTunes' video on demand model than it does with Netflix; Vdio is pay-as-you-watch, allowing users to "rent" movies and TV shows from major studios.

Rdio, on the other hand, is a subscription-based service (like Spotify).

The new VOD service is currently available in the U.S. and U.K., but there's a catch: only paying Rdio Unlimited subscribers can access it.

Say what?

Currently Vdio is only available to customers who are already paying for Rdio subscriptions. Those subscribers get $25 of Vdio credit to promote the launch of the new service.

Anyone else is currently out of luck, though Rdio Vice President of Product Malthe Sigurdsson told GigaOM that that will change this summer.

Sigurdsson also reportedly revealed plans to expand to Canada "in the coming months."

What sets Vdio apart?

Vdio has a few unique features to differentiate itself from competing streaming video services.

Chief among those are Vdio's social features, which are closely tied to Rdio and allow users to follow their friends and see recommendations based on their tastes.

Sigurdsson stressed to GigaOM that basing the service on users' personal networks "rather than a marketing department" is a major plus.

Content from major studios and networks including Disney, Fox, Warner Bros., Universal, NBC, CBS, ABC, Comedy Central, Showtime and the BBC can be streamed over the web and an iPad app (though unfortunately you can't purchase anything through the app itself).

Rdio is already available on a number of platforms, though, and Vdio could hypothetically expand outward to Android, Roku and other connected devices too.

Sigurdsson also teased that Vdio subscriptions could be added in the future, according to the report.

Amazon is venturing into the set-top VOD biz too, while Apple has announced iTunes Radio.

Latest Xperia ZU leak reaffirms plus-size screen, Qualcomm's mightiest chip

Luke Brown — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:54:00 GMT

It's almost impossible to turn around without hitting another rumor or report about Sony's Xperia ZU (nee Togari), the company's purported phablet.

There have already been plenty of leaked specs and benchmarks to give us a good indication of what we should expect from Sony's supposed new smartphone if and when it's released, but even more info is appearing with regular frequency.

A new set of leaked screenshots allegedly taken from a prototype version of the Xperia ZU were posted to the XDA developer blog forums this week, shots that align perfectly with some earlier rumors about the device.

However, since this info is believed to have been pulled directly from the phone itself, there just might be a ring of truth to the specifications revealed.

Ultra indeed

The screenshots were from the phone's system info page, which gets right to the heart of the matter in regards to the hardware and software powering the Xperia ZU.

Running on Android 4.2.2, the prototype features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with an Adreno 330 GPU.

There's also 16GB storage and 2GB RAM, all of which fits perfectly with what we've been hearing about the Xperia ZU for the past few months.

Where it gets interesting is the reveal of the 6.21-inch screen size, complete with 1,080 x 1,824 resolution.

Earlier rumors suggested the Xperia ZU would come with a 6.44-inch, 1080p HD screen, and though these screenshots tell a slightly smaller story, that .23-inch differential could be the size of Sony's navigation bar.

Even with that minute difference, the Xperia ZU's screen could potentially dwarf that of the Galaxy Note 3's and the HTC T6's 5.9-inch screens.

Sony's June 25 event in Germany is less than a week away, and we wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Xperia ZU make its grand debut.

If Sony's actually able to get its phablet out to the public ahead of Samsung and HTC, the battle for phablet dominance could be very interesting as the year progresses.

From these new looks at the iPhone 5S, Apple doesn't appear too eager to change up design

You buy in Dubai? BlackBerry Q5 going on sale early, price a reach

Chris Smith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:44:00 GMT

The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will get an early debut Thursday, but unless you're kickin' it in the sands of Dubai, you're going to have to wait a little longer.

The new BB10 device, which rocks a physical QWERTY keyboard, wasn't expected to land until mid-July, but will instead make a premature bow to celebrate the grand opening of BlackBerry retail store in the United Arab Emirates.

However, while while we wouldn't read too much into this as straight-up currency conversions are never too reliable, the cost of the decidedly mid-range device may turn out to be greater than some expected.

In the UAE, the SIM-free phone priced at a AE$1,499 which works out at around £261/$408/AU$437, which stretches the credibility of BlackBerry's "affordable" tag.

Tight budgets

The Q5 gives those on tighter budgets their first chance to experience the BlackBerry 10 operating system, following the launch of the flagship Q10 and Z10 models.

It features a 3.1-inch 720 x 720 LCD touchscreen, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 5-megapixel camera and 4G LTE connectivity.

Will you be snapping up a Q5 when it launches in the west? Or have reports of a higher-than-expected price-tag put you off already?

Sony may have a mighty fine phablet in the works. Read about it here.

Dear Larry, please tell us more about Google Glass and privacy. Love, World

Chris Smith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:00 GMT

State officials in several countries have joined forces to seek assurances from Google in light of the myriad of privacy fears related to Google Glass.

The EU Commission's Article 29 Working Party has aligned with privacy commissioners and data protection representatives in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Switzerland, Mexico and more over the matter.

All officials and groups have signed an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page requesting dialogue be opened to ensure proper protections for the public are in place.

The letter calls on Google to assist as a "leader in this area" and makes particular reference to the potential for unsuspecting passers-by to be photographed or filmed by the device without permission.

What about facial recognition?

"Google Glass has been the subject of many articles that have raised concerns about the obvious, and perhaps less obvious, privacy implications of a device that can be worn by an individual and used to film and record audio of other people," the letter read.

"Fears of ubiquitous surveillance of individuals by other individuals, whether through such recordings or through other applications currently being developed, have been raised. Questions about Google's collection of such data and what it means in terms of Google's revamped privacy policy have also started to appear."

The letter also makes reference to Google's future stance on facial recognition (the company will reject such apps for now), and asks what it intends to do with the data it collects from Glass users.

The commissioners have also requested permission to test the tech first hand, enabling them to raise any concerns directly with Google.

TechRadar asked Google for official comment and will update this story should a response be forthcoming.

Hear about the new features that may be coming to Siri?

The Word is out: Office Mobile for iPhone lands in UK App Store

Chris Smith — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:04:00 GMT

Less than a week after Microsoft finally launched an iteration of its Office productivity suite for iPhone users in the US, the software giant has made the app available in the UK.

The Office Mobile app allows Office 365 subscribers to and view and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents, with any changes synced back to the cloud.

However, Microsoft's offering is of no use to users without an Office 365 membership (£7.99 a month or £79.99 a year), as it requires a log-in or purchase to get past the first screen.

