Wello just turned your iPhone into your personal doctor

Wello (by Azoi Inc) is a health tracker with a difference, or at least it has far more features than we've come to expect from the humble smartphone case.
It can track your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, ECG, blood oxygen level, respiration, heart rate variability and lung functions with supposedly medical grade accuracy.
You might be imagining it as some sort of expensive and unwieldy contraption, but in fact it's built into a mobile phone case, so it can be with you whenever your phone is and you simply place your fingers on the sensor areas to get a reading.

Diagnose on the move 

It connects to a handset using Bluetooth, allowing it to sync data to an app, so you can see your stats wherever you are. It can also be linked up to Fitbit devices (with support for other brands apparently in the works), so you can see all your data in one place and it has a two month battery life.

The Wello is compatible with the iPhone 5S, 5 and 4S, as well as all Android KitKat devices with Bluetooth LE (low-energy), though it doesn't look like the case will currently fit Android handsets, as you can only order iPhone versions for now.


Speaking of orders, it's up for pre-order now for £120 / $199 (around AU$220) and will be shipping to the UK and Europe in the summer with the US following this autumn, pending FDA approval.
Whether it's any good we cannot say, but on paper it certainly sounds it and makes Samsung's Galaxy S5 heart rate monitor seem somewhat underwhelming in comparison.

Apple's mobile iAds could soon explode onto the entire screen

BlackBerry isn't the only smartphone maker generating headlines for their mobile advertising initiatives this week: Apple is said to be working on iAds that automatically play video in full-screen mode on iOS devices.
Ad Age dug up a scoop on Apple's forthcoming plans for its mobile iAds which may soon see those relatively innocuous banner ads exploding all over their display with full-screen video playback - whether users like it or not.
According to the usual "people with knowledge of Apple's plans," iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners may no longer have to voluntarily tap on a banner-based iAd to make it play.
These so-called "interstitials" are rumored to catch a user's attention while they are in the process of jumping to another level of gameplay or after reading an article, rather than disrupting whatever they happen to be doing at the time.

Lights, cameras, iAds? 

Launched in 2010, Apple's iAds generated a lot of buzz but never really took off with advertisers, who balked at the initial asking price of $1 million (about UK£596,500, AU$1.99M) per buy.
Although Apple doesn't report iAd revenue, the iPhone maker is said to have steeply marked down the price of such ads to a more reasonable $100,000 (about UK£59,650, AU$109,890) in the years since.
According to IDC data, iAds added another $125 million (about UK£75M, AU$137M) to its already overflowing coffers in 2012, but that's a pittance compared to Google-owned AdMob, who advertised its way into $243 million (about UK£145M, AU$267M) during the same year.
Apple has yet to comment on its future plans for iAds, but Cupertino is expected to offer full-screen video interstitials through a rumored ad exchange, where space is auctioned off to the highest bidder.






techRadar

iPhone alarm wakes you up with the smell of bacon

An iPhone accessory has been developed that can wake you up in the morning with the smell of bacon, rather than an audible alarm 

Meat producer Oscar Mayer claims to have created an adapter which releases the scent of frying bacon as a morning alarm.

Bacon lovers set an alarm within the official app and plug the adapter into the iPhone's headphone jack to be woken up to the sound and smell of their favourite pork treat.

Unfortunately excited fans will have to apply for one of a limited number of the devices at wakeupandsmellthebacon.com, as the adapter is not available to buy in shops
Applicants unlucky enough to miss out on being selected to receive a bacon device will be consoled with the iPhone app, which allows them to set an alarm to the sound of sizzling bacon alone.
 
Tom Bick, senior director of integrated marketing and advertising at Oscar Mayer, said the company was thrilled to bring the first-ever, bacon-scented mobile device to market, which he said gave "bacon aficionados a new reason to welcome their morning alarm clocks."
"With nearly two million mentions of #bacon on Instagram, it seems people never get tired of bacon. That’s why our team decided to develop a device to give folks what they long for most."




 telegragh

Apple wants to use your body to connect all your iDevices

Apple's got much bigger plans for security beyond Touch ID, a new patent has revealed, suggesting that Cupertino might one day use our biometric data to connect our devices.
The patent application describes a system that uses biometric data to pair devices and allow them to communicate with each other.
Being able to transfer data between devices using this shared biometric data, the patent explains, would make for a more secure process. Sending photos from your laptop to your iPhone, for example.

Fingerprintin' good 

That biometric data could be anything. Apple lists examples including fingerprint sensors, facial recognition, retina scanning and voice recognition.
Apple also suggests that different security levels could be assigned to certain folders, the more secure ones requiring more than one type of biometric input.
The patent, spotted by Apple Insider, was filed on August 31, 2012, but was only published by the USPTO this week. Since that original application, Apple has got the ball rolling with Touch ID on the iPhone 5S.




 techRadar

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini incoming?

Even if you're not the gambling type, you can bet your mortgage* on Samsung putting out a Mini version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the near future, and we've just stumbled on another clue that it could be on the horizon.
A not-totally-mysterious phone called the SM-G870 has appeared on Indian import site Zauba, which looks like it could be the smaller variant of Samsung's new flagship.
While details are thin, Sammobile points out that the price ratio between this phone and the S5 is similar to that between the Galaxy S4 and the S4 Mini.

Small fry 

That doesn't make it a sure thing, but it's looking quite likely that this is the anticipated smaller variant.
Samsung waited two months after the announcement of the S4 to announce the S4 Mini, however previous rumours have claimed that the S5 Mini won't be unveiled until June - so it might be a while before anything goes official.
It's also been rumoured that the S5 Mini will get a Super AMOLED display and come running Android 4.4 KitKat. 





