What is lossless zoom and how does it work in the Lumia 1020 and Xperia Z1?

Smartphone cameras have been improving at a rapid pace, and while the field owes credit to many, it is Nokia, and as of late -- Sony -- that are at the helm. Every year, we're treated to larger sensors, more and bigger pixels, larger apertures, OIS, and more features than we can count. But one thing has been missing for a long while now, and that's proper zoom. After all, many a situation necessitate that you either get closer, or miss the shot, and in those cases you're pretty much done for if you have to rely on the traditional digital zoom. Sure, the objects do appear closer, but the price is often a prohibitive loss of detail, as the images are upscaled to the desired resolution with no regard to the actual resolution -- the image is stretched by the software, which then attempts to fill in the blanks as best as it can. Well, thanks to the giant sensors on the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Sony Xperia Z1/Z1 Compact, zoom is no longer a problem. But instead of opting for bulky zoom lens (Galaxy S4 Zoom), they both rely on their massive resolution in order to get what we call 'lossless' zoom.

So what's lossless zoom, then? In simple terms, it means that zooming into a scene will only result in a negligible loss in quality. Think of it this way: there are so many pixels available with a camera like the one on the 1020 that you can 'crop' any part of the photo and still have more than enough pixels for a full-sized photo that will appear zoomed in. No upscaling, and no loss of quality. But how does it work in practice?

Starting with the Nokia 808 PureView, the fabled Finnish manufacturer has been increasing its lead in the camera department ever since. Equipped with a humongous 41-megapixel sensor, the 808 PV is still a beast to this date. As you can guess, much of the underlying tech behind the newer, Lumia 1020, was inherited from the 808. Lossless zoom is one of them. Some of you probably don't know this, but despite its massive sensor, the Lumia 1020 typically snaps 5-megapixel photos. Those are not comparable to your everyday 5-megapixel shooter, though, as they have been 'oversampled', meaning that you get 5 million 'super pixels'. These are created by combining information from neighboring pixels, and melding it into one, high-definition pixel. In result, stills are less blurry and noisy, and they're not as prone to artifacts.

  

But back to zoom -- it's only lossless because there is such an abundance of pixels, as we said -- 34MP/38MP in 16:9/4:3 aspect ratios, respectively. So, instead of upscaling (loss of quality) when you want to zoom in beyond the resolution of your camera, the Lumia 1020 can zoom up to x3 in stills, without any considerable loss in clarity. As there are less and less extra pixels available as you crank up the zoom, the level of oversampling goes down as you zoom farther and farther, until it reaches zero at x6 zoom in 720p, for example. No further lossless zooming is possible at that point, as the level of zoom will go beyond the capabilities of the sensor, and it'll have to upscale (stretch) the shots, sacrificing detail. Best of all, since only the central part of the optics is being used during zooming, optical and geometric distortions, and vignetting, are all minimal. 

We've talked quite a bit about Nokia, but that's only because the Sony Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact and their 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS sensor go for much the same approach. And while the Z1 snaps 8-megapixel shots by default, the massive resolution still allows it crank up the zoom up to x1.8 times, without any significant loss in clarity. So not as impressive, nor as potent, but still a noteworthy feature. 

 

 

 

 source:nokia,sony

Just 0.15% of all mobile gamers account for half of in-app purchases, survey finds

Research firm Swrve released its first Mobile Games Monetization Report for January, and it turns out that the many millions, or even billions that mobile game devs are raking in, come from a fraction of users. 

Just 0.15% of mobile gamers contributed to half of all monthly in-app purchases, that are the bread-and-butter of the widespread freemium monetization model. The researchers also find out that the first purchase occurs within 24 hours from the download, while the second one comes just an hour and forty minutes after that, on average.  

Swrve also found some other interesting details, like the fact that "the average value of an in-app purchase is $5.94. While purchases between $1 and $5 represent a majority (67%), they contribute only 27% of total revenues. Purchases of over $50 contribute 9% of all revenues." We can also bet that from these 0.15% highrollers, a large part are coming from Asia., and South Korea or Japan in particular. 

 

 

source: Swrve via Engadget

BlackBerry CEO admits he was challenged by BB10's learning curve

At BlackBerry's MWC 2014 press briefing, CEO John Chen opened up about his own user impressions from BB 10. It turns out Mr. Chen got to experience the platform's fairly steep learning curve for himself. "It took me a while to get used to BlackBerry 10," he admitted, "but once I got used to it, I loved it." Although this is a common sentiment among BlackBerry users, it might have contributed to the Canadian company's downward slide. In the words of John Chen, "we did not do enough to educate the market about the interface" following BB10's launch. 

The CEO spotted particular symptoms in consumer behavior. "For most consumers, if they get to our new phone and it's not intuitively obvious, they get a little shy, and they don't want to continue using it." - he explained. That's one of the major reasons why Android manufacturers customize the stock user interface, for example. Although the original Google UI is pretty simple to get around, it needs a lot of “make-up” to not intimidate the wider public in much the same way. 

Mr. Chen

also spoke a bit about the BB Q10, whose successor, the Q20, was unveiled at the conference together with the touch-screen BB Z3. Apparently, the keyboard-wielding Q20, which brings back the track-pad as well as navigation side-keys, is an example of fan-service. "Virtually everyone we speak to loves our keyboard, so we gave them the Q10," Chen told attendees, "but people didn't love it as much as we thought through, as they missed the track-pad and hard navigation keys 'belt' above the keyboard that was on the old Bold and Curve ranges."  

Indeed, the Q20 is classic productive BlackBerry in design, and it has biggest screen on a QWERTY 'Berry, at 3.5-inches by diagonal. With the recently-added ease in side-loading Android apps to aid it, perhaps it could regain a bit of interest from those outside the core BB audience.