Also, as Microsoft revealed on Friday, the app is not compatible with the iPad and there's no sign of the tablet-friendly version on the way. The iPhone version also fails to accomodate Outlook or OneNote.

No more speculation

The Office app arrived on Friday in the US following months, nay, years of speculation over its future on mobile devices.

Microsoft has continually held off on launching the suite as it attempted to push Office as a Windows Phone-exclusive feature, while also looking to establish Windows-based tablets as iPad alternatives.

Now it has caved slightly having realised iPhone access may drive sales of its Office 365 subscriptions, which also give users access to the software on multiple PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

Now it's finally here, the need for a subscription will limit how well the app is received and it's somewhat somewhat disappointing that the app doesn't offer any free functionality through SkyDrive.

However it's tough to blame Microsoft for refusing to give away anything to those who've chosen Apple rather than its own products.

Place your pre-orders early as PS4 demand could well outstrip supply

JR Bookwalter — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:07:00 GMT

The arrival of any new game console is frustrating for consumers, but this holiday season may be a rough one for would-be PS4 buyers.

Sony CEO Jack Tretton expects to have more PlayStation 4 buyers than the company will be able to satisfy.

"I certainly think, given the technology that we're offering, given the software lineup, given the price point we have, that we'll have consumers interested in excess of what we're able to manufacture," Tretton told Forbes during a post-E3 interview this week.

Tretton's comments echo those of the parent company's President and Group CEO Andrew House, who cautioned at last week's hardware unveil that demand "may well outstrip supply."

GameStop stocks up

Making Sony's PS4 supply chain problem potentially worse is the insatiable appetite of specialized video game retailers like GameStop.

Tretton revealed that GameStop executives have committed to buying "every single unit" of the PS4 Sony can come up with, a good indication that demand for the next-gen console will be higher than many expect.

However, the retailer isn't just buying blindly. At the end of March, GameStop already signed up nearly 900,000 eager buyers looking to be notified about PS4 pre-orders.

Although GameStop hasn't disclosed preorder numbers in the wake of the full E3 unveil, it's likely that number has mushroomed considerably since then.

Get all the latest-breaking news on the Sony PlayStation 4.

Oracle plugs 40 security holes in latest Java fix

Kane Fulton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:30:00 GMT

Oracle keeps on releasing patches to bung up the veritable leaky bucket that is Java, with the latest fix addressing some 40 security holes.

Of those, 34 major security fixes bundled in the newly released Java 7 Update 25 (Java 7u25) affect client deployments of Java. 11 of those received the maximum score on Oracle's Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). Four vulnerabilities affect both client and server deployments, the most severe receiving a CVSS score of 7.5.

While some of the updates only patch particular versions of Java, most affect versions 7, 6 and 5. JavaFX 2.2.21 and earlier versions of JavaFX are also affected.

The patch has been released to fix some particularly gaping security holes, with all but three of them exploitable over the network without authentication. This means attackers can take control of users' computers that visit web pages with malicous embedded Java Web applications hosted on remote servers.

Severe vulnerabilities

In a company blogpost, Eric Maurice, Oracle's Director of Software Assurance, said: "Oracle recommends that this Critical Patch Update be applied as soon as possible because it includes fixes for a number of severe vulnerabilities.

"Note that the vulnerabilities fixed in this Critical Patch Update affect various components and, as a result, may not affect the security posture of all Java users in the same way."

Back in October, Oracle announced that it would be releasing Java updates on a quarterly basis. A number of companies have fallen foul to Java exploits this year, including Microsoft, Apple and Facebook.

Prism turns web users against Google as anonymous browsing rockets

Hugh Langley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:15:00 GMT

It seems that the NSA Prism scandal is getting under the skin of a lot of internet users, as more people move to more anonymous means of browsing the net.

DuckDuckGo, a search engine that, unlike Google, doesn't aggregate internet behaviour to build a user profile, has seen its popularity skyrocket over the past few days.

The company tweeted that "It took 1445 days to get 1M searches, 483 days to get 2M searches, and then just 8 days to pass 3M searches." While the overall numbers aren't astonishing, the rate at which they've climbed is pretty impressive.

Go figure

It's also no coincidence that those eight days align with the amount of time it's been since the NSA Prism story broke, which accused several big companies, including Google, Microsoft and Apple, of allowing US spy agencies access to private user data.

"We always knew people didn't want to be tracked," DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg told CNBC.

"But what hadn't happened was reporting on the private alternatives and so it's no surprise that people are making a choice to switch to things that will give them great results and also have real privacy."

Sony pulls cord on PS3 update as gamers are left with bricked consoles

Hugh Langley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:55:00 GMT

It's been a bad day for some PS3 owners as the latest 4.45 firmware update has left a few consoles pretty much useless.

The update lets people choose to turn their trophy notifications on or off, but instead has left a number of people with a bricked PlayStation 3 instead.

In response, Sony has now pulled the update, issuing a statement on the issue. "We have temporarily taken 4.45 offline and are investigating," it said.

However, a Sony spokesperson told TechRadar that it had only received "a very small number of reports" and that the company had acted immediately on the matter.

UnplayableStation

Soon after the update was released, gamers took to the PlayStation forum to complain that their console had frozen during the bootup phase.

There's no word on when the problem will be fixed for those with unplayable consoles, but Sony promises that it's working on the problem with haste:

"We will announce when the system update is available for download as soon as possible," it said.

For those of you with a bricked PS3, you can still boot the console into Safe Mode, which will let you grab the update fix when it arrives.

LG confirms flexible OLED will appear before end of year

Hugh Langley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:14:00 GMT

LG's long overdue flexible OLED display will start churning out en masse in Q4 this year, the company has confirmed.

The all-talk-no-walk technology will finally be coming to smartphones as LG Display has confirmed that we can expect to see production start towards the end of the year, further confirming that we could see the first commercial phone using the tech appear before 2013 is over.

"LG Display has completed the development of our first flexible displays. We've already shipped samples to clients including LG Electronics," the company told Korea Times in a statement.

"LG Display will mass produce flexible displays from the fourth quarter of this year."

Is that date flexible?

LG Display said that it expects to produce 12,000 sheets of the flexible OLED every month, which will be produced at the South Korean company's display complex in Paju.

LG previously said that the bendy tech would arrive before the end of 2013, and The Korea Times reiterates that the company plans to release its first flexible smartphone later this year.

However, LG is keeping mum on the specific things like resolution and which manufacturers might be using the new displays. Time to start guessing which manufacturers will be getting on board flexible OLED ship as it begins its bendy voyage.