techRadar

Apple leaks confidential information it wanted Samsung sanctioned over: Report

Apple and Nokia were seeking major sanctions against Samsung for disclosing confidential licensing agreements, but it appears Apple was guilty of the same mistake.
 In October last year, Apple had accused Samsung of illegally disclosing confidential patent licensing terms with Nokia. However, Apple has also released the same information publicly while in the process of seeking sanctions against the Korean company, according to a report in Foss Patents.In January, the US District Court for the Northern District of California cleared Samsung, but ordered its law firm Quinn Emanuel to pay for Apple and Nokia's efforts because of the disclosure of confidential Apple-Nokia patent licence terms. While Samsung was cleared for not actually using that information in their own negotiations with Nokia, an associate in its law firm had oversight on the documents, which was deemed sanctionable by the court.While Apple and Nokia were seeking sanctions against Samsung, and Apple has been pursuing this even now, a new development has undermined their chances. Foss Patents reported that Apple actually filed the terms of its Nokia license on a publicly accessible court docket, where it remained for four months. It was removed only after Samsung brought this matter to the court's attention in February.Four months of legal wrangling after that, the matter was brought up by Samsung in Thursday's motion. As per the report, Samsung writes:
"Apple's and Nokia's scorched-earth approach to Samsung's inadvertent disclosure, and the amount of the concomitant fees Apple and Nokia incurred in pursuing those efforts, must be juxtaposed against the fact that Apple had simultaneously posted (and Nokia neglected to notice) this information on the Internet for all the world to see. The fee award should be reduced accordingly."
The report speculates that this could, and should, reduce the fee award. What should have been a legal victory seems to have been bungled into a disaster for Apple.




 NDTV

Apple loses bid for permanent ban on Samsung smartphone sales in the US

A U.S. judge on Thursday rejected Apple's request for a permanent sales ban in the United States against some older Samsung smartphones, a key setback for the iPhone maker in its global patent battle.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, ruled that Apple Inc had not presented enough evidence to show that its patented features were a significant enough driver of consumer demand to warrant an injunction.
Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd have been litigating for nearly three years over various smartphone features patented by Apple, such as the use of fingers to pinch and zoom on the screen, as well as design elements such as the phone's flat, black glass screen.
Apple was awarded more than $900 million by U.S. juries but the iPhone maker has failed to sustain a permanent sales ban against its rival, a far more serious threat to Samsung, which earned $7.7 billion last quarter.
The ruling on Thursday comes ahead of another patent trial set to begin later this month involving newer Samsung phones, and could frustrate any further attempt by Apple to bar the sales of those models as well.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the order.
In a statement, Samsung said it was pleased with the ruling. "We ... agree with its observation that a few software features alone don't drive consumer demand for Samsung products - rather consumers value a multitude of features," the company said.
Even though Samsung no longer sells the older-model phones targeted by the injunction request, Apple has argued in court documents that such an order is important to prevent Samsung from future copying with new products "not more colorably different" than the defunct models.
Samsung, meanwhile, argued that Apple was trying to target new Samsung phones in order to instill fear and uncertainty among carriers and retailers.
Samsung's phones use the Android operating system, developed by Google Inc .
In her ruling on Thursday, Koh wrote that a consumer survey by Apple likely inflated the value that customers place on the patented smartphone features in dispute.
"A multitude of other survey evidence not prepared for the purpose of litigation," Koh wrote, "indicates that numerous features that were not tested - such as battery life, MP3 player functionality, operating system, text messaging options, GPS, and processor speed - are highly important to consumers."
Apple must demonstrate more than an insignificant amount of lost sales due to Samsung's copying, Koh wrote, and Apple's survey is "unpersuasive" evidence on that point.
In a separate order, Koh entered final judgment against Samsung for about $930 million in damages stemming the 2012 jury finding of patent infringement. Samsung said it would appeal that decision.The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc vs Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, 11-1846.

 



© Thomson Reuter

Apple patent application shows how the Apple iPhone can summon help in an emergency

A patent application filed by Apple and released by the USPTO on Thursday, entitled "Mobile emergency attack and failsafe detection," reveals the possibility that an Apple iPhone could determine when there is an emergency situation and make phone calls or use other communication options to alert the authorities. The patent describes sensors on the handset that could determine if there has been an automobile accident, a mugging, or a medical condition that could render the iPhone owner helpless.

Apple's patent application shows how the iPhone can summon help if needed

The sensors would start the process if a finger breaks contact with the screen at a certain point in time, or if there is no movement for a preset time period. Telephone calls would be made to emergency numbers and a prerecorded message would play. Using the accelerometer and microphone, loud noises and sudden movements would start the process, and a panic button could be pressed if needed.
The alarm can be disabled when the user interacts with the device after the process has started. A warning screen could appear, giving the user the ability to end the process if there is a false alarm such as a dropped device. Besides calling emergency services, the iPhone will also play an alarm at maximum volume. And with the microphone turned up to the highest level, hands-free, two-way communication can be made.
We have no idea when Apple will implement this feature, or if it ever will. Still, it's nice to know that there could be a day when your iPhone has your back.


 

source: USPTO via AppleInsider

New Nokia Lumia 630 press render reveals five color versions

Nokia is seemingly planning to host an event on April 19, where it might announce new Windows Phone handsets. One of them could be the long-rumored Lumia 630. Earlier today, we told you that the Lumia 630 may have passed the FCC as the RM-976. Now, the Lumia 630 appeared in a high-res press image that shows it having five different color versions: black, white, yellow, orange and green. 
It’s said that the Lumia 630 sports a 4.5-inch display. It should have a slightly different variant called Lumia 635. One of the two models is expected to feature dual SIM capabilities. Both handsets will almost certainly run Windows Phone 8.1 - this will be released by Microsoft later this spring (probably in April), coming with lots of novelties, including on-screen buttons and a Siri-like personal assistant called Cortana. Since they seem to be successors to the Lumia 620 and Lumia 625, the new Lumia 630 and 635 are bound to be affordable. More details should be unveiled soon.



 
source: @evleaks

New app for Google Glass will be able to read your emotions

Retailers may have a new tool to greet and cater to our emotions in real time. San Diego based Emotient announced a new Sentiment Analysis prototype application for Google Glass.
 The application is not limited to Glass, as Emotient has been building products designed to read and understand our emotions by reading our facial expressions. With the app for Glass, it may enable those wearing it to get a quick read on the sentiment of the person they are engaged with.Sentiment Analysis can read the emotional state and overall sentiment (joy, anger, surprise, etc.) and present a quick summary in the wearer’s field of vision. Privacy advocates prompted Google to note that it was not going to add facial recognition features to its products without the necessary privacy protections set up.However, that will not stop developers from build their own tools, and Emotient has gathered $6 million through bond sales which will open up a private beta for its software on Google Glass. There is a real application here, as companies that provide customer-facing services can be prepared to understand the mood you might be in, it may enable them to smooth things over and give you a better experience. Such a system would be very helpful in situations like getting checked in at the airport.Emotient also sees an application for this in health care, where the software may be able to aid in the diagnosis through linking conditions to emotional state. No doubt, Sarah Slocum might have fared better if her Glasswear gave her a heads up about the mood of people at the Molotov’s bar a couple weeks ago.For those that are still concerned about privacy issues, Emotient aggregates data that is anonymized, “We don’t store images. We basically take the data and aggregate it with other information we’ve taken from other individuals,” according to Emotient CEO Ken Denman.





