05/24, 6:36am
Stock Android version of HTC One could be announced within two weeks
HTC is still planning to release a version of the HTC One with a stock installation of Android, according to a rumor, despite an official denial from the company. Sources of the rumor place an announcement of a vanilla HTC One within the next two weeks and a release sometime in the summer, with internal teams apparently already working on making it possible.
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05/24, 5:14am
Carrier to offer home base station with two-hour talk time on battery
US Cellular is planning to provide a home phone service, using a base station that connects to the carrier's wireless network. The system, similar to the Home Phone Connect service provided by Verizon, will allow calls to be placed through a normal corded or cordless home phone attached to one of its two telephone ports, as an alternative to having a home phone line installed.
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05/23, 2:28pm
Combination devices can print from cloud storage, connect over Wi-Fi
Brother has rolled out a new range of digital color all-in-one devices aimed at small business users. The MFC-9000 series of printers all use a 3.7-inch color touchscreen display with WebConnect and offer Wi-Fi connectivity, with the MFC-9340CDW flagship model providing a print rate of 22 pages per minute for both mono and color documents.
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05/23, 7:15am
BlinkFeed, BoomSound, video highlights transfer to new Desire
HTC is continuing to develop for its Desire range of devices, and has introduced the Desire 600. The mid-range device inherits a number of features found in the HTC One, including the BlinkFeed news and social feed on the homescreen, 30-second video highlights generated from images taken during an event, as well the BoomSound audio processing and speakers.
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05/23, 5:59am
Amazon Appstore operates in nearly 200 countries
Amazon will be putting its Kindle Fire tablets on sale in 170 more countries next month, and has also expanded its Appstore to operate in nearly 200 countries. Pre-orders for the 7-inch and 8.9-inch models of the Kindle Fire HD through Amazon.com, its UK site, France, and Amazon Germany have commenced, with shipments to customers due to start on June 13th.
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05/22, 10:30am
Main page updated with a slightly squarer design
As is traditional for the time of year, Apple has updated its main US homepage to promote items from its store in tune with the upcoming Father's Day holiday. In addition to the iPad and iPad mini, such items as iPhone 5, the Nike+Fuel band, the iGrill meat thermometer, the HipKey proximity alarm, the Nest thermostat and other suggestions are highlighted. The page also features a subtly cleaner and more geometric design.
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05/22, 9:51am
Addition of tablets to reliability report significantly boosts Apple score
A new reliability report from Rescuecom shows Apple placing in second place, beaten by Samsung by a wide margin. The new report for the first quarter of 2013, which now takes into account tablets as well as computers, also puts Apple ahead of Lenovo, Asus, Toshiba, HP, Dell, and Acer, with both Sony and Panasonic dropping out of the rankings entirely.
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05/22, 7:27am
Mirasol prototype screen measuring 5.1 inches offers 577ppi pixel density
Qualcomm has shown it is still working on Mirasol displays, by demonstrating a prototype screen at SID Display Week in Vancouver, Canada. The 5.1-inch display had a resolution of 2560x1440, giving it a pixel density of 577 pixels per inch, and was accompanied by a 1.5-inch panel used in an "always-on" smartwatch.
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05/21, 11:29am
HDTVs with 4K resolution includes Moth-Eye anti-reflection layer
Sharp is preparing to sell a pair of Ultra HD TVs in Japan, under the Aquos UD1 banner. The LC-60UD1 and LC-70UD1, measuring 60 inches and 70 inches respectively, both take advantage of Sharp's previously-demonstrated "Moth-Eye" technology, which uses a special layer above the LCD panel to significantly reduce glare, internal reflections, and light scattering.
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05/20, 5:16pm
Early trial production of device expected to start soon
Apple is testing 1.5-inch OLED touchscreens for use in its upcoming smartwatch, claims Taiwanese publication the Economic Daily News. Apple is in fact said to have tried 1.8-inch screens, but judged that they were too big. The 1.5-inch panels are reportedly being manufactured by Taiwan's RiTdisplay, and use one-glass-solution touch sensors, which should allow Apple to keep the watch thin.
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05/20, 3:02pm
Ruggedized phone shows bumpers on back, hardware buttons
Images reported to be of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 Active have surfaced, complete with a ruggedized casing. The leaked photographs come at the same time as a fresh rumor claiming Samsung is creating a Mega version of the Galaxy S4, following on from the Mega devices revealed by the company last month.
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05/20, 1:19pm
Blurry video reveals black base color, prominent edges in design
Sony has teased its upcoming game console, via a video uploaded to YouTube. The clip, which alternates between close-up shots and one zooming into what could be presumed to be the impending PlayStation 4, is released the day before Microsoft is due to reveal its future plans for its own replacement for the Xbox 360.
