Mysterious HTC Zara to arrive alongside HTC One Max?

As Samsung prepares for the release of its Note 3, HTC is also getting ready to unleash two new devices of its own. The first of the handsets is known as the HTC One Max and is designed to compete directly against the Note series. The second is a previously unheard of handset by the name of Zara.

We’ll start by talking about the One Max, which we already know a great deal about.

For starters, the phone will feature a premium metal-body design similar to the HTC One. The handset is also said to have a 5.9-inch FullHD display, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, UltraPixel camera and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

What about the HTC Zara? The latest report from China Times suggests that the handset will arrive in September alongside the One Max. Unlike the One Max, the HTC Zara trades in the premium metal body for a plastic design that is probably more akin to Samsung devices.

Unfortunately, beyond its plastic shell, next to nothing is known about the Zara. We can’t say what markets it is being aimed at, its pricing or even what kind of hardware or screen size the phone might possess.

What we do know is that September is shaping up to be an interesting month. Not only will we see Samsung’s latest Note, but now we have two interesting HTC devices to look forward to as well.

With HTC’s push towards higher-end metal bodies, would you still consider a plastic-bodied HTC handset if the specs were right for the money?

Source: Android Authority

U.S. Mac Sales Down in June Despite Introduction of New MacBook Airs

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has released a new report covering the full June quarter Mac and iPod sales data from market research firm NPD. 

According to the data, Apple's Mac sales came in down 5% year over year, despite the introduction of the newest Haswell-based MacBook Airs at this year's WWDC. During the same time period last year, Apple unveiled both upgraded MacBook Airs and the new Retina MacBook Pro, so it seems the lack of a refreshed MacBook Pro lineup may have impacted sales for the quarter. 

As with his previous reports, Munster notes that it remains difficult to extrapolate NPD data to Apple's global sales performance, but he views the June data as "neutral to slightly negative," down from slightly positive in a May report.

 We note that we had expected an uptick in Mac sales in the month of June given updated Macbook Airs at WWDC; however, Mac units were [down] 12% y/y for the month of June according to NPD. Based on the differences between NPD data and Apple reported Mac sales over the past few quarters, we note it is becoming more difficult to draw conclusions from NPD data.

Munster stands by his belief that iPads will continue to cannibalize Mac sales and sticks with his prediction of 5% year over year decline in Mac sales for the June quarter. Macs are currently responsible for less than 15% of Apple's total revenue. 

As for iPods, Munster's analysis of NPD data suggests that units are down 32% year over year, while the Piper Jaffray estimate suggests that sales are down 23% year over year on a global basis. However, as iPods only represent 2% of Apple's revenue, the overall impact of the sales decline is minor.

Source: Mac Rumours

iPhone screen recording app slips onto the App Store

An iPhone application that allows users to record their screens, including screen activity while using third-party apps on your phone, has managed to sneak onto the App Store.

xRec, which was published on Saturday and costs $1.99 on (iTunes), can record screen activity in its entirety. The software requires an active Internet connection to work and, according to tech site Giga (Google Translate), uses code from jailbreak app RecordMyScreen, which offers a similar feature set and user interface.

The app shows a red, pulsing bar at the top of the screen when it's recording, something that cannot be removed. Users also can record audio at various quality levels with the app. You can save the captured data to your camera roll or send it to other installed apps.

Screen recording is not something Apple provides to developers to add to their apps, let alone something that can record activity in other software.

The software, which Apple likely will remove, requires iOS 5. Its developer says it will not work with iOS 7, Apple's upcoming mobile operating system update.

This is not the first screen recording app to hit the App Store, but the capability to record activity from other applications is unique. iOS app UX Recorder also records on-screen activity, but it's limited to the front-facing camera and the Web browser built into the app.

Source: CNET

Evernote starts testing Evernote 5 for Windows desktop

Evernote has released its Evernote 5 beta for Windows, allowing users to try out the productivity desktop app and its slew of new features.

The app has been redesigned with features similar to the Evernote 5 for Mac app released in November. New features include shortcuts, dedicated buttons, expanding lists, and a redesign of the note list and note editor. Users will also be able to view notes as cards and edit the metadata on notes. Premium customers get an additional feature: related notes. With this feature, Evernote will automatically pull up notes that may be related to notes you're currently editing or viewing.

Andrew Sinkov, Evernote's VP of Marketing, warns that the app may be glitchy because it's in beta, or testing, mode.

"Evernote 5 is currently in beta," he wrote in a blog post. "In fact, this is the first of several betas that we'll be releasing. Before installing it, please be sure that you're comfortable using early software. While unlikely, you may experience various issues and possibly even data loss. Also, certain features, like Reminders, are yet to be implemented."

Source: CNET

‘Evolved’ Samsung Exynos 5 Octa teased, launching next week

Move over original Exynos 5 Octa, after such a short time on the market, you’re already being replaced by something better! Earlier today, Samsung took to Twitter to announced it will be launching a “more powerful, enhanced” version of the Exynos 5 Octa sometime next week.