sources: Fast Company and PCMag

Your Apple iPhone is less likely to suffer a cracked screen, but is more likely to be lost

Device Insurer ProtectCELL said on Thursday that the Apple iPhone is less likely than other smartphones to suffer a cracked display and other problems that would require a replacement device. But the insurer did say that an iPhone is more likely to be misplaced than other handsets. To be more precise, ProtectCELL said that owners of the Apple iPhone are 54% less likely to require a replacement device for any reason.But while iPhone owners are 11% less likely to report a broken or damaged device compared to those sporting other smartphones, they are 65% more likely to request a replacement device after misplacing their handset. And something must have happened to tablet owners between 2012 and 2013. Tablet owners last year were 90% more likely to seek a replacement slate than tablet owners the year before.
The company has written over 2 million policies covering smartphones and tablets.

Apple iPhone users are more apt to lose their phone 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 source: ProtectCELL via WSJ, AppleInsider

Sony Xperia Z2 before Samsung's Galaxy S5

The South Korean smartphone market is a tough one for any outsider. Samsung, LG and Pantech are incontestable leaders on their home turf. But Sony has high hopes when it comes to its new Xperia Z2 flagship, and it’s getting ready to launch it in South Korea as soon as the end of this month, possibly even with subsidies from local carriers. This month is also when the Z2 will go on sale in Japan, as well as in other countries around the world.
According to Korean website Daum, South Korea is a very important market for Sony. That’s why the Japanese company wants to start selling the Xperia Z2 there before Samsung launches its new Galaxy S5 (which will be available from April 11).Back in January, Sony released the older Xperia Z1 in South Korea. This marked the company’s return to the Korean smartphone market (it gave up on selling handsets there in 2011). Last month, Sony Mobile USA’s president said that the company wasn’t worried about the Galaxy S5’s water resistant capabilities, because it’s Sony who “started the waterproof trend.” While the Galaxy S5 will almost surely see higher sales than the Xperia Z2 globally, it’s going to be interesting to see if Sony’s new flagship smartphone can be successful in Samsung’s home country.




 source: Daum (translated)

BlackBerry CEO Chen talks to the White House, encouraging continued BlackBerry use

We've chronicled President Barack Obama's love affair with his BlackBerry ever since he first won his first 4 year term as President (or POTUS). Along the way, the Commander in-Chief has received an Apple iPad 2 from the late Steve Jobs, and said that he is not allowed to use an Apple iPhone for security reasons. Now, according to a report from Bloomberg, BlackBerry CEO John Chen has held talks with the White House to encourage the staff to stay the course.
The first BlackBerry CEO who actually has a pedigree in turning around a major company, Chen has met or talked with 100 customers and said that he spoke with the White House about "some of the stuff they like and some of the stuff they would like us to work on." According to White House spokesman Josh Earnest, the president's phone is not discussed publicly due to security issues. White House staff are given government issued BlackBerry models.
One other interesting tidbit from John Chen came when he told Bloomberg that he rather fancies the company's old Research In Motion moniker. Former CEO Thorsten Heins changed the company's name to BlackBerry when he unveiled BlackBerry 10 early last year. Chen did say that he hasn't given a thought to changing the name of the company back to RIM.We wonder what the White House and the president would think about a 64 bit octa-core powered BlackBerry.



 source: Bloomberg

HP launches a 7.85-inch $170 tablet, the HP 8 1401

It looks like HP decided to quietly launch an 8-inch tablet in the US. And a budget one at that, with a price that comes a cent short of $170. The new HP 8 1401 has a 7.85-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024x768 and runs on an Allwinner quad-core chip, paired with 1GB RAM and 16GB of storage. It has a pair of cameras as well, with the front being 0.3MP and the rear - 2MP. The battery life is rated at 7 hours of usage, with battery capacity coming in at 3800mAh. Finally, the operating system is Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. 

The HP 8 1401 tablet comes with a lifetime 25GB of free cloud storage in Box, and HP offers free shipping in the US. 

 

 

source: Hewlett-Packard

BlackBerry gets patent for temporary QWERTY keyboard overlay

A patent awarded to BlackBerry shows off a new physical QWERTY keyboard that also doubles as a touch sensitive display. The QWERTY apparently can slide onto the device when in use, and slides up and down the screen of the BlackBerry model it would be used on. According to the patent it would appear that each key would have two functions. One would be when the key is depressed and the other would be when the key is touched.
    The exact title of the patent is "Temporary keyboard having some individual keys that provide varying levels of capacitive coupling to a touch-sensitive display." In the patent, BlackBerry notes that such overlays are already commercially available, but only to type on. The QWERTY that BlackBerry has patented also doubles as a touchscreen input. The images of the physical keyboard in the patent resemble the odd QWERTY keyboard seen on a prototype of a high-end device codenamed the BlackBerry Windermere. That keyboard lacked number and punctuation keys. This could mean that depressing the keys will input letters, while using the touchscreen input of the QWERTY will input numbers and punctuation.BlackBerry has tried other ideas in an attempt to improve the typing capabilities on its smartphones. Back in 2008, it debuted the SurePress clickable QWERTY on the BlackBerry Storm 9530. The idea was to make clicking on the phone's glass feel as though the user was pressing a physical button. The idea flopped even though it was improved on the BlackBerry Storm 2, and was never used again by the manufacturer.

