Navy SEALs disciplined for Medal Of Honor: Warfighter involvement

Seven SEALs under investigation for revealing secrets during Warfighter's development have been disciplined.

Back in September while under investigation for his novel No Easy Day, former U.S. Navy SEAL and  author Matt Bissonnette also fell under further government scrutiny for his involvement with Electronic Arts and developer Danger Close’s military shooter Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Although Bissonnette had since left the service, his contributions as an adviser to that game and the details of his book both came under investigation by the Department of Defense for potentially releasing classified information regarding how the SEALs operate. Along with Bissonnette, seven other active duty Navy SEALs also served as consultants for the game. 

A new report now suggests that those seven SEALs have been disciplined, and all those involved are under further investigation regarding their role in the game’s development.

According to CBS News, the Navy SEALs in question (at least one of which served on the successful mission which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden) served as paid consultants for Warfighter, and may have revealed military secrets while assisting EA with the game. There has been no word on what specific secrets were revealed, and in all likelihood that information will never be released. The report indicates that all seven SEALs have received letters of reprimand — a major impediment to future promotion– and have had half their salaries docked for two months.

News of The Department of Defense taking an interest in the SEALs’ involvement with Warfighter first hit the wire in September, but focused primarily on Bissonnette. His book No Easy Day, which he wrote  under the pseudonym Mark Owen, gave a firsthand account of the raid that targeted bin Laden. Although the market is no stranger to first hand accounts of military missions told by those that participated in them, all such projects are supposed to first be submitted to the Pentagon for approval to ensure that no classified information is released. In the case of both Bissonnette’s book and with the SEALs that worked on Warfighter, no approval was ever sought, although Bissonnette’s lawyer claims that the book was properly vetted by a special operations attorney prior to release. At the time, EA indicated that it wasn’t aware the SEALs’ required any government oversight for their role with the game. 

Leading up to and after its October 23 release, Warfighter‘s marketing has promoted the game’s ties to real-world military experts and well-known military scenarios – including an upcoming map pack for the game called “Zero Dark Thirty” that recreates the SEAL Team Six raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Samsung sells 3 million Galaxy Note 2 devices while it waits for the competition to catch up,

Samsung has announced that it has sold 3 million Galaxy Note 2 tablet/smartphone hybrid devices, despite it only have been on sale since September. That's a lot of sales for a niche product, so where is its competition?

Samsung must be looking at the latest sales figures for the Galaxy Note 2, which it has just made public, shaking its head and then having a good laugh. It has released a device nobody thought they wanted and critics instantly took against, then went on to sell millions of them. So why is it laughing? Because there still isn’t any competition.

The Galaxy Note 2 went on sale during September in Korea, reached the UK on October 1, and has steadily made its way to the US and other regions around the world since. According to Samsung, in 37 days it has racked up more than 3 million sales.

The original Galaxy Note arrived in September 2011, but didn’t reach 1 million sales until the end of December, so the Note 2‘s performance is impressive going, particularly when you take into account the Note 2 is still a niche device.

But is it so niche that it doesn’t need some competition? Who does Samsung think it is? Apple? Has it really produced an initially derided product that in reality, just caught other manufacturers napping?

Rumors and half-releases

It seems so, as viable alternatives to the Note 2 are few and far between, despite the product line having been on sale for more than a year. There’s the LG Optimus Vu, or the LG Intuition if you buy it from Verizon; but in its infinite wisdom, LG hasn’t bothered to give it a wide release, so its sales are unlikely to impress.

HTC’s bizarrely named J Butterfly phone has a 5-inch, 1080p screen, but it’s only available in Japan, while Panasonic has picked up its 5-inch Eluga Power and taken it home, after it failed to gain any traction in the European market. At least these have seen a release, as phones such as the LG Optimus Vu II, the Oppo Find 5, Lenovo’s S880 and the Thomson X-View 2 are all seemingly in some kind of release date limbo.

Huawei and ZTE have woken up and started talking about their own tablet/smartphone hybrid machines. For Huawei, it will be the Ascend D2 and the rumor is it will be equipped with a quad-core chip and a 720p 5-inch display. ZTE’s Nubia Z5 will have the same specification, but will add a 13-megapixel camera too. Neither are confirmed though, and both are likely to do the rounds in China before possibly going international sometime next year.

