Nexus 5 expected to debut October 31 in the US

The anticipation and excitement surrounding the upcoming Nexus 5 smartphone and Android 4.4 Kitkat software update have reached a feverish pace, especially when you consider the phone briefly appeared on the Google Play store last week. And if the latest rumors prove to be true, consumers won’t have to wait much longer for the device as the latest suggests it will launch on October 31 in the US.

Read More

Exclusive: HTC scales back production lines as cash flow worsens-sources

(Reuters) - Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp has halted at least one of its four main manufacturing lines, accounting for at least a fifth of total capacity, and is outsourcing production as a sales slump puts pressure on its cash flow, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

Read More

Motorola's new migration tool can preload the Moto X with your old iPhone's contacts, calendar entries

Switching to a new smartphone can be a hassle, especially if there is no easy way to transfer all of your contacts from your outgoing device to the shiny new one. Fortunately for hopeful Moto X buyers, that’ll no longer be an issue as you can have the handset arrive pre-loaded with all of your existing contacts – so long as you are coming from an iPhone.

Read More

Nexus 5 prototype exposed in leaked video

Not much surrounding the Google Nexus 5 remains a secret, with a prototype version of the LG-made smartphone appearing in a seven-minute video over the weekend. The device, labelled with 'Not for Sale' on the back, is shown off from all angles, and is seen running what appears to be an early version of Android 4.4, although listed as 'KeyLimePie'.

Read More

Sony faces long fight to clamber up smartphone ranking tables

(Reuters) - Sony Corp will move cautiously in tackling key overseas smartphone markets such as the United States and China as it strives to become the third-biggest smartphone maker in the world, CEO Kazuo Hirai told journalists on Friday.

Read More

Handset makers scurry to join Year of the Phablet

                           
(Reuters) - Call it phablet, phonelet, tweener or super smartphone, but the clunky mobile phone - closer in size to a tablet than the smartphone of a couple of years back - is here to stay.

Read More

Some iPhones to refuse to ring due to New Year's DND bug

                                         
A number of iPhone users may be questioning their popularity this year thanks to a New Year's-induced bug in iOS 6. As the year-o-meter rolled over into 2013, some iPhones simply refused -- and may yet still refuse -- to ring while receiving an incoming call. This behavior is due to an iOS scheduling bug which has enabled its Do Not Disturb feature in perpetuity.

Read More

Toshiba creating Lytro-like camera for smartphones and tablets

                                        
Toshiba is developing a new camera for mobile devices that will allow users to adjust the focus of shots after they're taken. The new module measures about a centimeter per side and carries an array of half a million lenses that measure 0.03mm in diameter and are positioned in front of an image sensor that spans 5x7mm.

Read More

Huawei executive shows off 6.1-inch smartphone ahead of CES reveal

Samsung’s Galaxy Note II currently holds the crown as the world’s largest smartphone with regards to screen size but that might not be the case for much longer. A recent report from Engadget sheds some light on Huawei’s upcoming 6.1-inch monstrosity known as the Ascend Mate before its official debt at the Consumer Electronics Show early next month.

                            

Read More

Owner of OpenTV slaps Netflix with patent lawsuit

                        
(Reuters) - The owner of interactive television pioneer OpenTV sued Netflix Inc on Wednesday, alleging the company infringed on patents that cover technology underpinning the fast-growing Internet video sector.

Read More

Amazon's sub-$200 smartphone now rumored for mid-2013, Foxconn scores contract

                                         
Rumors about an Amazon-branded smartphone have been swirling for the better part of a year, and although the company hasn't confirmed anything, a new report suggests that the device is on track for release sometime next year, roughly two quarters behind the previously-speculated late 2012 launch. It's worth noting that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had already kind of squashed hopes of a holiday release in September when he revealed that new products were on the way, but that they wouldn't be ready until 2013.

Read More

Google apologizes for Nexus 4 delays, blames LG for erratic and scarce supply

                                     
Google’s latest Nexus 4 smartphone is a great deal for anyone looking to buy an unsubsidized phone upfront. It's only $300 for 8GB or $350 for the 16GB model, as opposed to $600 or more for today's high-end phones if you can find them off contract, and since it comes unlocked you'll be able to get a cheaper or pre-paid plan rather than locking yourself into two years of overpriced voice and data.

Read More

Wal-Mart selling Apple's iPhone 5 at big discount

                           
(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Friday that it began selling Apple Inc's flagship iPhone 5 smartphone at a big discount in thousands of its stores.

Read More

New Windows chief explains why Microsoft redesigned Windows

                                    
Taking over after Sinofsky's departure, Julie Larson-Green now heads Microsoft's Windows product development team. In an interview with MIT Technology Review, Larson-Green discusses some of the changes made to Windows and why with the company's latest operating system.

Read More

Amazon CEO gets deployable airbag patent for portable devices

                          
While many companies are working to develop sturdier materials and smarter designs to help protect devices from hard impacts, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and co-inventor Gregory Hart have been cooking up less elegant solutions. The duo received a patent this week that outlines various elaborate concepts to save gadgets from damage, such as airbags that deploy when a device's sensors detect that it's falling.

Read More

iPhone 5 hits China, as Apple market share slips

                    
(Reuters) - The China release of its iPhone 5 on Friday should win Apple Inc some respite from a recent slide in its share of what is likely already the world's biggest smartphone market, but its longer-term hopes may depend on new technology being tested by China's top telecoms carrier.

Read More

U.S. federal agency to test RIM's BlackBerry 10

                 
(Reuters) - Research In Motion said a U.S. federal agency, which recently outlined plans to move away from BlackBerry in favor of Apple Inc's iPhone, is now set to begin testing RIM's new BlackBerry 10 platform and devices.

Read More

As global consumers shop mobile, Apple outshines rivals

                      
(Reuters) - Apple's stock may be sliding as investors fret about growing competition, but store visits and interviews with smartphone and tablet shoppers in 10 cities around the world suggest consumers share little of that negativity.

Read More

Phones to play a key role in Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks show

                        
Sydney, Australia typically puts on quite the fireworks spectacle as part of their New Year’s Eve celebration each year. But as event coordinators prepare to ring in 2013, they’re hoping to supplement the aerial show with some help from those in attendance.

Read More

Trojan bypasses two-factor authentication, steals $46.5 million

                                                   
A sophisticated, multi-layered trojan dubbed "Eurograbber" is estimated to be responsible for siphoning over €36 million -- or about $46.5 million -- from the bank accounts of unsuspecting Europeans. In a case study (pdf) performed by Versafe and Check Point Software Technologies, researchers reveal how the trojan works.

Read More