"A physical keyboard having a plurality of individual keys temporarily overlays a touch-sensitive display. Each individual key selectively provides either of a first level of capacitive coupling and a second, different level of capacitive coupling to the touch-sensitive display. By one approach the key provides that first level of capacitive coupling to the touch-sensitive display when a user asserts the key (for example, by pressing upon the key) to thereby communicate to the touch-sensitive display a selection of that individual key. The key can provide that second level of capacitive coupling when a user touches, but does not assert, the individual key. So configured, this second level of capacitive coupling serves to communicate to the touch-sensitive display an input instruction other than a selection of that individual key."-BlackBerry patent filing 

 

 The patent was filed in August 2012 and while some of you might think that this would prove BlackBerry's case against Typo, that suit is about the actual design and look of the keys, which resemble those on the BlackBerry Q10.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

source: USPTO, BlackBerryVietnam (translated), BBNews.pl (translated) via BerryReview

Report says Google doesn't want Android and Windows dual-OS devices to happen

At CES 2014, we saw a limited introduction of tablets that run both Android and Windows on Intel "Bay Trail" chip. Although the convenience of these devices is inarguable, the business part behind them is rather cumbersome and their future is disputable.

According to a DigiTimes, Google has "pressured" ASUS to "postpone" its plans to release its Transformer Book Duet TD300 hybrid tablet. The device which runs Android and Windows 8.1 could result in an increased penetration rate for Windows, which would benefit Intel and Microsoft, but not Google. It appears there's no way for ASUS to please all its partners at once with the launch of a dual-OS device, so the Taiwanese maker might have left the concept for better days.

Although Google and Microsoft's notable mutual disdain would suggest otherwise, the latter's recent expansion strategy openly relies on Android to bring Windows to mobile platforms. Since last year, there have been rumors of Microsoft asking its partners to produce dual-booting smartphones. The same happened with other types on devices, and at this year's MWC, Microsoft and Nokia launched an Android-based series of smartphones which serves as an introduction to Windows Phone more than anything.

It's understandable that Google wants to avoid Android becoming a vessel for a competing platform's success. Given that, it's likely that other manufacturers will also have Mountain View "nicely" ask them to reconsider their dual-OS plans. If that's really the case, that is. 

 

source: DigiTimes

Apple's new finance steward Maestri takes over $160 billion cash haul

(Reuters) - Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer will retire and hand the reins to Luca Maestri in September, entrusting to the Italian-born executive a cash pile the size of Vietnam's economy and the difficult task of guiding Wall Street's expectations.

The 50-year-old born in Rome is taking over with Apple at a crossroads. Investors continue to clamor for the company to put its industry-leading $160 billion hoard to better use than just parked overseas, while rivals Google (GOOG.O) and Facebook (FB.O) shell out tens of billions of dollars snapping up cutting-edge tech companies like Nest and WhatsApp.
Managing investors' outsized expectations may become more difficult as Apple - facing slowing revenue growth and more aggressive competition - dives deeper into lower-margin but higher-growth emerging markets like China, where cheaper local players Huawei and Xiaomi dominate.
"Maestri will be assuming this role at an interesting time - when Apple is in the midst of launching more services and likely needs to convince investors that it has more consistent revenue streams in a commoditizing smart phone market," Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes wrote on Tuesday.
"We know Maestri quite well and believe he will support consistent plans for capital return and thoughtful, achievable guidance."
Maestri, who has worked in countries from Brazil to Thailand, is not expected to pursue radical changes to the iPhone maker's capital return strategy.
Longer-term, the company is also under increasing pressure to come up with the next big thing. Some investors bet that Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will finally unveil a revolutionary new product this year, breaking a dry spell of several years during which it stuck mainly to iterations of the iPhone and iPad.
Oppenheimer, 51, had been CFO since 2004 and was the architect behind a $100 billion capital return program established a year ago in response to demands the company do more with its ballooning cash hoard.
He joined Apple from Xerox Corp (XRX.N) in 2013. He spent 20 years at General Motors (GM.N) where he worked as CFO of several units including GM Europe. Before joining Xerox, he was CFO of network equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks.

TAKING UP THE BATON

Over the past few quarters, Oppenheimer has moved Apple, which for years routinely smashed investors' expectations, toward more realistic financial targets and outlooks as the company amassed size and expanded into new markets.
Its business has also grown rapidly beyond mainly hardware sales and into areas such as software and digital content. Now, Maestri assumes responsibility for outlining the investment case for a company under an intense media and industry spotlight.
"Managing Wall Street's expectations became an exceptional challenge for Apple over the past couple of years," said Morningstar analyst Brian Colello. "It's clear what drives Apple's growth. The issue is managing such a large, scrutinized company."
"Now it's become more of a leveling-off (of expectations). And that will continue."
Apple's shares were up 0.7 percent at $531.24 in late trade.
Oppenheimer, who joined Apple in 1996, will start handing over in June to Maestri. Named to the board of Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) on Monday, he said in Tuesday's statement he would use some of his free time to complete his pilot's license.
"When we were recruiting for a corporate controller, we met Luca and knew he would become Peter's successor," Cook said.
On Tuesday, he noted that Apple's revenue had risen to $171 billion from $8 billion during Oppenheimer's tenure as CFO.
Cook and other executives had said the company intends to update shareholders and investors on their cash management strategy around April.
The company's growing cash pile has been a perennial source of discontent amongst investors, given much of it is parked overseas without significant returns and the company has proven conservative in pursuing acquisitions.
The company has said it will return $100 billion to shareholders by the end of 2015 through dividends and share repurchases. In February, Apple said it had bought more than $40 billion of its shares over the past 12 months, helping to satisfy activist Carl Icahn and other investors, at least for now.
"Oppenheimer had a very successful run but joined Apple at a time when the personal technology market was focused exclusively on personal computers," said University of Notre Dame visiting professor of marketing Brett Robinson, author of "Appletopia."
"Apple's hiring of Luca Maestri, who has broad international experience, is consonant with Apple's strategy to expand their global footprint."


 
Reuters

Why is Microsoft trying to smuggle Windows into your Android phone?

For more than two decades, ever since DOS and Windows 3.1x, dual-booting has been restricted to hardcore enthusiasts who found being able to boot from one or more operating systems convenient and useful.
If the presentation by Microsoft's Joe Belfiore last week in Barcelona is an indication of how the mobile market will evolve, we're about to see a comeback of dual booting with Android and Windows Phone sitting on the same phone.
The push is likely to come from Microsoft for whom this might be one of the biggest punts of its long history, similar to putting Internet Explorer into Windows 95.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend

The gist of the later part of Belfiore's presentation is that Microsoft is working closely with hardware partners to make sure that there is little or no change needed to get a smartphone (or indeed any ARM-based devices) to run Windows Phone or Android.
X86 devices like PCs, laptops and servers run Windows or Linux (or indeed MacOS X) indiscriminately and there's no reason why that shouldn't be the case for smartphones in general.
This is a logical step that is likely to be more helpful to Microsoft than Android - and this tacit agreement will end up being most detrimental to Apple.