There are also a few other rumored devices with 5-inch-plus sized screens coming soon. HTC may adapt the J Butterfly for international release — possibly to be named the Droid DNA and launched on the Verizon network — while the Sony C650X, codename Odin, may arrive next year too, along with a 6-inch screen version codename Yuga. Both of these and the Droid DNA are said to have 5-inch, 1080p screens.

All this gives the Galaxy Note 2 an almost entirely open playing field until well into 2013. How many Note 2 handsets will it have gone on to sell before a true alternative finally goes on sale?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Following a logo update, eBay unveils a Pinspired redesign

The new eBay redesign is here, and it looks a lot like Pinterest -- if Pinterest's goal was to help you spend tons of cash.

Earlier in September, eBay announced that a “new eBay” was coming, teasing the audience with a logo rebranding to reveal a slimmer, more modern take on what used to be a clunky, bulbous design. Today, eBay takes the next step in unveiling a site overhaul that shows off a Pinterest-like grid interface to help shoppers browse more comfortably and more visually.

The “old” eBay allowed shoppers to view search results in a list or grid view, with price, auction end date, and Buy It Now options either lining the right side of the screen or hidden in grid view. The new design is tailored to be more mobile friendly, allowing for larger photos and fitting more listings in one page without having to scroll through search results. The redesign is even more helpful for shop owners, as they can have a prettier place to display all the items being auctioned off while their star ratings are located promptly at the top of their profiles to offer credibility. 

Furthermore, eBay users can view a feed of watched items, featured, recently viewed, or “My Feed,” which showcases a grid of things you’ve chosen to curate under your profile. This way, even if you aren’t selling the item yourself, you can promote your customers to a list of products they might like based off purchases they’ve made from your store before.

“The future of commerce is personal, driven by data. Search results and recommendations are no longer enough,” eBay President Devin Wenig writes in an announcement post. “Consumers want insight. And they want personal, curated selection that is relevant to them, controlled by them.”

EBay joins Facebook in revealing a Pinterest-ified e-commerce element this week. The social network recently unveiled its Collections feature, a brand-facing tool that gives retailers a visual, pinboard-formatted way to show off their goods. The mechanism also introduced “Collect” and “Want” actions to Facebook, giving users the ability to create wishlists and show off their purchases, as well as click-through buying power. And, of course, it all looks incredibly similar to the site that really ignited the social shopping craze — Pinterest. The hype about its profit-turning power has been enough to get e-commerce hopefuls mimicking its design. 

The more contemporary, clean eBay interface is slated for launch in the upcoming weeks stateside, while a global launch should be anticipated by the year’s end. It’s definitely eBay’s answer to being more intuitive, and making shoppers spend money faster in an Amazon-like fashion. If you’re already an avid eBayer, the redesign might make it that much more appealing for you to keep auctioning the things you want and want to sell, but it’s still going to be a tough to compete with the hoards of loyal Amazon users. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

RIM CEO filled with optimism over BlackBerry 10, but still can’t nail down a release date

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has delivered his BlackBerry 10 Jam Americas keynote, where his enthusiasm for BlackBerry 10 was palpable

September 25 saw the beginning of the BlackBerry 10 Jam Americas conference, where CEO Thorsten Heins took to the stage to entertain and encourage 1,500 attending developers and partners.

He began by talking about what BlackBerry 10 would offer customers when it’s released, promising that productivity, reliability, security and multi-tasking would all be taken “to the next level.” Also on the list was a new keyboard with improved predictive text, and a completely new web browser he described as “killer.”

Rarely did Heins describe BlackBerry 10 as a smartphone operating system though, preferring to say that it’s a step forward in “mobile computing,” and emphasized its suitability for individual business users and enterprise clients.

This was particularly evident during the brief demonstration of BB10, where the calendar was shown off, as well as a feature named BlackBerry Balance, where the phone can be switched between personal and business accounts. Both sets of data are totally separate, right down to the security and access to the BlackBerry App World store.