LG takes widescreen to the next level with 29-inch all-in-one

Kane Fulton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:01:00 GMT

LG first unveiled its UltraWide EA93 21:9 monitor at IFA almost a year ago, but now it seems the South Korean electronics company has gone one further by creating an all-in-one (AiO) PC with the cinematic aspect ratio.

The V960's 2560x1080-pixel-resolution display spans 29 inches and features IPS (In-Plane Switching), which LG says provides natural colours from 178-degree viewing angles.

The V960 is powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU and a GeForce GT640M graphics card that includes 3D capabilities. Unsurprisingly, LG claims the PC is the one to watch, quite literally, if you're a film or TV buff, as it also includes a standalone TV tuner with instant-on.

Split personality

Additionally, its PBP (Picture By Picture) function allows PC and TV activity to be shown simultaneously in each half of the screen. It also features a HDMI port allowing it to be used as an external monitor through connection with a set-top box or separate machine.

Of course, the display would also come in handy for anybody working with multiple documents side by side.

The machine is set to go on sale for between 1.49 to 2.29 million South Korean won, depending on the configuration. No word yet on UK pricing.

Acer shows off new desktops with latest AMD APUs

Kane Fulton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The PC industry may be in dire straights as users opt for smartphones or Ultrabooks, but that doesn't stop manufacturers from pumping out new models in a bid to steer you away from the latest skinny contender.

That includes Taiwanese box maker Acer, which has revamped its Aspire XC and TC multimedia desktop lines to include the latest AMD APUs.

First up is the new Aspire XC105, which Acer is touting as a compact desktop solution. The PC features a traditional tower form factor and combines discrete graphics with one of several CPUs on offer.

The company told us that models in the range will provide a choice of an AMD E1-1200, Intel Celeron G1610, or Intel PDC G2010. That's in addition to an Intel Core i3-2130, Intel Core i3-3220, Intel Core i5-3300, or an Intel Core i5-3330.

Acer is aiming to break away from the usual black matte textures by adding a brushed metallic finish to the case that combines glossy black, silver chrome and brushed silver.

Smaller sibling

Acer's TC100/105 is comparatively smaller, taking the shape of a micro-tower format that places ports at the front of the base for accessibility. The TC series models allow users to boost graphics by opting for a dedicated card, though there is no word yet on which makes, or CPUs, are available.

Both models in the XC and TC series are capable of housing up to 16GB RAM, leaving them open to a sizable performance boost. They also feature USB 3.0 ports to allow faster file transfers while remaining more energy efficient, in addition to HDMI 1.4 ports that let users hook up to a 3D display.

They also include Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi, which gets a helping hand from Acer's Always Connect Technology that automatically detects and registers most visited access points. Acer claims the feature allows users to access the internet in 2.5 seconds, four times faster than models without the tech. Why that's a big deal for desktop users, however, is anybody's guess.

The XC is set to go on sale in July at a cost ranging from £279.99 and £499.99. The TC starts at £399.99, ranging to £599, and will be available from the same time.

In Depth: iOS 7 vs Android Jelly Bean vs Windows Phone 8 vs BB10

Thomas Thorn — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:40:00 GMT

The battle for dominance of the smartphone world is one that has been raging for a few years. With the migration of consumers from feature phones to modern wonders such as the iPhone 5 and the HTC One, or even the cheap as chips offerings like the Nokia Lumia 520 or Huawei Ascend G330, it is clear where the money, and the future lies.

We've seen some impressive hardware come and go, quad-cores grace most flagship devices (i.e. Sony Xperia Z or HTC One) and there is even the quad/octa core that sits inside the Samsung Galaxy S4, dependent on your location.

Needless to say, all the big guns in the tech industry have some level of input into the mobile OS world. Apple has iOS (just about to reach iOS 7), Google has Android, the most recent version being 4.2 Jelly Bean, Microsoft has Windows Phone 8, leaving BlackBerry with its hopes pinned on BB10.

Interface

The iOS 7 interface is a radical new look compared with previous iterations. Although with a clean and modern new look, the formula based upon simplicity is one that has been stuck to. Icons have had an overhaul, and there is transparency through apps, giving iOS devices a more unified feel.

Users familiar with previous iOS versions may be in for a bit of a shock, with elements such as the lock screen taking a new look. Elements now seem more rounded, and much brighter than before. On the face of it, things seem very different with iOS 7, but the real changes go deeper.

Android is currently sitting at version 4.2, which is another iteration of the popular Jelly Bean OS. Jelly Bean built upon the work done by 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with everything being much smoother with 'Project Butter', and the introduction of Google Now.

Pretty much every OEM has placed a skin over the top of Android, take a look at HTC's Sense, Samsung's Touchwiz or Huawei's Emotion UI.

That said, nigh on every version builds on the use of multiple home screens populated with widgets, and apps being kept tidy in a 'drawer'.

Microsoft's offering bases itself around a system of 'LiveTiles'. These are used in a similar way to widgets on Android, providing information at a quick glance. Users of Windows Phone 7, or Windows 8 on tablets or desktops will feel right at home.

In terms of user customisation, much like iOS, Windows Phone 8 is relatively closed. Live Tiles can be resized, so that more important tiles can take up more screen real estate, and the tile colour can be any of 20 variations. It is also possible to change the lock screen, to bring up photos, or widgets and notifications.

Out of Canada comes BB10, with BlackBerry pinning pretty much all its hopes on the OS. In a similar way to Windows Phone 8, BB 10 allows 8 'Active Frames', of which only 4 are visible at one time.

These show the most recent apps used, as well as any information that app may offer, be it weather or calendar events.

Being a totally different OS to prior BlackBerry OS iterations, BB10 is at first a little confusing to use. Closing apps by running your finger up from the bottom of the screen feeling a little unnatural.

The BlackBerry 10 lock screen comes complete with notifications, calendar events and ability to quick launch the camera.

Camera

With the Camera app being one of the most widely used features on the modern smartphone, it is only natural that every OS has given the camera a certain level of attention. One feature we are very fond of, that appears on iOS 7, pretty much every Android UI and BB10 is the ability to launch the app directly from the lock screen.

Read our in-depth Android Jelly Bean review

iOS 7 brings in a raft of changes to the camera app. There isn't a whole load of changes deep down, these being limited more to photo effects; varying lens shapes and live photo filters giving you the Instagram look, without having to use the app. Elsewhere, the interface has become more swipe-friendly.

The Gallery app has also had a few tweaks, meaning that photo's are arranged by location, being titled 'moments'. Pinching to zoom will re-draw your library, highlighting days out or holidays. Pinching further shows an overview of the year's photos, complete with location tags.