Any other details?  No, but we can certainly speculate a little.

As you might already know, the current Exynos 5 Octa doesn’t technically run on eight cores. Instead, the Octa has a 1.6GHz quad-core A15 processor for high-intensity tasks and can switch to a lower-powered 1.2GHz quad-core A7 for situations where less power is needed.

For the next Exynos 5 Octa, the change could be as simple as boosting up the clockspeeds provided by the SoC. Then again, it could also have to do with improving integrated features such as adding advanced LTE, or really anything under the sun.

As for the first device to run the processor? If the rumor mill proves correct, it will likely be in at least one version of the Note 3, though don’t expect Samsung to show off their big-screen phone next week. More than likely the announcement will simply be a release a few new technical details about the upcoming SoC.

Regardless of what Samsung is planning, we only have to wait a week to find out. In the meantime the Korean giant is giving fans a chance to win some brand new Exynos-powered devices through their #ExynosEvolved Giveaway.

Source: Android Authority

Government Officials Bring in Security Experts to Test iOS 7's Activation Lock Feature

After launching an investigation into the anti-theft practices of smartphone manufacturers like Apple, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón will today test how Apple’s Activation Lock feature holds up against determined thieves, reports CNET. 

First introduced at WWDC, Activation Lock is designed to prevent Find My iPhone from being deactivated, which keeps stolen iPhones from being wiped and reactivated. The feature is included in iOS 7, which is expected to be released to consumers this fall. 

Gascón and Schneiderman are planning to bring in security experts from the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center to attempt to bypass Activation Lock in order to gain access to an iPhone. The security team will also test the Lojack for Android software on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

 "While we are appreciative of the efforts made by Apple and Samsung to improve security of the devices they sell, we are not going to take them at their word," Schneiderman and Gascón said in a joint statement. "Today we will assess the solutions they are proposing and see if they stand up to the tactics commonly employed by thieves."

The two officials have pushed for greater anti-theft measures from cell phone manufacturers after a spike in mobile device thefts. While carriers agreed last year to develop a centralized database to track stolen phones, it has proven to be largely ineffectual. Both Gascón and Schneiderman have stated that they believe Activation Lock is an inadequate theft deterrent and Gascón has urged Apple to implement a "kill switch" that would permanently disable stolen iOS devices. 

The results of the Activation Lock investigation are expected to be released later today.

Source: Mac Rumours

Rumor: Android 4.3 coming to Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, not Android 4.2.2

A new report says that Samsung is already working on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its top devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 said to make the jump directly to Android 4.3 and skip Android 4.2.2.

We will remind you that this is just a rumor at this point, so don’t get too excited about it at this time, as we can’t confirm the news just yet. Temefy has it from sources close to Samsung India that the company is working on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, but also on the Android 4.3 update for the same devices.

Android 4.2.2 was already leaked for the Galaxy S3, but so was an Android 4.3 build for the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition.

Since Google is expected to launch Android 4.3 in the near future, it would make sense to see some devices skip a Jelly Bean version in order to run the latest Android OS available. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung will necessarily choose this route.

The report also says that an Android 4.2.2 for the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 would arrive in November instead of July, as initially expected. If true, that would be another reason to have the handsets move directly to Android 4.3 instead.

Finally, the publication says that the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 2 will all be further upgradeable to the next major Android version – supposedly Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie – but not all of them will receive it at the same time.

We’ll be back with more details about software updates for these particular handsets once we have them.

Source: Android Authority

iPhone 5S Production Will Reportedly Begin Later This Month

According to AllThingsD, a production ramp up of the next generation iPhone should begin around the end of this month, confirming a recent report from Jefferies' Peter Misek.

Misek believes that Apple started small batch production of the iPhone 5S last month, but with the company now gearing up for mass production, it appears to be making final preparations for a launch later this year.

A report from earlier today suggested that iPhone 5S supplies will be constrained at launch, as it is with many new Apple product releases, perhaps because of low yields on a new fingerprint sensor that is expected in the device. 

Some iPhone 5S prototypes have previously leaked, showcasing features such as a dual-LED flash and a slightly larger battery, as well as an A7 chip. Misek, for his part, believes that the 5S production ramp is in addition to one that's in progress for the rumored lower-cost iPhone. From AllThingsD:

 Interestingly, Misek says that iPhone production ramp up will follow one that’s already under way for Apple’s long-rumored lower-cost iPhone, a device he figures the company will price somewhere between $300 and $400 — without a subsidy. He estimates production plans at 25 million to 30 million units, split pretty much evenly across the 5s and its new lower-cost sibling. And he says the new entry probably won’t be competitive with the truly low-end handsets popular in emerging markets.

Last year, at roughly this same point in the July, we saw similar reports of increased production ahead of the release of the iPhone 5.