  

 

source: TechRadar via NeoWin

Yahoo is hosting an Android Tech Talk on March 20. The news comes from Jean-Baptiste Quéru, former AOSP lead at Google and current Yahoo employee. He’ll do a short presentation, focusing on architecture, but there will be other speakers as well.

 
The event will be held in the New York office and is invite-only. 


 
Other than JBQ, Yahoo’s Mobile & Emerging Products Team will be there possibly giving presentations themselves. There’s also a strong possibility of a coding competition (with prizes) and the certainty of tacos, music and drinks.
So, what’s this talk about? JQB says “This is also a good time to have an up-to-date resume ready” and the sign-up form does ask for plenty of details on your experience in Android app development. Other than semi-stealth recruitment, the talk would may include info on Yahoo’s Aviate launcher and any of the other Yahoo apps.

Nokia X app store ported to regular Androids

We know Android apps can be sideloaded on Nokia X devices, but XDA-Developers member opseemnik flipped the tables on them and found a way to install the Nokia Store on regular Android devices.

While the Nokia Store isn’t nearly as rich as the Play Store, it does have some exclusive apps many people would love to get their hands on, HERE Maps especially. 


When asked about HERE Maps, opseemnik only gave a concise answer – “in progress”. It’s not just the maps though, Nokia Mix Radio has already been ported (note: you need root to modify your phone’s build.prop info).

Also, Nokia has some of the coolest vendor-made apps around – remember Refocus? Similar functionality seems to have made its way to Android flagships. There are great stuff coming out of Nokia Beta Labs as well.
Anyway, the installation process is fairly simple – you just sideload NStore.apk like you would any other APK file. The latest version doesn’t need build.prop modifications to work, so root is not required. If you have an earlier version installed, you’ll need to remove it first.
Note that not all apps install properly, apparently there are issues with some permissions and apps that rely on Nokia’s APIs also won’t work. Still, Nokia’s “75% of all Android apps are compatible with Nokia X” claim cuts both ways.
By the way, boot animations, icons and sounds are also being ripped from the Nokias.




 
via:pocketnow

Android is not designed with safety in mind according to Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai, the head of Android at Google made an interesting statement regarding the safety of the popular mobile OS. According to the executive, Android was designed with freedom, not safety in mind.


Mr. Pichai delivered the words as a response to a question from a journalist regarding the high amount of malware targeting Android.

We cannot guarantee that Android is designed to be safe, the format was designed to give more freedom. When people talk about 90% of malware for Android, they must of course take into account the fact that it is the most popular operating system in the world. If I had a company dedicated to malware, I would also be addressing my attacks on Android.

 
source:9to5google

Samsung allowed to use standard-essential patents despite Apple's complaints, Korean commission says

The never-ending patent battle between Apple and Samsung continues! Despite Apple's complaints, the KFTC (Korean Fair Trade Commission) ruled that Samsung's counter-patent lawsuit doesn't infringe any existing competition laws, such as the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principle. The KTFC also ruled that the Cupertino company has indeed abused Samsung's wireless patents.
In addition, although the Cupertino company protested numerous times, the KFTC allowed Samsung to continue making use of SEPs (standard-essential patents). It seems that the KFTC has been thoroughly investigating the patent controversies between the two manufacturers since 2012, when Apple first stated that Samsung abused many of its own SEPs, but it was ruled that no antitrust laws have been broken.

"Samsung with the standard-essential patents based on the FRAND licensing terms tried to resolve the matter and the level of patent license fee was not so high. Samsung's lawsuit is a legitimate act to protect its patent rights." - a KTFC representative stated. 

 

 According to Florian Mueller with FOSS Patents, the KFTC's view on the matter is contradicting the investigations of other agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the European Commission. Both of them expressed their worries that Samsung might use its numerous standard-essential patents in a monopolistic way. Mueller says the KFTC apparently thinks that there is no evidence of monopoly, because "more than 50 companies hold over 15,000 SEPs relating to 3G wireless communication (UMTS/WCDMA) technology". 

Apple and Samsung will once again sit before Judge Lucy Koh by the end of the next month. This time, a more recent set of mobile devices will be the subject of the patent investigation. 

 

 

 source: The Korean Times via AppleInsider

“We’re the ones getting the calls from customers.” - BB CEO John Chen retaliates against another “ditch your BlackBerry” offer

Since taking the rudder at BlackBerry last year, John Chen has established himself as a confident, outspoken leader with strict character. He is chiefly seen boasting about BBM, plotting strategies, unveiling new phones, and arguing with other CEOs who publicly depreciate the company with their practices - intentionally or not. So far, his forthright delivery hasn't failed to provoke a desired change. 

Not long after he made T-Mobile amend its BB-undermining promotion, Chen once again stood up to secure his company's image. This time, it's Good Technology's good-lookin' CEO, Christy Wyatt, that grinds his gears. In January, the enterprise mobility firm began to offer free-with-a-catch migration to its software suite for BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) users. Now, we might be missing some of the finer details here, but the short recap is that, as BlackBerry's situation looked particularly bleak in the end of 2013, those customers felt that being tied to maintenance contracts for a "burning platform" wasn't in their best interest. Switching to another solution, however, would pile in the cost of early termination fees, in addition to that of the switch. 

Christy Wyatt

Another important reason, cited by Wyatt at MWC 2014, is BES's inability to manage devices other than legacy BlackBerry phones and tablets. This puzzled us quite a bit, as it's a false claim. BES10, which adds support for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, was announced in early 2013, together with BB10, related phones, and RIM's name change to BlackBerry. Furthermore, at this year's MWC, the Canadian company introduced BES 12, which covers old and new devices of different platforms. What we're able to deduce so far is that Good Mobility's customers are still running BES5, which is an older, Berries-only solution. And only their IT execs know why they would opt for a wholly different solution over an upgrade to BES10.