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05/20, 5:43am
HDTVs with 4K resolution, Smart TV features out in Korea next month
Samsung is preparing to launch 55-inch and 65-inch models of its UHD TV sets next month. Starting off in Korea, the new models will go on sale in June, with a view to releasing it in other markets shortly afterwards, with the two differently-sized 4K-capable TVs following the 85-inch S9 the company released in the country at the beginning of this year.
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05/19, 8:53pm
Project Ophelia to ship for about $100
Computer maker Dell is taking yet another step into the Android device segment, as it prepares to ship Project Ophelia. Ophelia is a thumb-sized USB device that contains hardware that runs Google's mobile operating system, and it plugs into a television to turn any HDTV into a smart device. It should begin shipping in July of this year for a price of $100.
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05/19, 8:40pm
Nintendo will try to drum up interest with in-store demos
Struggling to drum up consumer interest in its faltering Wii U console, Japanese game maker Nintendo will show off forthcoming games in Best Buy stores while this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is going on. Nintendo revealed the partnership between the game company and the electronics retailer last week, tipping some of the games that will be shown off in Best Buy stores.
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05/19, 8:15pm
Leaked memo tips new features in update
Owners of Barnes & Noble's Simple Touch eReaders will be getting a couple of new features in the near future, if a memo leaked on Sunday bears out. The bookseller turned electronics manufacturer will be adding email and web browsing features to its eReader TechCrunch has discovered. The capabilities will be added via a software update that will bring the device to version 1.5.0 of its operating system.
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05/19, 11:30am
Head-mounted display for glasses wearers still being developed
Google is still working on a version of its head-mounted display for wearers of glasses, it has emerged. A number of Google employees roaming the Google I/0 developer event were said to be wearing the modified version of Google Glass, working with prescription lenses and a different frame to the headband usually provided with the device.
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05/18, 2:13pm
Model number of media streamer reference to Douglas Adams book
A filing at the FCC suggests that Google is not letting go from its television plans, with the appearance of a new device. The item, described in the filing as a "media player," has been submitted for various tests, though there is little in the way of details for the device to be found inside the multiple PDF documents on the FCC website.
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05/17, 1:56pm
Larger version of Samsung tablet appears weeks after 7-inch version launched
An eight-inch version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 has apparently surfaced, with rendered images accompanying a list of specifications. The alleged leaked details come after the company revealed the third generation of its popular line of tablets, though that uses a more conventional 7-inch display and smaller form factor than what has now appeared.
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05/17, 1:53pm
Higher sales could help HTC turn around loss of profit in Q2 results
HTC is working on doubling the amount of HTC One devices it can produce, in order to meet what it calls "strong demand" from its customers. The company aims to manufacture twice as many of the flagship smartphone as it did last month, with a view to increasing it further as time goes on, after overcoming supply chain issues and a legal misunderstanding with Nokia over its microphones.
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05/17, 11:58am
Android game controller streams from PC to flip-up touchscreen
Nvidia has opened up pre-orders for its handheld gaming device, three days earlier than anticipated. Orders for the Nvidia Shield have commenced through the Nvidia website, with retail partners Newegg, Gamestop, and Canada Computer also accepting pre-orders from customers wanting the Tegra 4-powered Android game system.
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05/17, 11:31am
Lower-cost glass could be used for iOS, Android, other mobile devices
The maker of the Gorilla Glass used in iPhones and other mobile devices has unveiled its latest fusion-made, resilient glass for high-resolution displays. Corning, which is also continuing its Gorilla Glass line with a third version this year, officially introduced a "second-generation glass substrate" called Lotus XT Glass. The new variant features many of the properties of some of Corning's other products while being easier and cheaper to manufacture -- a fact that may persuade tech companies to use it in figure products.
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05/16, 8:45pm
Wireless communication not carrier locked, accepts any SIM card
Android device developer linktextArchos has revealed the latest addition to the Elements range of tablets, the ARCHOS 80 xenon, a specially designed 8” tablet with built-in 3G and WiFi. This Google™ certified tablet features a powerful Qualcomm Quad-core CPU at 1.2 GHz, Android™, 4.1 "Jelly Bean" on a clear IPS multi-touch screen.
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05/16, 2:48pm
Smartwatch able to communicate back to smartphones
Pebble, the smartwatch that started life on Kickstarter, has received an extra $15 million in funding. The additional funding from investors, on top of the $10.2 million received through its Kickstarter campaign, comes at the same time as the company updates its SDK to include two-way communication for third-party Pebble apps.
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05/16, 8:29am
Phone-tablet gains boost to processor, internal storage
Asus is making a number of changes to its Fonepad, increasing a number of core specifications for customers in Taiwan. The 7-inch phone-tablet, seen by Electronista earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, will receive a processor upgrade from the current 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 to the faster 1.6GHz Z2460, also from Intel.