Android's camera app is one that gets a lick of paint with each UI that is placed over the top. Also, with the incredible variation in Android devices, each camera is different, the HTC One being most notable for camera tech with UltraPixel and HTC Zoe, or there is Samsung with Burst Mode found on the Galaxy S3 or S4.

That said, there is an underlying theme that graces Android's camera and gallery app. Photo filters are common place, even the basic Android devices offer Sepia, Monochrome and Negative effects. Gallery apps are a little more varied, however most can pull down images from the cloud, from Picasa/Google+ web albums, with some going so far as Facebook albums too.

Being a unified OS across all devices, Windows Phone 8 camera settings are common. Pinch to zoom has been brought in, and the ability to take photos by tapping the screen making the app feel a little more natural. There is also the idea of 'lenses', that allow you to use camera tools that you have downloaded, rather than via a separate app.

BlackBerry was keen to show off their camera at the BB10 launch. The reason for this is something that the Canadians are terming 'Time Shift'. This is a nifty piece of tech that, if selected, allows you to go 'back in time' to find the perfect smile. It even works on multiple faces, however needs good lighting.

BB10's other features include standard scene and shooting modes, as well as the ability to use the volume keys as a shutter button.

Media, Apps and Storage

The original iPhone launch in 2007 put media on phones very much back in the spotlight. iOS7 continues that, given that it will be available on the 5th gen iPod Touch, as well as later iPad versions.

iOS 7 now incorporates your iCloud stored media, allowing you to see all your tracks in one place, with a wall of album art in Landscape mode adding a nice look to things.

The biggest revolution it brings is iTunes Radio, Apple's much rumoured and talked about music streaming service, previously dubbed iRadio. We are unable to comment on the exact release, with availability confirmed for 'this fall' in the US, with the rest of the world left waiting for news. We can say that there will be both a free (ad-funded) and premium service, though.

Read our in-depth Windows Phone 8 review

As for apps, Apple's App Store is by far the most famous of all app stores/markets across all OS'. iOS7 brings in some updates, such as being able to search for apps based on age range, or the 'Apps near me' feature, which shows you the most popular apps in your location. Apps can also update in the background.

Storing all this media, and all your apps is done in true Apple fashion, with varying sizes of internal storage available. MicroSD is still unsupported, although we never expected, nor ever expect that to change.

Playing catch up in the media department, Google has launched its Play Books, Play Magazines, Play Movies and Play Music apps. Whilst nowhere near as popular as the iTunes version, media downloading is now a lot easier on Android devices.

Downloading apps is also very easy, as Google's rebranded Play Store has become a very attractive and very functional marketplace, with different sections and lists of apps for you to peruse. Auto updating is available, and disable-able too.

The Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry app stores are far less populated in comparison to both the Google and Apple offerings, although we would be doing them a disservice by calling their offerings sparse (BB10 has 120,000 apps compared to iOS' 900,000), especially given that the Microsoft OS has Xbox compatibility.

Since Android 2.2 Froyo, apps to microSD has been a standard feature, alongside its long supported media storage feature. App installation on microSD is also supported via Windows Phone 8, with standard microSD support also being available in BB10.

NFC

With NFC slowly becoming more prevalent across devices, it has been noticed on the lower end handsets that we have reviewed (LG Optimus L5 2, Huawei Ascend G510, Samsung Galaxy Fame to name but a few), OS support is vital.

NFC wasn't something that wasn't explicitly mentioned with the launch of iOS7. Until now, previous iOS devices haven't come with NFC chips. We could look into this and say things about upcoming iOS touting devices, such as the unlikelihood of NFC inclusion, with the claim that there's 'No need to wander around the room bumping your phone with others.' That said, apps will be able to share information via Airdrop, provided that it supports Share Sheet.

Android has supported NFC for a while. Android Beam has been used on devices to share data since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Certain manufacturers have taken it a little further, with Samsung adding it's S title to create S Beam. Google's wallet application is also likely to make use of NFC as mobile payment becomes increasingly popular.

Windows Phone 8 also packs in NFC support, with its very own Microsoft Wallet app to rival Google's version, and BlackBerry has long had NFC in its handsets so it's no surprise BB10 also makes use of the technology.

Notifications and Control

Notifications are something that are very important across devices, giving quick access to Calendar events, Emails and Text messages. Device control is equally important.

iOS 7 makes a big deal out of both notifications and Control. The notifications centre that was accessed by swiping down from the top has become a full-screen affair, also available via the lock screen.

The Control Centre is where the real innovation lies, however. Previous iOS versions had a very basic centre, however now quick settings such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be enabled or disabled, as well as controlling screen brightness, music being played, and access to AirDrop and AirPlay controls.

Android has had its notifications bar longer than Apple, so it has come on in leaps and bounds. Jelly Bean also brings in expandable notifications, showing more information about the top event, as well as being able to swipe to dismiss.

Many custom UI's include access to the quick settings (Touchwiz has gotten this nigh on perfect) in the notifications bar. Android also include a Power Control widget that can be placed on home screens, giving quick access to a lot of important settings.

Notifications aren't something that ever made it over to Windows Phone 8, however there are strong suggestions that there is a notifications centre making it over in Windows Phone 8.1. Notifications are viewable from the lock screen.

Read our in-depth BlackBerry 10 review

With BB10, there is a dedicated Notifications hub, accessed by swiping from the left hand side of the screen, as well as notifications that can be seen for individual apps such as Email, Texts or social networks.

Maps

Given the kerfuffle surrounding the launch of iOS Maps on iOS 6, there was a disappointing lack of map based announcements with iOS7, although 'developers have been making great improvements to Maps', which will bring features such as being able to push mapping info from a Mac of MacBook to an iDevice.

There has been no such problems for mapping on Android, given that Google has managed to port across its Google Maps desktop browser application so successfully.

Google maps provides one of the most comprehensive mapping apps available, as well as being able to provide information through its Local app, and sat-navving via the Navigation app. Google's recent acquisition of Waze is going to throw in user based traffic updates as well.

Microsoft has also got a decent map app. Bing maps brings over many features that were prevalent throughout Nokia phones of old, including Nokia's turn-by-turn directions from Nokia Drive. Other useful features include downloading maps for offline use, pinning favourite locations and Local Scout (similar to Google's Local).

BB10 provides a basic mapping option as well, covering turn-by-turn and traffic updates. The app is a fairly basic affair, with fewer features than the other options available on other devices.