Source: Mac Rumours

T-Mobile on AT&T Next: You're paying twice for that phone

The claws are out now.

T-Mobile executive Andrew Sherrard fired back at AT&T's new early upgrade plan, calling it a "poor imitation" that actually costs the customers more than they think.

Earlier Tuesday, AT&T introduced its AT&T Next plan, which lets people pay for their mobile devices in 20 monthly installments and allows them to upgrade each year. But the new plan doesn't include a key component -- a lower-cost service plan -- which T-Mobile said is its crucial standout feature in its early upgrade plan, Jump. As a result, T-Mobile claims AT&T Next is actually more expensive than ever.

"They're charging you twice on the same phone and calling that a good deal," Sherrard told CNET on Tuesday.

In addition to paying the full price of the phone over the monthly installments, AT&T Next customers also pay the same service plan rate they had been paying -- a rate that was designed to work with subsidized phones. When T-Mobile introduced its no-contract monthly installment plan, it cut the rate of its plan to reflect the lack of a subsidy.

An AT&T representative told CNET that Next represents a a new offer and different choice for customers.

"We're not taking away anything," he said. "We're just giving people choice by removing the upfront cost and allowing them to upgrade their phone."

AT&T wouldn't discuss the direct comparisons between Next and Jump, but noted that it offers a larger 4G LTE network.

"As people dig into this, they'll find it's a much better deal to go with Jump," T-Mobile's Sherrard said. He added that Jump includes insurance, which AT&T Next does not.

Verizon Wireless is expected to introduce a similar plan to that of AT&T, and Sherrard said he felt equally good about how Jump stacks up against the reported Verizon Edge plan.

Sherrard said he was happy that the industry was reacting to T-Mobile's moves. He called the competitors' moves "a response, not a strategy."

Sherrard said that as the challenger in the industry with the lowest market share among the big four U.S. carriers, T-Mobile can afford to be more aggressive to pursue growth. The big two companies can't follow because they have higher profit margins to protect.

"We're glad to change the game a little bit," he said.

Source: CNET

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Once there, you'll be able to discover how many light years we are away from inventing real-world equivalents of the famous Star Trek technology! Explore how close we are to replicating La Forge's VISOR or Dr Leonard McCoy's favourite piece of medical kit. Compare how touch-screen computers of today match up to the Starship's Control Interface! Not only that, but it also features the original and iconic Star Trek sounds and images, so you'll soon feel part of Captain Kirk's crew!

Moto X through Glass: Motorola exec filmed using the Moto X by Robert Scoble

We’re really psyched about the Moto X here at AA, so when a rumor spread that the device would be shown off to a select group of journalists on July 11, we were pretty curious to learn more.

Naturally, the event hosted by Motorola adviser Guy Kawasaki was private, but that didn’t stop one of the guests from posting a video of singer Daria Musk giving an impromptu performance for the gathering. The guest is Robert Scoble, whom you may know as an uber-geek and a noted fan of Google’s wearable computer Glass, which he used to record the video.

What’s interesting about the video, which Scoble posted on his Google Plus profile, is that the Moto X, the phone that the entire tech community eagerly awaits, makes a surprise appearance in the hands of a Motorola executive...

Read the full story here. Source: Android Authority

Google chairman says relationship with Apple improving

During the annual Allen and Co media conference held in Idaho, Google chairman Eric Schmidt has revealed that the once very frosty relationship between Apple and Google is starting to improve. The two companies, which are simultaneously rivals and business partners, have been conducting “lots and lots” of meetings at often very high levels. According to the comments made by Schmidt,  Google’s Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora has been leading many of the discussions.

Emphasizing the better relations between the companies, Schmidt said that the two are in “constant business discussions on a long list of issues.” He also praised Apple saying it was a “proud, well-run” company – as is Google. But that they are two very “different companies.”

Google’s relationship with Apple has been a real roller-coaster of a ride. At its high point Apple made Google the center of its online service offerings including search, maps and email. Eric Schmidt was even a member of Apple’s board. However when Google launched Android things turned sour. Jobs is quoted, in Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple co-founder, as saying, “I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

After Schmidt left Apple’s board the relationship has been bumpy with Apple suing Google and Google’s partners over Android. Last year Apple tried to ditch Google Maps, which was – until then – the default navigation app on iOS and replace it with its own maps service. However Apple’s new map service wasn’t fully ready and caused lots of negative publicity for Apple. Earlier this month Apple also announced that it was dropping Google as the default search engine for Siri, instead it would use Microsoft’s Bing.

The initial benefits of an improved relationship between Apple and Google would probably be felt most by iOS users, who might see Google re-instated as the first choice of online services. However since Google now owns Motorola and the firewall between the two, which ensures that Motorola doesn’t get any special treatment, could be taken down if needed, it looks like Google and Apple will also remain both rivals and partners, in a complex but dynamic relationship!

Source: Android Authority