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05/16, 7:08am
Televised investigation forces Samsung to work on space issue
Samsung is working on reducing the amount of internal storage in the Galaxy S4 that is taken up by the operating system. After a number of customer complaints and an investigation from the BBC consumer affairs show Watchdog, the company will try to shrink the room its TouchWiz implementation and other items it has added to the base Android installation.
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05/16, 5:54am
Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong set for May Surface Pro launch
The Microsoft Surface Pro will start shipping in a number of other countries later this month, as part of the company's plans to expand its retail availability further than the US, Canada, and China. The United Kingdom will see the device appearing on store shelves on May 23, while a number of markets in Europe looking to get the slate computer on May 30.
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05/15, 8:58pm
New update will make future updates faster, purges Flash
Lost amidst the slew of announcements at the linktextGoogle I/O keynote today, the company has announced the upcoming update to the Google TV software, bringing Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean" to the device family. Google claims that changes to the core of the software for the device will speed future updates, making the process happen in "weeks rather than months."
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05/15, 1:40pm
Device will be unlocked, use unlocked bootloader, receive timely updates
Google has unveiled that a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with a stock installation of Android will be available to purchase, confirming an earlier rumor. The smartphone will be fully unlocked from purchase, will use an unlocked bootloader, and will apparently receive quicker software updates compared to the version of Android provided by Samsung.
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05/15, 10:07am
Heat transferred from phone processor to graphite radiator via liquid tube
NEC has unveiled a smartphone aimed at women, which it claims to be the first in the world with a water or liquid-cooled processor. The Medias X 06E, forming part of NTT DoCoMo's summer release list, uses a tube of liquid that transfers heat from the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor to a graphite radiator located elsewhere on the phone, spreading generated heat across the phone instead of in a single place.
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05/15, 8:46am
Discounted Dell tablet likely due to low Windows RT hardware sales
Dell has lowered the price of its Windows RT tablet from $449 to $299. The drop in price of the XPS 10 slate, possibly due to the underwhelming sales of Windows RT-based tablets across the industry, is accompanied by discounted additions to the tablet, including the keyboard dock and doubling the internal storage.
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05/15, 5:21am
List includes nine smartphones, one tablet, one Raku-Raku device
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has revealed the lineup of mobile devices that it will start offering over the summer. Eleven models make the cut, including nine smartphones, one tablet, and one "Raku-Raku" simplified smartphone. Notable additions include a new Sony Xperia smartphone, the Aquos Phone Zeta, and the Aquos Pad tablet from Sharp.
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05/14, 11:58pm
Full Windows 8 experience on portable 18-inch multitouch display
After nearly a year following announcement, Dell has begun shipping its hybrid desktop PC and Windows 8 tablet -- the XPS 18. This 18-inch full Windows device has been in Electronista's hands for a few days now, and we've taken some time off to put it through its paces.
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05/14, 2:07pm
T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon to stock BlackBerry Q10 in June
The BlackBerry Q10 is making its way to the US on three different carriers in the summer, after launches in Canada and the UK. T-Mobile states it will sell the smartphone for $100 and 24 monthly installments of $20 or $580 outright, and expects to have it in June. Verizon also claims it will stock the phone in June, though does not reveal how much for, and Sprint confirms it will carry the handset, but it will launch on the network "in late summer" and for an undisclosed price.
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05/14, 10:59am
Q5 mimics general design of Q10, heads to emerging markets
BlackBerry has revealed a BB10 smartphone aimed at emerging markets, at the same time as announcing the BB10.1 update's availability for the flagship Z10 device. The Q5, a remarkably similar device to the Q10 and leaked last week, provides the same QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen as its more-expensive stablemate, but in a cheaper package.
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05/14, 7:48am
Netflix updates API to remove expiry dates for movies, shows
Netflix has removed the expiry dates for films and TV shows from its public API, following recent reports that the streaming service would drop around 1,800 items of content in May alone. According to a company blog post, the change is being made due to the inaccuracy of the expiry date due to the "frequent, often last minute, changes in content flow," though the field will still appear with a default date in the API, in order to avoid errors in third-party apps.
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05/14, 5:52am
Aluminum case uses metal band design, adds snap-on plastic covers
Nokia has formally revealed the Lumia 925 at its London press event this morning. Previously rumored under the project name of Catwalk and leaked yesterday, the aluminum-clad smartphone with a "unique metal band design" is being promoted with its 8.7-megapixel PureView smart camera with IOS and Carl Zeiss optics and flash as its main focal point.