Commenting on Good's migration offer, Mrs. Wyatt expressed good intentions towards serving customers without libeling BlackBerry - "This isn't about 'let's kick them when they're down'.", she said in an interview. Regardless, her reasoning, along with Good's promotion itself, pretty much came off as a "BlackBerry can't manage other devices, so have our software for free!" proposal. Good's promotion page for contact also claims that "Good provides the only secure mobility solution for iOS, Android and Windows Phone", which is yet another false claim, as we explained above. 

Obviously, John Chen cannot let the competition get away with such behavior. Riding high on the announcements of its new phones and BES12, Chen seized the opportunity, and penned a rebuttal for a blog post, titled "Good is not Good Enough". “BlackBerry has provided multi-platform OS management for nearly 2 years now, so let’s put that to rest." - laconically proclaimed the CEO, before reaching for the salt-shaker. "Good Technology may talk about 5,000 customers but with 30,000 new BES10 servers installed in the past year alone, I’d argue that we’re the ones getting the calls from customers.” 

John Chen also took a good swing at Good's pricing plan, which offers BES users to migrate for free - but only until June 30, after which a timed subscription contract comes into force. Meanwhile, BlackBerry gives its loyal customers free MDM perpetual licenses for BES10 via its EZPass program. “We’re fully transparent with our customers about what they get from us; our new pricing structure is crystal clear and most importantly, unlike other companies, when we say something is free, we mean that it’s free.” Good sport! 

  

sources: "Good is not Good Enough" , "We're not 'trying' to bury BlackBerry" - Good Technology via BerryReview

Motorola, until recently a Google company, held a low-key session at MWC 2014, during which it shed some light on the time it spend under the search giant's ownership. This has been something of a question mark for all of us in the industry, as many have been wondering whether the creator of Android isn't giving Motorola a special treatment in terms of access to the world's most widespread mobile OS. It certainly made some sense.

As it turns out, however, nothing like this took place. In fact, several high-ranking Motorola execs noted that Google was neutral at best, and never really invested in Motorola. 

 

"Google wanted us to be successful, but never needed us to," said Steve Horowitz, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, "I wish we had a special relationship with the Android team but before meetings I waited in the lobby like everyone else. We got treated like any other OEM. Google was very careful to not give us any special treatment." 

 

The Moto G and Moto X were quickly brought up soon after, with the execs providing some insight into how both came to be. Apparently, both were a direct result of Motorola really listening to feedback, and actively soliciting it. Now, that usually sounds like a tired corporate line, but considering the trouble Motorola was in, we can imagine the execs weren't exactly painting a rosy picture.

 

In fact, according to SVP of Supply Chain and Operations, Mark Randal, Motorola itself deserves all the credit for what it achieved in the past few years, as all the product innovation came from inside the company, not outside (Google).   

Speaking of the two handsets, the topic of stock Android was brought up in turn, and we were told that Google actually had absolutely nothing to do with Motorola's decision to go commando on Android. That was a deliberate strategy on the part of Motorola, as the company wanted to differentiate its products from competitors. Seems like the US-based manufacturer really did listen: 

 

 

"I know where [our] strengths are and I feel that Android's something to leave with the Android engineers. We're not about making useless changes," Horrowitz said. "This strategy lets us ship Android upgrades at a much faster rate than anyone else. For example we shipped our KitKat upgrade to the Moto X 19 days after release." 

 

This strategy is set to continue, even after Lenovo takes full control of the troubled US company, and there are currently no plans of abandoning Android. According to Horowtiz, the Android team is doing a splendid job, and there's absolutely no reason to deviate from the OS. Back to Lenovo, Randal pointed out that Motorola stands to get access to Lenovo's massive supply chain and hardware expertise, so it's unlikely that Lenovo will be pushing its agenda on the software side of things. At least for now. 

 

 

"Lenovo is good at taking the first unit and ramping production to high volumes and shipping quickly. The other thing is their technologies. They'll give us better access to better and newer tech," Randal said. 

We wouldn't be surprised if that were true. If anything, many have likened the Lenovo-Motorola deal to the Lenovo-IBM deal from all the way back in 2005. Instead of just extracting anything of value and then discarding IBM's ThinkPad division, Lenovo instead leveraged the recognizable brand, all the while helping it with the supply chain side of the equation. That's something of a Lenovo specialty. Seeing as the PC market is shrinking year after year, it stands to reason that the China-based giant will not be willing to muck this one up after getting so far in just 2 years. Lenovo is now the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer by volume. In the world. 

 

 

 

source: V3

Toolbox on the Samsung Galaxy S5 quickly takes you to your five favorite apps

If you use the same five apps over and over and over again, a new feature on the Samsung Galaxy S5 can help you access them quickly. Called Toolbox, the mini app-drawer can be enabled from the quick settings area of the device. Toolbox provides a floating window from which you can select one of your five favorite apps and quickly launch it.
Toolbox is a white circle with three dots. When you tap on it, it expands to show your five favorite apps. You can select the fave five by going to Settings > Toolbox.
This sounds like a handy, ahem, tool which will surely end up on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Toolbox will help you get to your favorite apps faster

source: AndroidCentral

Google's Verify Apps service is one of the more important features of Android that many may not even realize exists. The feature serves to scan apps that are installed for malware, and Google has claimed that the feature is successful enough that only .001% of malicious apps even get the chance to cause harm. But, that isn't enough, Google wants to lower that number more with an update to Google Play services.

Word has it that in an upcoming update to Google Play services, the Verify Apps feature will be tweaked a bit to allow it to continuously monitor installed apps in the background and alert you at any time if an app turns malicious. Verify Apps works by checking for known expressions of malicious code when an app is installed, but some apps may not have that code present until after installation. For example, an app could download additional files after installation that could contain malware.  

Of course, the update to Verify Apps should serve to catch those apps. And, because the update is coming via Google Play services, that means the update will be pushed out to almost 99% of the Google Android ecosystem in the background without any work by manufacturers, carriers, or users.  

