iPhone 5 set for extra row of icons on taller home screen

The new iPhone 5 is getting extra leg room on the screen -- and filling it with an extra row of apps, it seems.

It looks as though the new blower's home screen will have five rows of apps instead of the current four on the resized screen, which is set to measure 4 inches across and boast a resolution of 640x1,136 pixels.

A series of leaked photos have showed the new iPhone to be taller than the current model when you hold it normally, or wider when you turn it sideways to landscape orientation. That means the screen is now 16:9, meaning no more black bars when you watch movies and TV, allowing your video to make the most of the screen.

9to5Mac discovered the fifth row of apps by changing the resolution of the home screen in the software simulator provided by Apple for developers to build apps. In the current version of iOS, the icons shuffle down a bit with extra space between them. But in iOS 6 an extra row is added, strongly suggesting the finished version of the software will have five rows of apps.

[Source: cnet - Read the full story]

Google Knowledge Graph coming to all English-speaking nations tomorrow, adds lists to results

Google launched its contextual and intelligent search service, Knowledge Graph, only a few months ago. Till now, it's been limited in its availability and, while most nations will still be left out, tomorrow it will be coming to all "English-speaking" countries. The ability to discern your intended search goal and present you with relevant information immediately, as opposed to just a page of links, is the next step in search technology and the secret sauce powering the somewhat creepy Google Now in Jelly Bean. The Graph has also received a few enhancements and tweaks, including the ability to answer queries with collections and lists. So, say you're looking for rides in Disney World, a thumbnail of every attraction will appear at the top in a horizontally scrollable list. How much longer till our Spanish, French or Chinese speaking pals can get in on the action? That's anyone's guess. But, if English is the native tongue of your home, then rest assured your flavor of Google has just gotten a little bit smarter.

[Source: Engadget]

Google's revamped voice search coming to iOS, tackles Siri on her home turf

Google has been offering the ability to search the web with your voice using its iOS app for some time. But, it always just spit out a pile of links. While the next version wont be getting quite as creepy as Google Now, it'll be bringing with it the vocalized responses that debuted as part of Jelly Bean's revamped search offerings. The UI is also getting an overhaul to bring it inline with Now and Mountain View's recent aesthetic tendencies towards sharp lines and limited color schemes. Obviously, the new app also taps the Knowledge Graph, allowing you to make natural language queries like, "what's the weather like in San Francisco," and get a detailed vocalized response. According to Google the update should be hitting the App Store in "the next few days," but don't expect it to keep tabs on your favorite sports team for you.

[Source: Engadget]

Apple starts selling refurbished 'new' iPads for $50 less than MSRP

Back when Apple's third-gen slate was originally unveiled to the world, the company very quietly slashed down the prices of its first and second generation refurbed iPads. Now, some five months after itstriumphant launch in the US of A and other countries, Cupertino's started selling the pixel-packed newiPad for 50 bucks less than the original price -- that's if, of course, you don't mind a refurbished unit. Still, as we've said before, Apple includes a one-year warranty with each iPad sold via its "Certified Refurbished" online store, which is considerably better than any Craigslist deal you might find out there. Currently, stock appears to be quite loaded, but you never know how long that's going to last. In other words, you may want to get 'em while they're hot.

[Source: Engadget]

Nikon Coolpix L610: an AA-powered, 1080p-capable point-and-shoot for $249

A flagship it isn't, but Nikon's newest Coolpix will certainly hit the sweet spot in terms of pricing for many. The Coolpix L610 is an entry-level compact that breaks away from proprietary cells in order to rely on a pair of AAs. World travelers may argue that it's easier to find a pack of those at any corner shop than a power outlet, and while it may only suit a select few, we're glad that the AA notion hasn't been tossed aside completely. Specs-wise, you're looking at a 16 megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor, a 1080p movie mode, 3-inch rear LCD, optical VR image stabilization, HDMI socket and a 14x wide-angle zoom lens. It's designed to sit between the P510 and P7100 in terms of size, with a newfangled design that looks pretty darn attractive at the $249 asking price. For those interested, it'll be hitting shelves in September donning a red, black or silver motif.

[Source: Engadget]

OUYA's Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.58 million raised, starts shipping in March (update: still going)

It's a wrap! Suffice it to say, it's a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful -- and initially record-breaking -- funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today. Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don't fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April.

The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you'll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki -- and as if that wasn't enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What's more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company "promise" to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA's (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we're cautiously optimistic.

So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you'll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far.

Update: Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline -- better be quick! We'll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted.

[Source: Engadget]

Panasonic preps SD cards that survive heat, water and X-rays, will probably outlast you

Much ado has been made of weather-resistant cameras, but it's all a moot point if the memory card dies, isn't it? Panasonic wants that level of survivability in its SDHC and SDXC cards, and its new UHS-I-level SDAB and SDUB lines are tested for the kind of abuse that could see the camera give up the ghost first. The cards can take the kinds of punishment that we often associate with rugged gear, such as temperatures from -13F to 185F, immersion in 3.3 feet of water for half an hour and the usual steep drops. It's beyond this that the resistance levels become truly exotic: the cards are also built to survive zaps of electricity, proximity to magnets and exposure to X-rays. If it all becomes too much to bear, the design will even fuse on the inside to prevent fire burning the card from within. Those who like what they see will only have to decide whether or not they want the SDAB range's 95MB/s read speeds and 80MB/s writes or are willing to settle for the SDUB line's respective 90MB/s and 45MB/s transfers. We have yet to see if or when the SD cards cross the Pacific after their September 8th launch in Japan, although we hope so -- with that kind of extra-tough design, our photos are more likely to endure than we will.