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05/13, 12:34pm
Catwalk smartphone with aluminum case tipped for unveiling
An image reported to be of the Lumia 925 has appeared online, just one day before Nokia's London-based press event. The leaked photograph comes at the same time as Nokia starts to tease a new smartphone via advertisements on British TV, seemingly showing a device that could possibly be the long-rumored Lumia 'Catwalk.'
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05/13, 11:37am
Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD owners receive 500-coin gift
Amazon has launched its virtual currency in the United States, and has provided Kindle Fire owners with an initial credit on their accounts. The 500 Amazon Coins, valued at $5, can be used to buy apps from the Amazon Appstore as well as in-app items, along with an incentive to continue buying packs of the virtual currency instead of usual cash transactions.
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05/13, 7:51am
Aims to replace paper with touchscreen e-ink display for note taking
Sony has been working on a device for using e-ink as digital paper in an educational setting. Aimed at universities as a replacement for pen and paper-based notetaking by students, the prototype is a 13.3-inch, 1200x1600-resolution, 16-level gray scale e-ink display-as-tablet with touchscreen capabilities, as well as stylus input for drawing and writing.
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05/12, 4:00pm
Gaming framework for Android could appear at Google I/O
Google may be revealing an entire gaming framework to developers at Google I/O next week, based on newly-released data. The Google Play Services component for Android includes support for various game-related features in a new update, including synchronizing saved games and various multiplayer components seen in a previous leak.
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05/10, 11:31am
Second Lumia 928 camera test uses model helicopter, image stabilization
Nokia has formally unveiled the Lumia 928, headed to Verizon as a network-exclusive. The smartphone, previously leaked through a billboard and an advertisement in Vanity Fair, has been revealed before its expected launch event in London on May 14th, with the phone manufacturer keen to continue promoting its 8.7-megapixel PureView camera with Carl Zeiss lens and Xenon flash with another test video.
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05/10, 7:19am
Micro Four Thirds camera celebrates 50th anniversary of Pen F
Olympus has officially announced its Pen E-P5 Micro Four Thirds camera, one leaked earlier this month. Designed to look like the Pen F to mark its 50th anniversary, the Pen E-P5 boasts a string of thoroughly-modern components within its retro styling, including a 16-megapixel TruePic VI Live MOS sensor and a 1.04 million dot tilting LCD touchscreen on the rear.
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05/10, 6:18am
Prototypes said to have Kinect-style motion controls
Microsoft is looking to create a set-top box for media playback, according to one report. Continuing previous rumors, the software giant is working on a device that will allow users to sign onto Xbox Live and use its apps to view streaming video, effectively cloning the non-gaming aspects of the Xbox 360 game console into a relatively-cheap product.
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05/09, 3:15pm
Audio-only streaming device also claimed as being developed
A report claims that Amazon is creating a number of devices, including two smartphones and an audio-only device said to be designed for streaming. Though there are little in the way of details for the gadgets, one of the two phones is said to use a screen capable of showing 3D images without the need to wear special glasses.
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05/09, 1:53pm
Walmart to be exclusive retailer, selling W1 as prepaid smartphone
Huawei will be putting its first Windows Phone 8 device on sale in the United States as a prepaid device in the near future. The Huawei Ascend W1, renamed the Huawei W1 for the US market, will be made available in Walmart stores and Walmart.com later this month, and retains the same specifications and feature set that Electronista saw at Mobile World Congress in February.
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05/09, 7:05am
Nvidia, Occam Partners, Shasta Ventures provide Ouya funding
The makers of Ouya, the Android-based game console, has received extra funding from investors ahead of its launch. The additional outside investment has now allowed Ouya to set the date of the official public launch as June 25, allowing more time for it to manufacture consoles before shipping units to retailers.
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05/09, 5:59am
Phone first with new Asha software, has 48-day standby time
Nokia has updated its Asha range of devices with an entry-level touchscreen smartphone at a media event earlier today. The Asha 501, leaked yesterday, houses a three-inch 320x240 touchscreen in a case not too dissimilar from the Asha 210 QWERTY smartphone shown last month, along with a new mobile operating system.
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05/08, 9:04am
Stores alleged to focus just on Glass brand, teach customers
Google is planning to create stores to sell Google Glass to customers, according to a rumor. The search company is allegedly working on making the retail locations with the aim of helping the end users with setting up their devices before leaving the store, a similar process to what Google is doing with developers initially receiving their Explorer edition devices.
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05/08, 6:33am
Rollercoaster ride used to demonstrate low-light capabilities
Nokia is continuing to tease its impending launch of the Lumia 928, by comparing its camera against that of the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III. A video on the Nokia website using footage from the three phones claims to show how the 8.7-megapixel PureView camera stands up to those found in competing handsets in low-light conditions.
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