How bold is too bold? 

It seems likely that Microsoft may encourage partners to offer dual-boot as standard on all Android smartphones by offering Windows Phone for free or for a huge discount.
The cynical among us might suggest that as well as offering Windows Phone for free (or at a low cost), Microsoft will slash the fees associated with cross licensing agreements signed with scores of manufacturers of Android devices to persuade them to put Windows Phone prominently on the Android phone (perhaps on the boot screen).
Either solution will cost money but would enable Microsoft to get Windows into the hands of potentially tens of millions of Android users.
It will hope that they will try Windows Phone and be so enamoured of it that they eventually switch to a solely Windows Phone device or continue to use the two platforms altogether.
This would help Microsoft expand the number of smartphones running Windows Phone exponentially and we might even see Microsoft-backed versions of Android without Google's services (similar to what Nokia is doing), something which would be something of an ironic move.
As always though, the more competition in a market, the more likely innovation will thrive.

The business allure of dual-booting 

So what's the point of dual-booting for consumers? Most end-users and consumers are unlikely to gain much from the exercise, depending on how dual-booting devices are pitched to the mainstream.
But there is a category of users for whom this will be a godsend and that is the business/enterprise audience.
Having Windows 8 Embedded or Windows Phone 8 plus Android on a sleek smartphone that can be used both for work and leisure will be an attractive proposal to some.
Microsoft's mobile platform offers easy access to Office 365, Active Directory and the entire Windows ecosystem (including Xbox) and is an incredibly attractive alternative to BlackBerry.
That's the theory many think Redmond will follow because the other option is to see Windows Phone stuck as the third choice after Android and iOS, and seeing numbers of shipped (but not sold) units increase over time.
Piggy-backing on Google's Android is definitely not an ego-boosting move for Microsoft but it is by far the most pragmatic.
It is also one that can yield great results reasonably quickly, which is what Satya Nadella needs at the moment to stamp his authority on the company.



Desire Athow

Facebook Picks Up the Pace in Race to Beam Internet From Above

Facebook's aerial strategy in the multibillion-dollar race for global data dominance has finally become clear, but drones aren’t the only ways to deliver the Internet to not-yet-connected regions of the world.

Other competitors in the data race include Google’s Project Loon, which would rely on a fleet of broadcasting high-altitude balloons, and a wide spectrum of satellite ventures. Each of the strategies has pluses and minuses, and it may take months — or years — to identify the front-runner.

Based on a flurry of reports, Facebook is staking out a drone-based infrastructure for providing data services to the estimated 4.5 billion people around the world who currently can't afford to go online. The company is said to be negotiating to buy Titan Aerospace for $60 million, apparently with the intention of using thousands of Titan's drones to deliver data in areas where ground-based and traditional wireless infrastructure is underdeveloped.

These remote-controlled craft are not like the robo-planes that have caused such a stir in Afghanistan, Iraq and on the home front. Titan's solar-powered "atmospheric satellites" are designed to fly for as long as five years at a time, at an altitude of 65,000 feet. "At that altitude, it can do a multiplicity of missions ranging from communications, data, optical, weather sensing," aerospace veteran Vern Raburn, Titan's chief executive, told Reuters. 

Drones vs. balloons? 

That capability would make it a suitable platform for Internet.org, the Facebook-led campaign to widen global connectivity. It also appears to stoke potential competition with Project Loon, which is pursuing the same goal by developing a worldwide fleet of balloons flying as high as 90,000 feet.

Like Titan's drones, Google's balloon battalions are still in the early stage of development. Project Loon was unveiled just last year, and the system has undergone testing in New Zealand as well as several U.S. locales. High-altitude balloons make for relatively cheap data delivery platforms. However, they also drift with the wind, which would require coordinating the shifting locations of thousands of balloons around the world. 

 

A Project Loon high-altitude balloon sails over Tekapo in southern New Zealand after its launch for a test in 2013.

"I think Facebook's new approach makes perfect sense," Syed Karin, director of innovation for the Media Development Investment Fund, told NBC News in an email. "It's much more controllable than the balloons of Project Loon."

Both systems would be deployed well above the altitude where commercial airplanes fly, but both ventures would have to negotiate a worldwide tangle of aviation and telecommunication regulations. "With balloons or planes flying at 20 kilometers, country coordination for airspace usage will still be required," Karim said. 

Beamed via satellite? 

The project in which Karim is involved, known as Outernet, takes a different approach. Outernet's backers envision putting constellations of small satellites known as CubeSats into orbit, mostly to beam data down to the lesser-served regions of the world.

"Outernet is focusing on the problem of information access — offering a universally accessible information source, for free," Karim said. "What Outernet is providing is a broadcast data service. It's kind of like shortwave radio, with regards to the global pervasiveness of the signal. But the major difference is that instead of broadcasting exclusively audio or video, like current satellite broadcasters do, Outernet will broadcast content from the Web." 

 

Two Planet Lab CubeSats are deployed into orbit from a launcher on the International Space Station in February. Outernet plans to use similar satellites to broadcast data. 

 

Satellite data providers such as ViaSat already provide two-way Internet service for some regions of the world, but at a cost of $50 a month or up. Outernet would focus on the regions that can't afford the cost — and could also sidestep many of the regulatory hurdles.

"The benefit of a broadcast system is that it guarantees privacy and can also bypass censorship," Karin said. 

Follow the money 

Karim said Outernet is aiming to put a 24-satellite constellation into orbit by 2016 for a demonstration of the system, with a target cost of $100,000 per satellite. The current generation of CubeSats can stay in orbit for only a few months, but Outernet hopes that further innovations could stretch each satellite's service life to a year.

The bigger questions have to do with how much of a market there'll be for aerial data services in out-of-the-way regions. On one hand, Outernet, Internet.org and Project Loon have been presented as humanitarian projects rather than money-makers. On the other hand, anytime Facebook and Google get involved in a technology, it's a good bet that money will somehow eventually be made.

"What's in it for these guys?" asked telecom investment expert Victor Schnee, president of Mobile Cloud Era. "That's an interesting question, but these companies have been such ground-breakers that you've got to follow them and figure out what they're doing."