Browser

You would expect, given that it was the key to revolutionising mobile browsing, that Safari on iOS7 would be important. You wouldn't be wrong. The URL bar is now resizable, you can swipe through the history, and the bookmarks and tabs have had an overhaul.

Bookmarks now sit on the home screen, drawing in data from your Twitter feed. Tabbing is no longer limited to 8, and is synchronised across multiple Apple devices through iCloud.

Since Ice Cream Sandwich, Google has mobilised its Chrome browser, which now interestingly sits alongside the native Android Internet app. We've not understood why both browsers are run side by side, but it provides a little choice. Google bookmarks can be synced across, and incognito browsing is available too.

Internet Explorer is available on Windows Phone 8 devices, with the version being nearly identical to IE10, even if it looks a little different. Internet Explorer is a very accomplished mobile browser overall, and comes with the Do Not Track feature by default, as well as SmartScreen phishing protection.

BB10's browser is a minimalist design, with the URL at the bottom of the page, akin to IE on Windows Phone 8. BB10 does pack in some useful features, such as a Reader mode that lifts text and images, making it more readable. We also found that the BB10 browser was lightning fast, which is a major tick in anybody's book.

Multi-Tasking

iOS7 brings more changes to the Multi-tasking window as well. No longer does a swipe from the bottom bring up recently used apps, but a newer interface that shows information from the app screen, as well as the app icons along the bottom.

What to know more? Check out our iOS 7 release date, news and features

Google's multi-tasking has been handled for a long time through the long press of the home button, if the device has one, or through the dedicated button on total touch screen devices. This brings up a quick window of what was last on the app whilst you were using it, and can be swiped to dismiss.

Windows Phone 8 has a similar method of bringing up its multi-tasking window. Long pressing the back button brings up the multi-tasking screen, allowing users to flick across to the app they wish to use.

RIM have implemented a multi-tasking action, which is vaguely reminiscent of cards on WebOS. The Canadians call this 'Cascades', accessed by swiping left to right. BB10 also uses the multi-tasking screen on the home page we mentioned earlier, that gives access to your eight most recently used apps, shown four at a time.

Availability

Apple have said that iOS7 will be available on a large amount of its iDevices, from the iPhone 4 upwards, iPad 2 and up, iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5th generation. iOS7 is due to launch 'this fall', and we would highly expect it to launch alongside at least one new iDevice, the iPhone 5S/6, iPad 5 or iPad Mini 2.

Android Jelly Bean has been around for two years now, available on devices from multiple OEMs, and with devices now being launched 4.1 or 4.2. There is a lot of talk of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean also being released at some point this year, and rumours of the Key Lime Pie (Android 5.x) also being launched this year.

It is available on the highest end devices, from a variety of OEMs, such as the five star HTC One, and at the bottom end of the market on devices such as the LG Optimus L3 2.

Windows Phone 8 is also available on devices from different OEMs, with Nokia Lumia devices being the most talked about. HTC, Samsung and Huawei also have their own devices out and about.

Talk of Windows Phone Blue, or 8.1 has also been bandied about, with an expected release alongside Windows 8.1. Current devices span the market, again from a variety of OEMs, with the high end Nokia Lumia 925, or the low end Lumia 520.

BB10 is unavailable on all new BlackBerry devices, the BlackBerry Z10, Q10 and Q5. Being a whole new OS, it is unavailable on previous BB7 toting devices.

As for BB10 on the PlayBook, your guess is as good as our at this point, with BlackBerry's 2012 annual conference stating that it would make its way across, although 12 months later, there is still no update. Being an all new OS, BB10 is now available on the BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and announced BlackBerry Q5.

Early verdict

The iOS7 launch is arguably as important to the Cupertino-based firm since Steve Jobs first took the stage in 2007 to launch the original iPhone.

A number of previous devices (iPhone 4, 4S, 5, iPad 2, 3, 4, iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5th generation) will be getting the update, with the OS also being a major precursor to the upcoming iPhone 5S/6, iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2.

Apple therefore has a very large existing customer base ready to upgrade, with those on earlier iDevices also potentially looking to the launches of the next line of products. iOS is also highly successful in the business market, as well as the personal market.

It is therefore almost impossible to say that iOS7 will be a flop, after all the trouble that Apple maps gave iOS6, it is still very popular. Android is Apple's biggest worry, with Windows Phone 8 and BB10 making strides through the mobile market, yet still not as firmly established.

Android handsets are still the most popular on a world wide scale, but only just over a third are actually running Jelly Bean, with the fragmentation the major negative point against what is a highly versatile platform.

iOS7 will be massive, but don't forget it is really just the first OS refresh to launch this year, with Windows Phone 8.1, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and/or 5.0 Key Lime Pie likely to arrive later in 2013. Expect to see the competition really heating up.

Asus may be next in line to take on the possibly-real iWatch

Kate Solomon — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:24:00 GMT

Asus chairman Jonney Shih has admitted that the company is having a little think about wearable tech and sort-of implied that Asus may well develop a smartwatch.

He described wearable devices as a "critical sector" at the company's annual shareholder meeting.

Discussing Google Glass as well as a potential Apple watch, Shih discussed the future possibilities presented by wearable gadgets, including biometrics, voice control and flexible displays.

"We have been running many simulation tests in our labs," he added.

Cross-field war

"The point is how to win the leading position when such devices become mainstream products. I think it's certainly a promising sector, as we are talking about a cross-field war.

"We will likely see more bio-technology integrated with computer technology in the future."

There's an air of expectancy around the whole smartwatch arena at the moment. It's as though all the tech giants are lining up at the start line, jostling for position but tentatively awaiting the announcer to call 'On your marks'.

The catalyst is likely to be the much-discussed but still entirely unconfirmed Apple iWatch.

Sure, Asus could bank on technical innovation and all that, but we reckon the key to Asus' smartwatch success is another killer product demo like this one:

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqjoRMHyYQc

Samsung distances itself from Facebook Phone links

John McCann — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:49:00 GMT

We're hearing that the world's biggest social network is on the hunt for a new friend to help it with its mobile strategy, as it was apparently less than impressed with its HTC fling.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has met with the head of Samsung in South Korea to discuss various partnerships between the two firms - which has led many to think it's on the lookout for a manufacturer for the much-talked-about Facebook Phone.

With a disappointing reception for the HTC First, Facebook is licking its wounds as its new Home software overlay for Android appears to be a flop, so turning to the world's biggest smartphone manufacturer seems to make sense.

Ad's the word

According to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg discussed ways to generate ad revenue from mobile phones, as the social networking site finds more and more of its users logging in with their smartphones, and thus bypassing the majority of the ads you get on the desktop site.