 

 

 

source: ComputerWorld

 

Leaked product sheet outs the dimensions of the Nokia Lumia 630

A leaked product design sheet confirms that Nokia is planning on introducing the Nokia Lumia 630. The Dual SIM model will be equipped with a 4.5 inch screen. This could be the brother of the RM-977 model found on the Zauba logistics tracking site back in December. While that model also employs a 4.5 inch screen, it is a single SIM device which probably makes it the Nokia Lumia 635. The latter device adds 4G connectivity to the mix.
The Nokia Lumia 630, codenamed the Moneypenny after the James Bond character, would be the first Windows Phone handset to offer Dual SIM support. Considering that this feature is usually found in emerging markets, that is mostly likely where Nokia will first launch the device. The Windows Phone 8.1 update is adding Dual SIM support to the platform.
The resolution of  previously leaked screenshots from evleaks hinted at a 720p screen on the Lumia 630, which will have dimensions of 129.55mm x 66.7mm based on today's leak.






 via: NokiaPoweruser

BlackBerry is considering a PlayBook tablet follow-up

BlackBerry has a long way to go to be competitive in the smartphone world, and new CEO John Chen has said that the company will focus more on server enterprise software in order to regain its footing. But, that doesn't mean the company isn't also looking into other hardware form factors. BlackBerry is apparently open to making a follow-up to the ill-received PlayBook tablet.

Pocket-lint spoke with BlackBerry's vice-president of global product management, Francois Mahieu, at MWC this week, and Mahieu did admit that the company would consider making another tablet. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though there are any immediate plans to do so anytime soon. Mahieu said about the tablet: 

 

When we launched PlayBook, beyond the fact that everybody knows that PlayBook was no a huge success, everybody loved it. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a meeting one day and I show you a tablet. We have equity in that space, but we're not ready. We need more time. 

 

That is vague wording to contend with in that statement, but the ultimate message is pretty simple: BlackBerry is definitely not going to be showing off a tablet in the near future.  

 

 

 

 

source: Pocket-lint

Qualcomm used a Snapdragon 805-equipped Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to showcase 300Mbps LTE-A Cat 6 download speeds

In cooperation with Samsung, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. made an impressive showcase of both what its latest 32-bit silicon and LTE Advanced Category 6 are capable of. At MWC 2014, a special Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet outfitted with Qualcomm's supercharged Snapdragon 805 chipset and a Qualcomm Gobi 9x35 modem, achieved incredible download speeds of up to 300Mbps. 

For comparison, the average American download speeds are 21.5 Mbps for Broadband, and 10.4 Mbps for mobile, according to Net Index. Obviously, that's not going to cut it for comfortably streaming 4K video, which is an important feature in Qualcomm's latest available Snapdragon 801 chipset. 4K content also serves to explain why one would need such manic speeds in a mobile device. 

While the Snapdragon 805, which is expected to appear in devices from May, is a miracle on its own, the Gobi 9x35 is no small feat of Qualcomm's engineering. It's the first commercially announced 3G/LTE multi-mode modem based on 20nm technology, and is also backwards compatible to support all other major cellular technologies. This includes WCDMA /MC-HSPA, CDMA 1x/EVDO Rev. B, GSM/EDGE and TD-SCDMA. The incredible download speeds are achieved by combining two 20MHz signals to provide twice the amount of bandwidth. 

This is great and all, but knowing you - our passionate readers, the burning question here is whether Samsung will introduce a Snapdragon 805-equipped Galaxy Note 3 soon. Frankly, firing up a factory to produce a single demo unit for show purposes doesn't make sense. And if Sammy has already put in the work to fit Qualcomm's latest silicon in its best phablet yet, it might as well manufacture this bad boy. Who knows, the Galaxy Note 3 might just become the first device to run on the Snapdragon 805. 

However, it's likely that the renovated phablet will remain an exclusive to South Korea's SK Telecom for some time, if it ever becomes widely available. Such was the case with the Galaxy S4's Snapdragon 800-based LTE Advanced version. It was introduced in June 2013 as a South Korean device, a mere three months after the original Galaxy S4's glitzy March 15 launch event. It later came to a number of European countries in November 2013, and that was pretty much it. 

Still, if Samsung ever decides to push an updated Galaxy Note 3 to the global market, we now have a pretty good clue about which chipset could power it. 

 

source: Qualcomm via SamMobile

When will the MWC gear arrive? Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2, LG G Pro 2, Z2 Tablet and others release date

The MWC show is over, and it's time for recaps and roundups of what happened, who announced what, and, most importantly, when are we going to get it. Most manufacturers are getting much better in the recent years with releasing phones and tablets shortly after the announcement, trying to beat Apple at its own two-week gap game.
Still, there are some that are dragging their feet, or moving their announcements forward for political reasons, so let's recap the release dates of the most important gear that was unveiled at the MWC 2014 expo.

Samsung 

• Galaxy S5 - usually Samsung launches its flagship 2-3 weeks after the announcement, but this year the event was obviously pulled forward, so the actual release date is pegged for April 11th, as Samsung mentioned during the presentation, in more than 150 countries worldwide. 

  Sony 

  • Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet - Sony is obviously introducing a six-month, instead of a yearly, upgrade cycle for its flagship, and is not even going to make you wait for it, as the launch date of the Z2 line is pegged globally for mid-March. 
  • Xperia M2 - Sony's new midranger is going to join the launch party in March as well.

    LG  

    • G Pro 2 - LG's first 6" phablet already launched in the home turf of Korea, but will be rolled out gradually to the rest of Asia and Europe in March, while the US will be receiving it in April.
    • LG G2 mini - LG's crack at a scaled down version of its G2 flagship will appear in stores gradually in March and April.
    • LG L-series III - the L90, L70 and L40 will also hit the shelves in March.LG F-series - the F90 and F70 are LG's fighter jets in the midrange, and those are also expected by mid-spring, including the F90 edition for Sprint's LTE network, dubbed the Volt.