Schnee believes the mobile cloud — a network infrastructure that makes information accessible and storable from any device, anywhere — is the next big thing in technology. Beaming information down from above might make that "next big thing" a reality around the globe. 

 MSNBC

Microsoft to Unveil Siri Rival 'Cortana,' Reports Verge

Soon, owners of Windows Phones like the Nokia Lumia will be able to use "Cortana," a digital personal assistant, reports The Verge. 

Watch out, Siri. It looks like Microsoft is ready to unveil its new digital personal assistant, according to The Verge.

Citing “sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans,” The Verge reports that the Siri competitor is currently being called “Cortana" and will officially be unveiled next month at the company's Build Conference next month in San Francisco as part of the Windows Phone 8.1 update.

Yes, gamers, that is the name of Master Chief’s holographic companion from the Halo franchise and no, the Windows Phone voice-activated assistant won’t be portrayed as a voluptuous blue woman. Instead, leaked screenshots indicate that Cortana will be represented by a blue circle — which is no guarantee that Joaquin Phoenix won’t fall in love with it.

So, what will it do? Cortana — which could be called something else once it’s officially launched – will be able to answer questions with the help of reminders, location data, contact information and more, writes The Verge, and will utilize different apps and services like Bing and Foursquare. It will replace the Bing voice search function that Windows Phone owners use now.

Cortana will also, according to The Verge, be able to search your email for mentions of specific words and flight tracking information, allowing for custom notifications with minimal effort. 

 NBCnews

The Bluetooth smartring that lets you rule all your gadgets

Just pop this device on your index finger and trace “TV” in the air. You’ve just turned on the television. Now trace out a sentence. Voila - there it is on your smartphone screen.
Japanese startup Logbar says the Bluetooth gadget - simply called “Ring” - is ready for mass production after six prototypes helped to reduce its bulk and finetune the gesture recognition technology at its heart.

A campaign to cover production costs on crowdfunding website Kickstarter blew past the original $US250,000 ($A280,946) within days.
With a month remaining, the campaign has raised $US417,000 from more than 2,500 backers.
Australians who pledge at least $US165 plus $US15 for shipping can expect one in the mail as soon as July.
In addition to controlling home appliances and writing text messages, the gadget will allow wearers to verify mobile payments with the flick of a finger.
Vibrations and an LED light will also notify wearers when, for instance, their phone receives a text, Logbar says.

Headband can tell when brain is overloaded

A NEW headband may be able to tell you when your brain is on mental overload and offload some of your work to another person. 
 
The Boston Globe reports that the technology, in development at Tufts University’s Human-Computer Interaction Lab by computer scientist Robert Jacob and biomedical engineer Sergio Fantini, will enable the headband to read brain activity and enable a computer to determine whether the wearer is bored, fatigued, or sharp.
The project has been developed with air traffic controllers in mind due to the rigorous and highly stressful nature of their work.
But the possibilities of the brain scanner can be extended to other areas.
The researchers and their students also have used the device to generate movie recommendations for wearers, based on how their brains respond to other films. In another experiment, pianists practised on an electronic keyboard while wearing the headband. As their brain signals indicated mastery of a melody, a computer added complexity to the songs by playing harmonies.
The technique for analysing and acting upon brain activity is called functional near infra-red spectroscopy, or fNIRS. A row of small red lights embedded in the headband beams light waves through the skull and onto the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
A computer connected to the headband cannot actually read minds but it can gauge the person’s level of mental exertion by measuring the amount of light absorbed by the brain.
A tired brain draws more blood than one working easily, and therefore absorbs more light. That tells the computer the wearer may be overwhelmed.
As every brain is different baseline testing of each individual is required to determine the point at which performance begins to suffer.
There is also capacity to modify the headband to allow electrical stimulation to improve mental awareness.
The developers say the headband causes no pain and is not dangerous.
“The level of light we’re sending is comparable to the level of light your brain would be exposed to on a sunny day,” Fantini said.
The developers say they have no plans at this stage to bring the product to market but are open to businesses taking the headband further.
“We’re basic researchers,” Jacob said. “It would be delightful if these things do filter into the world, but I’d like to believe that’s not our mission. Our mission is to invent new scientific ideas and spread them, and hope they are useful to someone.”

HTC presents dual camera for HTC One 2

HTC takes to social media to tease its latest smartphone, the "all new" HTC One. 

The company is so excited, in fact, that it has taken to various social media channels to promote the smartphone. Uploaded just today, HTC told its Twitter and Facebook followers that life will become "twice as beautiful on March 25."
What's more, an image accompanying the update shows six photos, each with a "two" theme. While the use of the number could be to interpreted as the "second HTC One," it's more likely meant to tease the rumored dual-camera feature.
Indeed, leaked images and details from the past few months suggest the handset will feature two camera sensors on the rear. What they'll actually do, however, remains unclear at this point. Perhaps one will capture video while the other takes photos?
The camera is just the latest in a series of leaks from HTC about the handset. Last week, it teased the device's Boomsound feature and on Sunday, HTC talked about its unibody design.

Originally posted at Android Atlas

Intel grabs smartwatch maker -- report

Intel has reportedly purchased smartwatch maker Basis Science to become part of the firm's arsenal in the wearable device industry. 

  

Basis Health Tracker smartwatches 

 

 while the exact amount Intel paid is not known, it is believed to be between $100 million and $150 million. Basis has secured roughly 7 percent of the wearable fitness tracker market and over $30 million has been invested in to the company by Norwest Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund and Intel Capital.
San Francisco-based Basis has one lone product on the consumer market: the Basis Health Tracker Watch. The wrist-based tech includes a health tracker and connection to an online personal dashboard to encourage users to incorporate healthier choices within their lifestyles. The watch measures steps taken during the day, calories burned, sleep quality, and physiological metrics like heart rate. New health goals are automatically set and adjusted based on the data.
Intel has made traction within the emerging wearable technology market, showcasing a number of product this year at trade conventions including smart, wearable baby monitors, the Jarvis headset and the Edison smart chip. If the reported acquisition of Basis is confirmed, then this could pave the way for Intel to tap into smartwatches by using an already-established company with a fair market share and technology already available.
In addition, the smartwatch and its design team could be a platform for Intel to set its own designs and features.
In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session last month, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that he uses two wearable devices, one which is an "internally developed" product -- revealing that the wearables industry, beyond supplying chipsets, is likely to be of interest to Intel.
Intel has a way to catch up to compete with rivals that have already entered the wearables market with sensors and devices. Qualcomm and STMicroelectronics currently supply a large swath of the market with sensors, and major firms including Samsung and LG already have wearable devices available. Google is rumored to be considering a smartwatch as part of the next-generation Nexus release.



 via ZDNet

HTC harvests smartphone power to help solve world challenges

The "Power to Give" initiative aims to turn unused processing power from millions of smartphones into a supercomputer that can tackle issues like cancer, climate change, and space travel. 