Meanwhile the Korea Herald is reporting that Zuckerberg was talking about a "Facebook-friendly" smartphone with the Samsung executives - although the South Korean firm has tried to distance itself from these reports.

Separate sources claim Samsung doesn't currently have any interest in developing a phone with Facebook - so it's all a little confusing at the moment, although it's worth remembering Zuckerberg himself has previously said Facebook doesn't have any plans to develop a network branded handset.

Lenovo unveils ThinkPad S531 Ultrabook

Kane Fulton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:28:00 GMT

Lenovo is targeting its latest Windows 8 Ultrabook at small businesses in a fresh attempt to inject some consumer-grade style into a 'bring your own device' (BYOD) workhorse.

The ThinkPad S531, which succeeds the ThinkPad S431, features a 15.6-inch screen attached to the body using a single unified hinge, allowing it to lie flat at 180 degrees. The display lacks touch sensitivity, however, meaning users will have to make do interacting with the OS using the five-button glass click pad.

Inside, the S531 sports Intel's 3rd Generation Ivy Bridge processor. Despite missing out on the latest Haswell CPU, Lenovo claims the processor offers a 15% boost over previous offerings. It supports up to 10GB of memory and 500GB of storage space.

The company is touting the S531 as something of a road warrior, claiming up to nine hours' use from a standard four cell 62.8Wh battery.

Connectivity wise, the Ultrabook houses USB 3.0 ports for speedy file transfers. Users can also hook up a ThinkPad OneLink Dock, which provides dedicated video, more USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and audio, all while charging the device. Additionally, an optional finger print reader can be installed for extra security.

Spill resistant

The S531 features a six-row backlit keyboard with Windows 8-specific shortcut keys. It's also spill resistant, putting an end to the days when a toppled coffee would result in mass panic. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about the sticky keys.

The S531 is available now for £575 excluding VAT from Lenovo's partners and its website.

Updated: Surface 2 release date, news and rumors

Dan Grabham — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:22:00 GMT

Surface 2 news and rumours

We already know that Microsoft is working on future models of its Surface tablet beyond the Core i5 Surface Pro that came out in January.

Why? It's thanks to job adverts revealing the kinds of experts Microsoft is hiring. And, what's more, we could see a reveal as early as June. Keep on reading for the latest info.

It seems Microsoft has been bolstered by the successful sales and international pre-orders of the Surface Pro and may even bring forward a Surface 2 release date as a result. The 128GB version sold out numerous times and there was a definite shortage of the tablet across the US and Canada in the weeks after launch and subsequently some shortages in Europe.

We're fans of Surface on TechRadar, even if we think that Surface Pro is too expensive and Surface RT is too limited. And so we're excited about what version two may bring.

Microsoft Surface versions and release date

The latest rumours say that a new model of Surface, called Surface Plus, will be available. It could be a whole range of devices rather than just a new tablet. But what will Microsoft add to Surface to keep competing with the iPad?

According to the latest rumours, Microsoft's next batch of Surface tablets will include a 7-inch edition, which will go up against the Google Nexus 7 and iPad mini and which will be available before Christmas.

We heard back in November that a new Xbox Surface could be on the cards and this could also be the 7-inch ARM-based tablet we're hearing about in these new rumours.

Microsoft confirmed in its earnings call in mid-April that there would be smaller Windows 8 touch devices, though it was unclear whether the company meant smaller Surface tablets or ones from other vendors.

In May, we heard that the Surface 2 could be released as early as June, the Microsoft Build Developer Conference. The tip comes from supply chain sources who spoke to Digitimes and has been reinforced since. And echoing Microsoft's mid-April comments, the same sources said that the new Surface tablets would come with smaller 7-inch to 9-inch displays.

However, analyst NPD DisplaySearch conflicted with this information on 3 May, saying that Microsoft's 7.5-inch slate won't hit until 2014.

We don't think we'll see something launch at Build, but we could well see it announced for later release.

New Surface specification

We could definitely see newer technologies in a forthcoming Surface, including NFC and LTE as well as, potentially, wireless charging.

And we're still hoping that Microsoft will be one of the first tablet makers to use the new high-speed, low-power 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, especially as even the first Surface model has twin antennas.

There continue to be rumours that the new Surface could be launched in an 8-inch version. Samsung will supposedly supply the panels for these displays.

And on 19 June 2013, rumours broke that the new Surface would drop Nvidia's Tegra chipset in favour of for Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor for some - though not all - models. This rumour came via Bloomberg's sources "with knowledge of the plans".

Surface Pro battery life

A big problem with the existing Surface Pro appears to be battery life, with around four hours reported for most. That's about half the battery life of Surface RT and the iPad, but while you might not be too surprised considering the Intel Core i5 that the Surface Pro runs, we'd point you in the direction of the six or more hours that many Ultrabooks can reach.

In a two hour AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, head of Surface Panos Panay talked about the Surface Pro in detail and had to defend the battery details against Redditors who suggested Panay - and fellow engineers who also appeared to be participating in the chat - were giving guarded answers drawn from marketing speak.

They had a point. Exhibit A is a key passage about the battery life and size, and the compromise that has been made. "If you compare [Surface] to say a MacBook Air, you will quickly see that pound for pound in battery size vs battery life, you will find optimizations that puts Surface best in its class.

"That said we picked a smaller battery to be sure we were able to give you the same performance and to keep it thin. This kept the weight under 2lbs. While these tradeoffs are challenges as much as they are opportunities, we think given the performance and experience you will be getting, it is an exciting product."

Put simply, the 42Wh Surface Pro battery had to be small and, while it's good for the size, there are compromises as a result.

Commenter Wiseasss wasn't appeased. "In every paragraph you insist that the computer has 'no compromises', and then turn around and talk about the compromises you made. What exactly is the difference, in your mind, between 'compromises' (which you say this product does not have) and 'tradeoffs' (which you say it does)?"

Microsoft Surface power saving

His thoughts echoed many comments that suggested the Surface Pro's battery life made it poor value up against competitor tablets and Ultrabooks. But Redditor marm0lade could see that physical size was the restriction, and that's how it had to be.

"Do you not think they are squeezing every ounce of battery life that they can get? It's a power hungry CPU with a tiny battery. But you need that CPU to be able to run desktop apps (do actual work). I have the Samsung Ativ tablet, which is running the same CPU as the Surface Pro, and I get 7 hours battery life. It, again, has a bigger screen/body which allows for a bigger battery."