      Huawei 

      • MediaPad X1 - the world's lightest 7" tablet is scheduled for release in March, with preorders starting now.
      • MediaPad M1 - the other Huawei tablet will also launch in March, in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, China, Japan, Asia Pacific, Australia and Latin America.
      • Ascend G6 - Huawei's new phone is said to be released in Q1, while the 4G LTE version will be hitting shelves in the second quarter.

        HTC  

        • Desire 816 - the "flagship midranger" will be first made available in China in March, and a month later -- in April -- for the rest of the world.
        • Desire 610 - the other midranger by HTC will take a bit longer to appear, as it will start rolling out in May.

          Nokia 

          • Nokia X, X+ - the first Android phones from the company will be available immediately in Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and in other growth markets, but it won’t be shipping to the United States, or Western European countries.
          • Nokia XL - the larger Android phone rocks 5" display, rock bottom price, and will ship to stores in the second quarter of the year.

            Lenovo 

            • S860 - the handset with the 4000 mAh battery is set to cost the commendable $350, and will be ready to order in Q2.
            • S850 - the thin fashion model is set at just $269 off-contract, and is arriving in June.S660 - the cheapest of the bunch is just $229, still sports a 3000 mAh battery, and will join the fray in June as well.

IBM says its enterprise customers prefer Windows Phone handsets at work

According to Jim Szafranski, senior VP of customer platform services at IBM's Fiberlink unit, many of its enterprise customers prefer Windows Phone devices for their employees. They cite the OS's tight integration with Microsoft's enterprise software, such as Active Directory and Exchange, as the reason. 
In related news, analyst agency 451 Research said that 12% of US companies are planning to deploy Windows Phone 8 devices in the first quarter of 2014. So, if you live in the USA, and enjoy bringing your non-WP smartphone to work, be prepared. If your employer is among the interested 12%, it might politely ask you to switch to Windows Phone soon. 

Could the Nokia Lumia 1020 bring 41MP to the enterprise?

Enterprise currently represents 58% of Microsoft's global business, which means this is a huge opportunity for Windows Phone. Making sure the platform plays nice with its established enterprise software was probably a no-brainer, and an important priority for MS. Yet, for some reason, the company abstained from developing a mobile management solution to accompany it. Meanwhile, Samsung has been stepping up its efforts with KNOX on Android, while BlackBerry has been in this business for quite some time with its BES platform.
Enterprise security is a big market, thus third-party companies, such as the aforementioned IBM-Fiberlink, have taken the opportunity to fill in this gap in WP8. Recently, the company released the MaaS360 Security Productivity Suite, which features secure email, calendar, contacts, and browser. It also provides a Trusted WorkPlace environment for Android , iOS, and Windows Phone devices.
It will be interesting to see whether any of Microsoft's old and new Windows Phone partners will pursue the platform's enterprise opportunies. In early February, Nokia began offering its Lumia handsets on trial for UK businesses. 



via WMPowerUser

Samsung Galaxy devices with KNOX receive the "gold medal" of security platforms

Samsung announced that the company’s selected Galaxy devices with KNOX embedded have received Common Criteria (CC) certification, as officially documented by Gossamer Labs of Catonsville, MD. Common Criteria is the international “gold standard” for secure and trusted systems that ensures they satisfy a predefined set of security requirements designed for enterprises. 

Common Criteria certification assures that certified devices are independently evaluated and verified to meet fundamental security requirements specified in the Protection Profile. The current CC certification targets the new Mobile Device Fundamentals Protection Profile (MDFPP) of National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) published in October 2013, which addresses the security requirements of mobile devices for use in enterprise. 

The components certified in CC form a cryptographic foundation on which more advanced KNOX security features are implemented. This certification validates that enterprises can safely provide their workers access to networks and high-value information assets using CC-certified Galaxy devices with KNOX embedded. 

Jim Arnold, Director of Gossamer Security Solutions, commented that “rarely a company can complete an entire Common Criteria evaluation in under four months”. We say, good job, Samsung. Gossamer has over 60 years of experience in product security evaluations, and the Common Criteria certification is, to put it mildly, extremely elaborate.  

Moreover, this accomplishment certainly throws the gauntlet to BlackBerry, which considers its competing enterprise security product, BES, a superior solution. Although BB OS 7 and BES 5 obtained a Common Criteria certification in 2007, BB 10 and related software products are yet to "win the gold”. 

  

source: Samsung Mobile

Qualcomm sees strong growth ahead in China's 4G TD-LTE smartphone market

According to a published report on Thursday that cites Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm, the silicon slinger sees strong growth ahead for China's 4G TD-LTE smartphone market. With the Chinese government licensing carriers for 4G service at the end of last year, there has been strong competition for subscribers. Prices of 4G enabled smartphones are expected to shortly drop to 1000 Yuan ($163 USD), according to Katouzian.
According to the Qualcomm executive, hastening the drop in 4G phone prices in China will be the 50 billion Yuan ($8.2 billion USD) that China Mobile is expected to spend this year in 4G handset subsidies. The spending by the world's largest carrier is also expected to quicken the move to 4G by Chinese consumers.
According to iSuppli, the number of 4G phones shipped to China is expected to soar from 4.6 million units in 2013 to 72.6 million this year, 144 million in 2015, 220 million in 2016, and 300 million in 2017. China Mobile is a lot more optimistic. The operator expects shipments of 4G handsets in the country to reach 200 million this year. Industry watchers expect 100 million of China Mobile's 900 million subscribers to switch to a 4G plan in 2014.



 source: DigiTimes

Q4 2013 games revenue doubled on iOS, quadrupled on Android

Gaming is huge business, there's really no way around that. We can talk all we want about the success and revenue generated by the iOS App Store or Google Play, but what we're really talking about is how much money games pull in. The new numbers from IDC are out and gaming is continuing to boom. According to IDC, in the fourth quarter of 2013, game revenue doubled on iOS and quadrupled on Android compared to Q4 of 2012. 

iOS is still leading when it comes to game revenue. The chart below is awkwardly designed, because 100 is the iOS revenue from Q4 2012 rather than using actual revenue amount totals, which would make far more sense. But, it does show that iOS more than doubled in the past year; and in Q4 of 2013, Google Play generated about 1.25 times what iOS pulled in for Q4 2012. Google Play almost made as much as handheld gaming consoles like the Nintendo 3DS/2DS and Sony PS Vita combined.  