 

HTC's "Power to Give" initiative aims to help researchers find a cure for cancer. 

HTC is looking to harness the power of users' cell phones to engage in some altruistic pursuits, like finding a cure for cancer, researching climate change, and bringing food to the world's hungry.
Working to solve complex world issues often means crunching massive amounts of data. Analyzing this data takes supercomputers and time -- and this is where smartphone-maker HTC fits in with its "Power to Give" initiative.
The company has partnered with a host of scientists and research institutions to give them unused processing power from Android smartphones. This means scientific data can be crunched faster.
"With each research project comes an analysis of massive amounts of data that can only be processed by one of the handful of supercomputers that exist in the world," HTC wrote in a blog post. "With over 1 billion smartphones in use today, we have an opportunity to combine their processing power to help revolutionize scientific research and make a profound and lasting contribution to humanity, if we all work together."
In order to get the processing power to researchers, HTC is asking Android smartphone users to help out. The way it works is, when users download the Power to Give app, plug in their phone, and connect to Wi-Fi, their unused processing power gets transferred to a grid.
Users can select which research projects they want their power to go to. The app doesn't run down the phone's battery or use any of users' data. Also, the power transfer works while the smartphone is sleeping.
"HTC Power To Give acts as middleware to connect a smartphone to different research projects, enabling the applications from supported projects to run and communicate with their central servers," HTC wrote. "Projects that could otherwise take hundreds of years could be executed in a drastically shorter time." 




 by Dara Kerr

 

Chen admits he has a “50:50 chance” of turning BlackBerry around

CEO John Chen opened up about his mission at BlackBerry in an interview for the Financial Times. He believes he has a "50:50" chance to turn around the struggling company. The CEO aims to make BlackBerry's cash-flow positive by the end of its current fiscal year and return to profit before the end of March 2016. He also hopes that BlackBerry will eventually become a dominant market player again.  

Mr. Chen believes the company has to act now, and refocus on its "heritage and roots - delivering enterprise-grade, end-to-end mobile solutions." He briefly compared his task at BlackBerry with his successful turnaround of Sybase, which went from stagnation to being acquired by Germany's SAP in 13 years. That's quite the chunk of time, but under his helm, the company did manage to achieve 55 consecutive quarters of profitability and a market capitalization of $5.8 billion, up from a low of $362 million. Obviously, the situation is more difficult with BlackBerry. Chen said "it's a bit more challenging to engineer change" in the Canadian company, without elaborating further.

John Chen stated that "it's important to stay positive" and commented that BlackBerry's enterprise customers tend to stay longer, although they are harder to win. Recently Chen scoffed at enterprise competitor Good Technology and US wireless carrier T-Mobile for their BlackBerry-undermining promotions which gave customers who want to ditch the company's services and phones an advantage.

Although BlackBerry fans are as outspoken as the company's CEO, T-Mobile's 94% trade-in rate of BlackBerry phones goes to show that the company's former management couldn't deliver an attractive enough portfolio of consumer products. That's, once again, something Chen's BlackBerry is starting to look after. It has already begun offering phones that directly address customer feedback and market opportunities. The BB Z3 is an offering for the emerging markets, which BlackBerry used to lack, while the Q20 brings back the trackpad and buttons “toolbelt” that BB fans missed from previous QWERTY-handsets. More powerful and compelling phones, including one with a 64-bit octa-core CPU, are planned for the non-distant future as well. 

  

source: Financial Times

Survey reveals that Apple is the most desired mobile brand in emerging markets

If Apple plays its cards right this year, it has the opportunity to grab a large number of new iPhone customers in developing markets, where traditionally it has been weak. According to a new survey released by Upstream and Ovum, of 4504 consumers in Brazil, China, India, Nigeria and Vietnam, Apple is the most desired brand of mobile devices in those countries. 32% of those surveyed want an Apple branded mobile device, followed by the 29% that covet a smartphone or tablet produced by Samsung. 13% are holding out for a Nokia model. In China, where the Apple iPhone is now available from the world's largest carrier in China Mobile, 42% want an Apple iPhone or iPad compared to the 32% wishing for a Samsung device.Last year, Samsung topped this list with Nokia second and Apple in third. Despite the survey results, Android devices activated in those countries add up to 296,493, trouncing the 90,184 iOS units activated in the same locations. Functionality was the top reason given by nearly half of the consumers in the region, for purchasing a specific handset. In Brazil, 22% need to trust the manufacturer while brand aspiration is important for Nigerian (23%), Indian (26%), Chinese (21%) and Vietnamese (29%) consumers.

 

"The race to emerging market consumers is truly underway after several announcements from handset manufacturers, content providers and notably Facebook – all of who are developing devices or mobile content specifically for consumers in these regions. However, blindly approaching new markets without obtaining granular insights into what people in these regions actually want and acknowledging what is important to them will lead to challenges along the way. Only when each player truly understands the audience of each region – being able to answer the questions of ‘what’s affordable’, ‘what content do consumers want’ and ‘what functionality is preferred’ – will they be able to connect with the consumers they are trying to reach."-Marco Veremis, CEO, Upstream 

 

 

The survey also discovered that in emerging markets, 40% are grabbing content from the Google Play Store compared to just 28% who do the same from the Apple App Store. For those not happy with these app marketplaces, 20% cite the lack of personal recommendations, 24% point to poor navigation in the stores, and 11% complain about the lack of payment options. 

 

 

 

 

source: BGR

Lenovo clarifies, says Ashton Kutcher is working on tablets, not phones

This is something of an odd story, because although it is something that we've known about since October of last year, the details of it either keep changing or keep being misreported. Originally, we heard that Ashton Kutcher had been hired by Lenovo as a product engineer to work on tablets. Then last week at MWC, it was reported that Kutcher would also work on phones. But, it seems that may have been a misquote.