You'd hope Microsoft could pack a bigger battery inside the Surface Pro, but judging by its responses here, there is precious little that will happen in the short term - it simply opted for power over longevity. After all, if it had wanted to offer a more frugal Intel solution, it would have opted for the Atom chip being used by others such as the Asus VivoTab.

Some respite was provided by the Surface engineers, who were surprisingly positive when questioned about whether an external battery could be on the way for Surface Pro. "That would require extending the design of the accessory spine to include some way to transfer higher current between the peripheral and the main battery. Which we did..."

Commenters were immediately enthusiastic. Here's Skaarg: "That response 100% sold me on the Surface. I'd been debating between the Surface Pro and other devices such as the Vaio Duo 11, Yoga 11S, etc. but knowing that an extended battery or keyboard with a battery is in the works makes me much more comfortable buying this device."

Microsoft Surface future connectivity

Panay also provided more detail about new connectors found on the Surface Pro's bottom dock, writing, "Wow - I'm pumped you caught that! We haven't announced what they are for but they aren't an accident!" he continued.

"At launch we talked about the 'accessory spine' and hinted at future peripherals that can click in and do more. Those connectors look like can [sic] carry more current than the pogo pins, don't they?"

So as well as a powered keyboard dock (the like of which is appearing on many other Windows 8 devices, could we also see other peripherals appear such as a battery pack or full dock? Only time will tell.

Surface Pro storage issues

Storage space - or lack of - was also a bone of contention during the AMA. According to Microsoft recently, the base model Surface Pro with 64GB of storage only comes with 23GB of free storage. That means Windows 8 Pro and whatever other default programs and apps come loaded on the tablet will leave just 36 per cent of the drive open for users.

The 128GB model fares better, with 85GB (64.8 per cent) of the storage space left open for people to use. The Surface RT also went through some similar memory troubles. The 32GB Surface RT included just 16GB of storage when it arrived, and the 64GB version allowed users to work with 46GB of space.

Over the course of many tens of comments, Redditers were highly critical of the amount of space used up, comparing the device to others where free space was not as cited, but was still a smaller proportion of the storage space (the iPad or an Android tablet, for example).

Sag969 suggested they should have "cancelled the 64 GB model, sold the 128 GB model at $899 with no keyboard and the 128 GB model at $999 with a touch OR type cover" to alleviate the storage issues but still hit a reasonable price point.

An interesting titbit was revealed in the talk – that Office 2013 is actually pre-installed on Surface Pro - you just have to activate it. Asked if this was the case, the Surface team replied "Yes, that's exactly what it means :)."

On the 128GB version, the drive is formatted to 119 binary GB of which 89 GB is available. 10.4GB of that is taken up by Windows, while there's 2.3GB of Office 2013.

7.8 of those can be freed up by using the built-in tool to move the recovery data to a USB drive.

The Surface team unsurprisingly suggested that the answer to a lack of storage lay with extending space via the memory card slot, plugging in an external drive or using SkyDrive adding, "Windows does provide tools that allow you to free space by easily removing applications you are not using as well as move the recovery image to a USB thumbdrive."

"We decided to ship a Pro 64GB sku as it provides full Windows 8 and enough storage for a number of large application installs. It also provides you flexibility to extend storage should you need. If you plan to carry more personal items with you locally, our 128GB may be the better option for you."

"Available disk space is a design choice and a tough one to make as an engineering team," said the engineer, saying it was the result of "a clear set of tradeoffs to provide the customer more space while providing them the tools out of the box".

"There has [sic] also been questions about why including the recovery image by default. Ideally, you will never need your recovery image, however this is a choice we would prefer the customer to make vs. having the customer need the recovery image not realizing they needed to create one themselves."

Microsoft Surface display issues

During the chat the Surface team also cleared up how it came to ship the Surface Pro after RT. And the answer is surprisingly simple: "We started the Pro 3 months after we started Surface RT :-) That is exactly when we staffed the team to go and bring this product to life."

The final point of interest from the AMA concerned the 1920 × 1080 ClearType display that comes with the Surface Pro. Primarily because Windows has been, well, a bit poor with 72dpi+ displays in the past.

As we've used an HD Asus Zenbook Prime with Windows 8 before, we can confirm that Windows 8 can play ball in this area, but the Surface Pro is reportedly not too good with this. But Windows 8 also can't scale differently on two displays, which is a problem for some.

About this, the Surface team said: "The Windows team is aggressively working on this feature to fix this for all high resolution Windows devices. We don't have a date yet to share, so sorry. But in the meantime here are some things I do to maximize my external monitor experience."

Ed from the Surface hardware development team also commented that DisplayPort on Surface Pro can drive an external monitor with resolutions up to 2560 x 1600p: "We wanted to give the most flexibility with monitors available today, and generally speaking most HDMI monitors are limited to 1080p." Microsoft has also published a separate engineering briefing on the Surface's display.

Naturally Microsoft will be working to fix these limitations, and it will be extremely interesting to see how Surface Pro performs in the market. After all, it's an extremely capable device by any metric, but while it isn't as powerful as many laptops, it is more expensive than them. It's also isn't as energy frugal and is more expensive than many tablets. Can Microsoft make it work? Or has the Surface RT just confused things? Roll on Surface 2.

Surface 2: what we want to see

While we wait for more Surface 2 information to leak or be officially announced, we've put together our Surface 2 wishlist...

Many users would like to see Surface get more powerful.

It's unlikely that we'll ever be able to run any desktop apps apart from Office on any ARM-based Surface, because they would reduce the battery life so much. But we'd like to see more storage, an even higher screen resolution on the already-impressive screen – and the active pen from Surface Pro.

After all, Windows RT has excellent handwriting recognition and you can write notes in both the desktop version of OneNote and the OneNote for Windows 8 app that's free in the Windows Store.

But doing that with a capacitive pen (or, worse still, your finger) is awkward, because you can't rest your hand on the screen while you're writing, and the ink isn't as smooth as with an active pen.

The digitizer for an active pen would put the price up and maybe use a little more battery life, so we're not that hopeful.

We'd like to see NFC in Surface Plus as well. It's not that you'd tap a full-sized tablet on an NFC reader to use it as a credit card or train ticket, but it would be ideal for pairing peripherals like a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard with Surface – given that Windows RT is one of the few tablet operating systems that can work with lots of different peripherals.

The fast charging in the Surface is why it needs a full power adapter, rather than just a USB cable, to charge from; you get a full charge in just a couple of hours.

We want to see Microsoft licence the magnetic power tip to accessory manufacturers so they can put it on chargers that work with lots of different devices or on external battery packs.