[Source: Engadget]

Evernote updates for iOS, adds tap anywhere to edit

If there's one thing that perpetually frustrates us about Evernote on mobile devices, it's the inability to simply start editing a note when we open it up. As is, you've got open one, then tap the edit button, then you can navigate to the portion of the note you want to tweak. Not exactly the most efficient of workflows. That's finally changed, on the iPad and iPhone at least, and simply tapping anywhere in an entry will immediately open the editing tool, with the cursor exactly where you tapped. It may seem like a minor tweak, but it's one that should help address one of the primarily complaints about the note-taking service's mobile apps -- a lack of convenience. Now, we just hope the same update heads to Android devices. And sooner, rather than later.

[Source: Engadget]

HTC 'Endeavor C2' rumored to be a spec-bumped One X for late 2012

HTC's flagship One X may be set to receive a minor specification bump before the end of 2012, according to reports from ​Stuff​. The re-vamped model is known only by its codename "HTC Endeavor C2" -- note that the original One X was "Endeavor". It'll allegedly ship with a souped-up 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, along with an "improved" battery, new color options and urBeats earphones included in the box. ​Stuff​ also claims that the new "Endeavor C2" will be compatible with all existing One X accessories, which to us implies that the chassis design will remain identical.  Essentially, the C2 could be to the One X what the Sensation XE was to the original Sensation last year -- the same design, with slightly upgraded internals. The news also converges nicely with rumors we've heard from T-Mobile USA, suggesting an "HTC One X+" may be arriving on that network later in the year...

[Source: To read the full atricle visit Android Central]

Stock Talk: HTC's problem is getting worse

Late last week, HTC posted its Q2 results for 2012, and they weren’t pretty. Profits are down 60 percent year over year.  But perhaps the most visible sign of decline comes from revenue. After all, consumers don’t necessarily know if a company makes money based on what it sells. But if HTC sells fewer phones, it’s a highly visible change. And that’s exactly what has been happening. HTC revenues dropped by more than 25 percent in Q2.  This week the Taiwanese manufacturer posted results for July, and sales were down by 45 percent. This is worrisome because it suggests HTC’s revenue woes are accelerating, not easing.  

The problems faced by HTC are serious. With Android having gained so much market share over the last couple of years, the only way to explain HTC’s performance is a loss of consumer appeal. When people think about Android, the brand that comes to mind is clearly Samsung.  The smartphone market, at the high end, has essentially consolidated around Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy families. Then, waiting to duke it out for a slice of the action will be Microsoft/Nokia and the Windows Phone 8 Lumia phones, along with Research in Motion’s BlackBerry 10 (neither of which have hit the market)...

[Source: To read the full article visit Android Central]

After ‘Genius’ Fail, Apple Back to Promoting iPad in Olympics

Apple, which discontinued its much-panned “genius” ads during the Olympics after their short run, is back with a more traditional approach, promoting its latest iPad.  The ad above, which ran during Tuesday night’s Olympics telecast on NBC, touts the new iPad’s Retina display and the ability to tweet articles you like. The “product-as-hero” style of the TV spot is more in keeping with past Apple ads than the three “genius” spots, which put the brand’s Apple Store VIPs in the spotlight. In contrast with “Genius,” which divided fans, the latest spot seems to be gaining wider acceptance — with more than 26,000 views, the new ad has 10 times more likes than dislikes.  However, the creative retreat by Apple is uncharacteristic. The brand rarely kowtows to fans and a tacit admission that the previous ads weren’t working is a rare occurrence for a brand known for its uncompromising vision and untouchable marketing prowess.  What do you think? Do you like the latest ads? Were the genius ads unfairly maligned? Sound off in the comments.

[Source: Mashable]

Apple Temporarily Halts Over-the-Phone iCloud Password Resets

Wired reports that Apple has ordered its support staff to temporarily stop processing AppleID password changes over the phone.   The move is a response to the experience of Wired reporter Mat Honan who had his iCloud account hacked which resulted in the remote-wipe of his iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air. An Apple worker with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Wired that the over-the-phone password freeze would last at least 24 hours. The employee speculated that the freeze was put in place to give Apple more time to determine what security policies needed to be changed, if any. Wired was able to confirm the policy change by calling Apple Support and attempting to reset the password on an iCloud account.   Meanwhile, Amazon has also changed their policy in the wake of the hacking report. Amazon no longer allows people to call in and change their credit card or email address settings. Hackers had taken advantage of Amazon's policies in order to expose the last four digits of Honan's credit card which was then used to take over his iCloud account.

[Source: Mac Rumours]