So, Lenovo's Chief Marketing Officer David Roman was quoted last week telling Re/code that Kutcher would be working on a line of phones. But, Lenovo is now saying that was a misquote, and Ray Gorman, director of external communication at Lenovo, has told Pocket-lint that Kutcher will only be working on tablets, just as he has been.

Whatever Kutcher is working on with Lenovo, we hope that it gets a bit better. So far, Kutcher has been attributed to the Lenovo Yoga tablets that came out late last year. Although we liked those tablets overall, one of the sticking points was the homescreen layout, and Kutcher has been said to specifically be working with the UX software teams which could mean that one of the few things we didn't like was one of the main areas of his input.  

 

 

 

 

 

source: Pocket-lint

Microsoft OneDrive app for BlackBerry 10 now available from BlackBerry World

Hey BlackBerry 10 owners, looking to store your files and content in the cloud? Well, now you have your own Microsoft OneDrive app that is waiting for you in BlackBerry World. With Microsoft OneDrive you can arrange to have pictures and videos saved automatically. You can also share important files and documents. The app allows you to edit documents, or comment on them while on the go, an important feature for the business user. And lastly, you can "seamlessly and easily" work with online files on your BlackBerry 10 handset.
Microsoft OneDrive is a free download and new users will receive 7GB of free storage. Get 500MB of free storage for every friend you refer, with a maximum of 5GB allowed. Set your device to automatically send photos and videos to OneDrive and you'll receive an additional 3GB of free cloud based storage.
Of course, BlackBerry10 users have other cloud based storage options to choose from, such as Dropbox. But starting today, Microsoft OneDrive is also an option for BlackBerry 10 users with their heads (and files) in the clouds.

Screenshots from Microsoft OneDrive for BlackBerry 10





 source: MicrosoftOneDrive

Samsung patents design for a tablet with curved margins

Samsung’s tablets have always been a bit on the boring side when it comes to design. Admittedly, it’s difficult to make a tablet that’s unique-looking and easy to handle at the same time. But Samsung seems to be trying to do just that.
The South Korean company was granted a patent recently for the design of a tablet that has curved margins. Its display isn’t curved, but that’s actually a good thing. Only the left and right margins of the tablet are curved - slightly curved to the front, to be exact, this probably allowing us to get a better grip on it. Rear and front-facing cameras are visible. The bezel around the display is quite thin, and the apparent lack of a hardware home button makes us think about a possible next-generation Nexus 10 tablet. Of course, we shouldn’t get too excited for now, since this design might never be used for a real device. Plus, HTC might be the maker of Google’s next Nexus 10, not Samsung.Anyway, the patent application for the curved tablet - filed with the USPTO - doesn’t tell us much, just that Samsung is claiming “the ornamental design for a tablet computer, as shown and described.”

 

source: USPTO

Facebook Messenger launches on Windows Phone 8

100%-+

Facebook delivered on its promise to Windows Phone users and launched its Facebook Messenger on WP8. The app features the full social network experience with stickers, photos, statuses, checking messages without opening Facebook, and more. 

There's group conversation and location sharing support. You can see who's read your messages, who's using Messenger, who's active on Facebook, and who's who in general. You can have notifications on and off at your will, and keep your conversation history and contacts backed on your phone.

The app looks exactly how the screenshots depict it, and runs very smoothly. It's separated in two screens - "recent" and "messenger". There's a minimum amount of buttons to navigate and text your way through the app. There's also a very handy feature that lets you browse your friend list by the first letter of your contacts' names.

However, if you don't have friends that start with "A", for example, the app won't waste your time with an empty screen, but it will visually indicate there are no A-names to be found in your address book.

Overall, Facebook Messenger was worth the wait. It's polished, lightweight, and shows Facebook gave it the necessary attention. You can download it from the link below.

Download FB Messenger: Windows Phone 8 

 

via WPCentral

Animal Face for Windows Phone

With selfies in the news recently, a new app for Windows Phone puts the fun back into the, ahem, art form. Animal Face takes your face and replaces it with a face belonging to an animal. Ok, so it is nothing but fun, that doesn't make it a waste of time. And it s a free download after all, although for 99 cents you can eliminate the ads and add more Animal Face options to the app.
There are 15 Animal Faces in the basic version of the app, which includes a bear, tiger, cougar, fox and more. You can snap a new picture or take one from your gallery. And re-sizing the face of the animal to fit over the existing human face on the photo is a snap.
If taking selfies are getting boring, Animal Face is the perfect app to liven things up. It is waiting for you right now, in the Windows Phone Store. And by the way, there are similar apps available from different developers in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Screenshots from Animal Face for Windows Phone




source: AnimalFace via WPCentral

MediaTek looking to add value to smartphones with new peripheral chips

Silicon slinger MediaTek is developing chips that will raise the value of smartphones by offering features like wireless charging, NFC support and fingerprint recognition. Most chip producers are expected to offer 64 bit octa-core processors in the second half of this year, and in early 2015. If this situation takes place, smartphones will have to compete based on the number of different features they offer instead of the number of cores employed by the processor.
According to industry sources, MediaTek, which is already known for is low price chip solutions and for its true octa-core MT6592 CPU, is talking with 10 IC design houses. The talks are being conducted to help the Taiwan based company offer features like wireless charging.
Three of the design houses, On-Bright Electronics, Leadtrend Technology and iWatt, have had their rapid charge controller ICs tested for use on MediaTek's chipset technology. Even with the testing, there is no word as to when the company will make these chips available to smartphone manufacturers.




source: DigiTimes

John Gruber: Apple's iOS 7.1 update arriving any moment

If you've been desperately tapping the update button on your iPhone or iPad, in the hope that the iOS 7.1 update is arriving any day now, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Tech head John Gruber claims that iOS 7.1 should indeed hit Apple's mobile gear any moment, citing the perennial "little birdie".

He backs up this claim with the fact that the SXSW festival starts next week, but the dedicated app isn't out yet on iTunes. The reason for that, his sources advise, is that the app requires iOS 7.1, in order to stream the show, hence the conclusion that the update is arriving in the next few days.

The newest iOS version is expected to bring a number of incremental improvements, such as new animations, calendar features, accessibility settings, and simplified adding of contacts after dialling, as well as the usual bug fixes. 

 

 

 

 source: DaringFireball & Apple