But we'd also like to see the same wireless charging the Nokia 920 has in Surface Plus, so you could put it on a charging spot rather than fiddling with the power cable at all.

Take it a step further and you could use your Surface Plus to wirelessly charge your phone as well. (Fulton Innovations, one of the companies behind wireless charging, has promised to demonstrate charging a phone wirelessly from a tablet at CES 2013, although we doubt it will be a Surface.)

Impressive as the Touch Cover is, we'd like to see a wider range of keyboards to click onto the Surface; how about a gaming keyboard with custom buttons?

Talking of Touch Cover, it ought to be possible to have indicators on the Caps and Mute buttons to see when you have them turned on.

What we really expect is to see more colours of Touch Cover, perhaps using the same designs as the Artist Edition mice Microsoft produces.

Most of the rumours about Surface Plus suggest that it will be a range of devices with different size screens.

If what we're hearing about the scale of the manufacturing capability Microsoft has invested in is true (including the suggestion that Microsoft is putting together its own logistics service based in the far east to ship Surfaces around the world, which would explain several job postings on the Microsoft careers site for worldwide logistics experts), it makes sense for Surface Plus to be more than a single model.

Assuming that comes out in autumn 2013, we'd expect to see the first Surface Plus models at the same time – perhaps a 7 or 8" tablet optimized for web browsing and reading ebooks to compete with the iPad Mini.

That could finally make sense of Microsoft's joint venture with Nook makers Barnes and Noble.

Another rumour suggests an Xbox-branded gaming Surface to go with the new Xbox that we might finally see in 2013, perhaps with upgraded graphics so you can play more powerful games (which might help explain the senior imaging engineer position Microsoft is recruiting for to "develop the best video quality" and "improve overall display quality").

That would take advantage of the Xbox SmartGlass remote control app in Windows 8 and RT, as well as the Xbox LIVE integration.

To keep the price down, it might come without Microsoft Office.

There's even a rumour that Surface Plus could include something that's not a tablet at all: a 13.6" touchscreen Ultrabook. That would fit in with making Microsoft a 'devices and services' company, as well as showing the OEMs how to make quality versions of the full range of modern PC form factors that aren't weighed down by crapware, all with the same custom high-resolution, glare-free screen from the Surface.

We already know that Microsoft is working on future models of its Surface tablet beyond the Core i5 Surface for Windows 8 Pro that comes out in January, thanks to job adverts revealing the kinds of experts Microsoft is hiring.

The latest rumours say that Surface Plus will be a whole range of devices rather than just a new tablet. But what will Microsoft add to Surface to keep competing with the iPad?

Many users would like to see Surface get more powerful.

After all, Windows RT has excellent handwriting recognition and you can write notes in both the desktop version of OneNote and the OneNote for Windows 8 app that's free in the Windows Store.

But doing that with a capacitive pen (or, worse still, your finger) is awkward, because you can't rest your hand on the screen while you're writing, and the ink isn't as smooth as with an active pen.

The digitizer for an active pen would put the price up and maybe use a little more battery life, so we're not that hopeful.

Adding LTE to the next version of Surface is more likely, now that 4G services are rolling out in more countries than just the US.

The fast charging in the Surface is why it needs a full power adapter, rather than just a USB cable, to charge from; you get a full charge in just a couple of hours.

We want to see Microsoft licence the magnetic power tip to accessory manufacturers so they can put it on chargers that work with lots of different devices or on external battery packs.

But we'd also like to see the same wireless charging the Nokia 920 has in Surface Plus, so you could put it on a charging spot rather than fiddling with the power cable at all.

Impressive as the Touch Cover is, we'd like to see a wider range of keyboards to click onto the Surface; how about a gaming keyboard with custom buttons?

Talking of Touch Cover, it ought to be possible to have indicators on the Caps and Mute buttons to see when you have them turned on.

What we really expect is to see more colours of Touch Cover, perhaps using the same designs as the Artist Edition mice Microsoft produces.

Most of the rumours about Surface Plus suggest that it will be a range of devices with different size screens.

We've been predicting for a while that there will be new versions of Windows and Windows RT every year; the first update seems to be going by the codename Blue.

That could finally make sense of Microsoft's joint venture with Nook makers Barnes and Noble.

That would take advantage of the Xbox SmartGlass remote control app in Windows 8 and RT, as well as the Xbox LIVE integration.

To keep the price down, it might come without Microsoft Office.

Alleged iPhone 5S images suggest Apple isn't shaking up the design

Hugh Langley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:00 GMT

A few pap snaps of what is claimed to be the iPhone 5S have made their way to the web, and suggest that Apple won't be shaking things up too much with the outer design of the new handset.

There's been plenty of talk about Apple toying with different screen sizes for future iPhones, but if these leaky pics are anything to go by, Apple will be sticking with the status quo for the 5S as the dimensions appear to be identical to the 5.

It's on the inside that the differences lie, however, as we can see that one of the flex cable connectors is now facing vertically, while both on the 5 are currently positioned horizontally.

Not all that exciting on the face of it, but it could suggest that Apple is shifting parts around to make room for some new hardware, as previous info leaks have suggested.

The fifth dimension

The pictures came from both MacRumours and FanaticFone and appear to match up, but of course it's worth taking with a decent dose of salt on the side.

If true though, it means that production on the iPhone 5S is very much underway, meaning the September/October release timeframe is looking good.

Gartner says cloud to account for third of office systems

Mark Say — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:56:00 GMT

Cloud is set to account for a third of the office systems market by 2017, according to research from Gartner.

The IT analyst house has released figures showing that, if you take India and China out of the equation, cloud currently represents 8% of office systems worldwide with about 50 million business users, but that a major shift will begin in the first half of 2015 and take it to 33% by 2017, and as high as 60% by 2022.

According to New Developments in the Cloud Office System Market, the explosion in the number of devices accessing office systems is the main factor in the expected boom. Gartner estimates that the typical knowledge worker now uses up to four devices – often smartphone, tablet, personal PC and business PC – to access their organisation's systems in a week.

Cloud systems are usually sold on the basis of a licence per user, rather than licence per device, which makes them more attractive for business.

Two year transition

Tom Austin, VP and Gartner Fellow, said: "Although it is still early in the overall evolution of this cloud-based segment, there are many cases where businesses – particularly smaller ones and those in the retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries – should move at least some users to cloud office systems during the next two years.

"However, readiness varies by service provider, and caution is warranted."

Take a look at four things you should know about service level agreements for cloud.