Hub, Flow and Peek

Much was made of the BlackBerry Hub, Peek and BlackBerry Flow, which make up the basic user interface of BB10. The Hub collects all incoming information and notifications — which RIM says isn’t like a unified inbox at all, but everyone else will probably disagree — while Peek lets you swipe aside open apps to return to the Hub, then swipe in a new app to use.

Finally, a feature named Flow seemed to provide fluid movement through the Hub, but wasn’t expanded upon during the presentation.

Sadly, the demonstrations highlighted the Dev Alpha device’s inability to recognize touch gestures on more than one occasion, and while enthusiasm concerning BB10’s interface was high, it wasn’t quite as exciting in real life.

Time and again, the example of a “business man running through an airport” was trotted out, particularly to show the ease with which BB10 can be controlled using one hand and one thumb.

Also highlighted was RIM’s increasing interest in Asia and other emerging markets, from the prevalence of locations in India, Africa and the East on Heins’ tour map, to making a point of intelligent multi-language support in BBM, without the need to manually change keyboards mid-flow.

On track for early 2013 release

So when is it coming? For all Heins’ high-fives and gusto during the keynote, the story of BlackBerry 10’s release is still the same — early next year. He said everything is “on track” and that release is “a few short months away,” plus they are currently testing better devices too.

A degree of positivity regarding BB10’s impending release came from the news that next month, the hardware and software will be sent to carriers for testing, although in another interview RIM’s chief marketing officer warned that this process can take anywhere between six and twenty weeks. While this won’t be true of every network all over the world, it could see some releases delayed until March 2013 at the earliest. In the same interview, it was revealed that BlackBerry 10 will initially debut in America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Heins, like the rest of the tech world, knows what’s at stake with BlackBerry 10, calling it “our most important launch ever” and going on to share what sounds like a realistic expectation of how it will perform: “We have a clear shot at being the number three platform in the market” he said.

The 40-minute keynote finished with the news that the company’s user base has grown to 80 million subscribers, and that BBM has 60 million users worldwide. A new SDK will be released this week and app submissions will start on October 10. To show how RIM loves its developers, it serenaded them with a song. Yes, really.

According to a very positive Thorsten Heins, there’s “a new culture, new energy and a lot of fighting spirit at RIM,” and solely based on his upbeat BlackBerry Jam keynote performance, it’s becoming easier to believe him.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: MySpace comeback, Einstein’s brain becomes an iPad app

Tweet

September 25, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

MySpace makes a comeback, Netflix loses A and E, Albert Einstein’s brain becomes an iPad app, Eric Schmidt shoots down Google Maps rumors, and Steve Wozniak tries to become Australian.

Related Links:

• Myspace trying to bring SexyBack with new design and functionality
• Netflix confirms loss of streaming content from A&E Networks
• Einstein’s brain is now interactive iPad app
• Oh dear, Google hasn’t submitted a Google Maps app to Apple yet
• Apple’s Wozniak wants to become Australian: reports

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: iPhone 5 sales, Foxconn riot, Megaupload comeback

Tweet

September 24, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

Apple sells 5 million iPhone 5s, a riot breaks out at a Foxconn plant in China, Megaupload prepares for a comeback, Toyota scraps plans for a wide release of electric cars, and Facebook comes under fire over its new advertising network.

Related Links:

• Apple sold a disappointing 5 million iPhone 5 units in three days
• Riot breaks out at Foxconn plant, 40 injured [video]
• Megaupload Readies for Comeback, Code 90% Done
• Toyota drops plan for widespread sales of electric car
• Facebook raises fears with ad tracking

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

IFTTT removes Twitter Triggers in wake of API violations

With Twitter's API restrictions, IFTTT users will have until September 27, before Twitter Triggers are disabled.

 

With Twitter’s API guideline changes, popular mix-and-match app pushing service IFTTT is now among the services that have been dealt a blow. If you have recipes set up that include Twitter as a trigger, you’ll find them disabled come September 27.

IFTTT sent out an email yesterday notifying its users of the upcoming changes due to the enforcement of Twitter’s new API guidelines. While Twitter Triggers (an IFTTT feature that works by pulling Tweets from Twitter’s cloud onto other services) has been restricted, IFTTT will continue supporting the ability to publish Tweets.