Overall, game revenue made up 75% of all consumer app spending for the quarter, which just serves to prove our original point. As you might expect, two of the biggest revenue generators were the same for both platforms with Candy Crush and Puzzle & Dragons, though rounding out the top three for iOS was Clash of Clans, and on Google Play it was Monster Taming for Kaoko, which is a Korean title.  

 

 

 

source: The Next Web

Microsoft may also cut Windows Phone licenses by 70%

Not too long ago, we heard a rumor that Microsoft might be dropping the Windows 8.1 license fees for lower cost devices. But, that may not be all that's happening. A new report is saying that Microsoft may also be considering cutting Windows Phone licenses by as much as 70% as well. Given the number of low-cost Android devices (including a new set from Nokia), having lower license fees might be a necessity.

The news comes from Infosonics CEO Joseph Ram. Infosonics is a company that makes quite a few low-cost Android devices that tend to target Latin America. Microsoft just announced a number of new Windows Phone hardware partners recently who all tend to focus on low-cost devices, including Longcheer and Gionee in China, and Karbonn and Xolo in India. Those partners will likely be the beneficiaries of this price drop.  

The ultimate aim is to be able to offer devices, likely built with Snapdragon 200 chipsets, that would compete directly with low-cost Android devices. According to Ram, Microsoft is working hard to make sure that it won't be difficult for Windows Phone manufacturers to compete with Android in emerging markets. And, with the additions coming in Windows Phone 8.1, we could see more noise from the "fastest growing" mobile OS in the world. 

 

 

 

source: PCMag

Skype for Windows Phone now requires a Microsoft account

Ever since Microsoft acquired Skype, Microsoft has been very slow to take over the app. Skype was integrated into Windows and Windows Phone relatively quickly, and Microsoft has slowly been pushing in the Microsoft account options. But, the new Skype update for Windows Phone has completely gotten rid of your old Skype login. Now, you are required to use a Microsoft account.

The new update has some other improvements including being able to see when someone is typing a message to you, and the usual general improvements and bug fixes. But, the main change is with the login. The change log says it is an effort to make signing in easier, and those signing up for Skype for the first time will have to use their Microsoft account as well. There is also an option for two-step authentication as well, if you really need security. 

There's no indication whether or not this same change will be coming to Android or iOS though. It makes sense that this change would come to Windows Phone, and maybe even other Windows products, because those require Microsoft accounts in general. Changing this functionality on other platforms gets trickier, but it certainly isn't out of the question. 

 

 

Download: Skype for Windows Phone 

 

 

 

source: Skype

Your Galaxy S5 wants you to know it's powered by Android

New boot screen branding for Android on the GS5 

Boot up the Samsung Galaxy S5 and you'll be presented with a new message below the usual boot-up logo. The Galaxy S5 isn't just a Galaxy S5 — it's "powered by Android," and that's exactly what you'll see at boot-up.
It's an interesting distinction for Android's biggest manufacturer, and not something we've witnessed in such a prominent place on any other handset. There's been much speculation recently surrounding developments in the relationship between Google and Samsung, and there's no doubt that an Android logo on the GS5's bootscreen will put Google's OS brand in front of a ton of eyeballs in the months ahead.

 
source:androidcenral

The Moto G is Motorola's most successful smartphone ever

Moto G is highest-selling smartphone in company history 

Another nugget from Motorola's MWC press dinner. Motorola senior vice president of product management Rick Osterloh had this to say while talking about Motorola's commitment to Android, the upcoming merger, and Motorola's future:

The Moto G has been the most successful, highest-selling smartphone in Motorola's history

He went on to mention that Motorola is making a profit on every sale, and that they will make even more after the Lenovo purchase is complete.
Hey Nokia — this is how you do it.


 source:androidcentral

Nokia X and XL camera samples

The new Nokia X line of phones slot between the Lumia and Asha families and tout affordability as one of their key features. Still, the Nokia XL has a 5MP camera with a 1/4″ sensor, the same setup as the Lumia 520 (no 720p recording though). The Nokia X has a 3.15MP camera with a smaller, 1/5″ sensor.

Here are four shots from the Nokia XL:

And three from the Nokia X:

The lighting here in the halls of the MWC are not the best for photo comparisons, so a more detailed look into the matter will have to wait until the review.

Samsung releases Gear 2 and Gear Fit SDK

Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo went official just three days ago, running on a Tizen-based OS. This time around though Samsung has confirmed both smartwatches will support third-party apps.

The lack of third-party apps was a major drawback on the first Gear watch and we are happy to see Samsung is changing its strategy. So, just as promised at the announcement, the SDK for the Gear 2 duo is now live. 

Even better, the SDK also supports the Tizen-based Galaxy Fit band, so it will also welcome third-party apps once it hits the shelves.
Finally, Samsung is launching another SDK for the S-Health services.
Both SDK kits are now available for download on Samsung’s Developer Portal.


 source:gsmarena

Apple releases OS X 10.9.2 update

Apple has released the second major update to OS X Mavericks since it was released last year. The 10.9.2 update brings with it some useful new changes, along with a major security fix.

One of the changes in this update is a fix for the SSL/TLS bug that allowed an attacker to access sensitive information on machines on a network. This bug was also present in iOS, which was patched in iOS 7.0.6 and has now been patched in OS X as well. 

Other than that, 10.9.2 also brings FaceTime audio, which means you can now make and receive voice calls to an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and other Macs over Internet connection.
Other than that there’s also call waiting for FaceTime audio and video calls, ability to block iMessages from particular users, bug fixes for Mail app, Safari Autofill improvement and a lot more.
If you’re running OS X Mavericks, it’s highly recommended you download this update immediately.


  source:gsmarena

Nokia X+ can get conventional Android UI via Nova Launcher

Fancy a Nokia X+ with more conventional Android user interface? It looks that you are going to be in luck as the handset was caught looking like a “regular” Android device on the MWC floor thanks to Nova Launcher.

As you can see in the image above, the freshly announced Android child of the Finnish company runs the wildly popular homescreen replacement without any hiccups. We reckon that the rest of Nokia’s Android family will also run the app and be able to switch to a more conventional UI.

Even though Nova Launcher is all but certainly among the 75% of Android apps which will work unmodified on the Nokia X family, I wouldn’t expect to see the app in the Nokia store. The manufacturer would prefer that the device’s UI remains as close to that of a Nokia Lumia, so sideloading an apk file will likely be your best option to install the app.
 



source:lowyat.net

MWC: HTC One awarded Best Smartphone, iPad Air - best tablet

The GSM Association organizes the annual Mobile World Congress and along with it the traditional Global Mobile Awards (its 19th edition this year). More than 175 independent analysts, journalists, academics and subject matter experts throughout the world participated in the judging process. The entry deadline was November 29, 2013, so it's generally last year's products that get awarded every February.

The HTC One was named the Best Smartphone in the past year. The other nominees, which were considered, were the Apple iPhone 5S, the LG G2, the Lumia 1020 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Last year's winner was the Samsung Galaxy SIII.

"The HTC One remained one of the most advanced smartphones throughout 2013. Its great design and excellent user interface continue to provide a differentiated user experience, standing out from the competition."

The Nokia Lumia 520 was announced as the Best Low-Cost Smartphone (sub-$150 wholesale price). The rest of the considered nominees were all Android smartphones and included the Lenovo A390T, the Samsung Galaxy Young, the Sony Xperia E, and the Xiaomi Hongmi.

"A smartphone that hasn’t compromised on quality – a trailblazer for Nokia’s low-cost efforts."

The Nokia 105 was announced Best Entry-level or Featurephone. The other nominees were the Nokia 208, the Nokia 515, the Nokia Asha 210, and the Nokia Asha 503. Last year the winner was the Nokia Asha 305.

"Outstanding value for money, with impressive durability and battery life, this is driving mobile penetration into further markets."

The Apple iPad Air was pointed as the Best Mobile Tablet. The other nominees were the Apple iPad mini 2, the Google Nexus 7 (2013) and the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. At last year's awards it was the original Google Nexus 7 made by Asus.

"The iPad Air packs class-leading performance in an attractive and svelte frame, while its ecosystem has an undisputed advantage in the number of format-optimized apps."

LG was named the Most Innovative Device Manufacturer of the Year. Last year that was Samsung.

"Impressive across the board with ground-breaking innovation – LG is flexing its technological muscle."

The FiLIP wearable locator and phone watch for kids, sold exclusively by AT&T in the US, was announced as the Best Mobile-Enabled Consumer Electronics Device. Sony's SmartWatch 2 was another wearable device among the nominated for this category. Last year it was the Samsung Galaxy Camera that won this one.

"The FiLIP is a new breed of self-reliant wearable device that is a simple way for kids to reach their parents, and for parents to find their children quickly and easily. FiLIP affords parents peace of mind with the ability to quickly call and locate their children. This is a really well designed product fulfilling a clear market need and making a complex solution very simple for the user."

As for the mobile app awards, DEVICE 6 was announced as the Best Entertainment App (Gaming, Music, Sports, Video), CityMapper was called the Best Overall Mobile App, while CamMe was named the Most Innovative Mobile App.




You can check out the full list of winners here.

Sony Xperia Z2 and Z2 Tablet will not have built-in screen protectors

One of the more divisive features of the Sony Xperia Z1 was that Sony had a built-in screen protector on the device. Sony called it "anti-shatter film", and the idea was that it would keep broken glass shards from leaving the glass. Unfortunately, unlike the glass underneath, the anti-shatter film was not scratch resistant; and, it had the extra downside of removing the feel of glass and replaced it 
with the feel of plastic.

But, there is good news for those of you who are interested in purchasing the newly announced Sony Xperia Z2 or the Xperia Z2 Tablet: Sony has confirmed that neither device would use the anti-shatter film. Instead, you'll get the feel of the real materials of the device, and it should help quite a bit with the visual quality of the display. Over time, the anti-shatter film would often gather scratches and smudges, but the glass will be tougher, and easier to clean.  

Of course, the anti-shatter film could be removed from the Z1, but that wasn't really the best solution to the problem. We're certainly glad to see that Sony has listened to users and changed this.  

 

 

  

source: Android Central

Apple looks to standardize iBeacon manufacturing by third parties

Apple is looking to broaden the use of its Bluetooth based iBeacon technology and has released its specs under the "Made for iPhone" program. This means that third party manufacturers will have to conform to Apple's standards when building a product that will use the iBeacon logo. For consumers, it means that any product with that logo should work with Apple devices. Using Bluetooth LE, iBeacon is designed to transmit targeted content and messages to iDevices being used in a certain area.
For example, inside the Apple Store, iBeacon can arrange for those using an Apple iPhone with the Apple Store app, to receive coupons for Apple iPad cases just when the customer happens to be standing right in front of them. Or, someone who ordered an Apple iPhone 5s online and has come to the store to pick it up, can receive a notification when it is ready, and get directions to where in the store he needs to go.
Because of the short distance that the iBeacon signals travels, it would be an obvious way for the Apple iWatch to communicate with an Apple iPhone. It also makes a lot of sense for shopping malls, museums and libraries. As we told you last month, 20 Major League ballparks will have 100 iBeacon units installed in time for Opening Day. The technology can zap out special coupons for food and memorabilia and point out things of interest to those sitting in a certain section of the ballpark. Several supermarket chains have installed iBeacon technology, perfect for targeting shoppers pushing their carts down specific aisles. You could be staring at a bottle of ketchup when a coupon for the condiment automatically pops up on your iPhone screen.
And now that Apple has standardized the specs, you can expect consistent performance from third party manufacturers that need to meet those standards before slapping the iBeacon logo on a product. These companies must also sign an NDA. For example, Aura iBeacons will soon be available for the EverSense smart thermostat.
For Apple, iBeacon could be a surprisingly large contributor to revenue in the not too distant future.

Aurora's iBeacons will soon launch for the EverSense smart thermostat



 
source: 9to5Mac, Beekn.net via Engadget

Samsung Galaxy S5 already copied to create the Goophone S5

The Guinness Book of World Records may need to start measuring the time it takes to clone consumer electronics because the copy-masters at Goophone are blazing a trail.
Goophone has been copying, well everyone, for years now, and while it is easy to poke fun at their efforts, when you see what you get for the money, you may not be so fast start laughing. The Goophone S5 is only $300.
For $300, you get a MediaTek octa-core CPU humming along at 2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with microSD support, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), a 5-inch 1080p display, 13MP camera, a decent sized 2,800mAh battery, and dual-SIM card slots. Alas, there is no fingerprint scanner, though we suspect buyers of this device will not be pining for one.

There is no LTE connectivity on board, instead you will have access to the world’s HSPA data stream. Android 4.2 is on board with full access to the offerings on Google Play. The Goophone S5 will compliment the company’s line of familiar looking offerings, like the Goophone i5S, Goophone i5C, Goophone N3 and the Goophone Smart Watch 
No word on availability, but in Goophone’s (un)original phrasing, it is “almost here.”




.source: Goophone

Blackphone secure Android handset demo: private communication redefined

Running a forked version of Android, called PrivatOS, the Blackphone might be one of the best surprises at this year's MWC edition. Let's put aside the specs first, as these are not what's interesting here - it's still a capable phone, with a 4.7″ IPS display, 2 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, and an 8 MP rear camera.

The whole point of its existence, however, is to ensure your communication with the world through your smartphone stays private and secure, in a day and age where the NSA goes as far as hooking to underseas cables, in order to snoop for potential threats. The Blackphone doesn't beam your identity and whereabouts, while at the same time protecting your files and personal communication via a set of apps, designed with privacy in mind.  

Silent Circle seems to be the star here, as it offers secure peer-to-peer bridges for voice and video, messaging and files, with an end-to-end encryption. It doesn't log anything, and can't be scooped up during NSA's generic data sweeps, for instance. Check out the demo that the folks from the Blackphone project were kind enough to do for us at the MWC expo. 

HTC's Jack Yang says that "expandability is the key", hints at MicroSD card slot for the All New One

One of the rumored features of HTC’s next-generation flagship, the M8 / All New One, is the presence of a MicroSD card slot. As you may know, last year’s HTC One and One mini do not allow you to use a MicroSD card, this being one of the main complaints that customers have regarding the two handsets.
But things may change from now on. Talking to CNET, HTC President of South Asia Jack Young declared that "expandability is the key to our consumers." 
Reportedly, HTC wants to “make a difference” this year, and one of the things it’s looking into is allowing users to easily transfer content between devices - which can be done hassle-free if you have handsets with MicroSD card slot.
While Jack Yang did not mention the upcoming All New One, it’s understandable that the company will want to include expandability among the improvements that the smartphone should bring.
The HTC exec also said that the company would approach each market differently this year. It will still focus on high-end devices in the US, while in India, for example, it’ll try to win the hearts of customers looking for mid- to low-end products. According to Yang, there will be no more “fancy marketing campaigns” (like the one from last year, when HTC hired superstar Robert Downey Jr. to promote its image). Instead, the Taiwanese handset maker will “actively engage” mobile operators and retailers.
Previously to leading HTC’s South Asia operations, Jack Yang was Apple’s Head of iPhone and iPad sales in the region.



source: CNET

Smartphone camera with optical zoom? This technology can help!

Corephotonics demoed us their new camera technology; it is not yet available in a phone, but we wanted to show you what the future may bring. In order to add high quality optical zoom and avoid having a huge camera module, Corephotonics have created a system that uses two different optics - one wide lens and one narrow (zoom) lens - paired to a couple of identical sensors. The two image streams are then processed by a couple of image signal processors (ISP) and are combined to get one final photo/video. Interestingly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor family has dual ISP built-in, and that's probably why Corephotonics partnered with Qualcomm for developing this product. 

What are the benefits? Combining the two streams, you get real optical zoom with full resolution photos. So if you have 13MP sensors, the final image is 13MP even if the zoom was used. In our case, the lens had up to 3x zoom in in 13MP photo mode and up to 5x in 1080p video mode. You should also get better detail and less noise, as you actually have twice the image sensor area compared to a single sensor. Focus speed can also be better, as the processor can use data captured by both sensors and calculate the distance to an object instead of only relying on traditional contrast detection technology. By calculating the distance to objects, augmented reality can also be improved. 

The drawbacks? Of course, it is slightly bigger than just a single camera. The prototype we saw was about 6.5mm deep, so if you have to integrate it in a phone, it can't be the thinnest one without having a camera bulge. It was interesting for us to see this new technology, and whenever it is available in a commercial phone, we'd be happy to test it out.  

 

 

reference: Core Photonics