The Twitter guideline that IFTTT specifically refers to, and that the service is affected by, is section 4A: “Exporting Twitter Content to a datastore as a service or other cloud based service, however, is not permitted.” Instead, Twitter data can be extracted as a spreadsheet or PDF, both which are rudimentary forms of storing information that would be not be wise to be implemented into any third-party services. Does anyone really want an excel sheet of tweets?

In the email sent to IFTTT users, the company explained its respect for Twitter’s decision. “We’ve still got a long way to go, and to get there we need to make sure that the types of connections that IFTTT enables are aligned with how the original creators want their tools and services to be used,” IFTTT’s CEO, Linden Tibbets, wrote in the email. Many other third party developers, however, don’t share the same sentiment about Twitter’s latest moves.

Last month, developers and Twitter users expressed their discontent with the new changes through a petition to “protest” Twitter’s restrictions to its API. Services like Tweetbot were forced to shut down new feature implementations in the wake of the API changes, while other developers have resorted to filing complaints with the Federal Trade Commission asking them to review Twitter’s restrictions.

IFTTT’s situation might doesn’t quite bear the same significance as other shut down apps, however. As TechCrunch first pointed out, based on the Twitter policy, which has been outlined above with regard to exporting Twitter content, IFTTT may have been violating Twitter’s Terms of Service policy all along.

The changes are going to affect many IFTTT users considering the popularity of the platform, but until the end of the month rolls around, you’ll have time to figure out what recipes you’ve created with Twitter as the trigger. Luckily IFTTT says it will continue to build for Twitter. “We’re sad to see [Twitter] go, but remain excited to build features that work within Twitter’s new policy,” Tibbets added.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: Apple iPhone 5 tramples sales records, Twitter turns over protestor tweets

Tweet

September 17, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

Apple breaks iPhone sales records, Google Chrome gets "Do Not Track," Twitter turns over Occupy protester tweets to court, social media fuels fake reviews, and the Winklevoss twins return to the world of social media.

Related Links:

• Apple boasts 2 million iPhone 5 units sold in 24 hours
• Google adds support for ‘Do Not Track’ within Chrome
• Gartner Says By 2014, 10-15 Percent of Social Media Reviews to Be Fake, Paid for By Companies
• Twitter turns over Occupy tweets to court: Why this matters
• The Return of Facebook’s Winklevoss Twins

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

iPhone 5: Everything you need to know

At its event in San Franciso on September 12, Apple finally lifted the veil on the long-awaited iPhone 5. Our complete guide to Apple's newest flagship phone.

Confirming all the rumors detailing its appearance, internals, and bundled earbuds, the iPhone 5 launch was very predictable. But lack of shock-factor aside, the new handset still has a lot to offer. Apple’s newest iPhone has been slimmed down, suped up, and redesigned. If you want to know more about the iPhone 5 then you’ve come to the right place.

Advanced Retina Display

With the iPhone 5, Apple changed the size of the iPhone screen for the first time ever. The new screen is elongated, with a widesceen aspect ratio to 16:9. The new 4-inch, Retina display is described by Apple as “panoramic” and boasts 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S, making it full sRGB (aka: it’s gorgeous).

Apple also introduced new touch technology to the display of its latest smartphone. Rather than having two layers, the pixels in the screen and the touch sensors have been integrated into a thinner, single layer. The pixels actually sense the user’s touch all on their own, without the need for separate components. What does this mean for you? Much better viewing angles, a clearer image, a lighter device, and a thinner profile.

Updated Design

The design of the new iPhone was no surprise as Apple has obviously lost control of its secrets in a post-Jobs era. The iPhone 5 looks exactly as it was portrayed in many leaked images. Lead designer Jony Ive said Apple has “never built a product with this extraordinary level of fit and finish.” Made with a glass display and an aluminum unibody, the iPhone 5 comes in the standard color options: black or white. Thanks to its new touch-integrated display, the iPhone 5 is the thinnest LTE smartphone in the world at just 0.29 inches. It’s also 20 percent lighter than the 4S at 112 grams or 3.95 ounces.

A6 Processor

A new iPhone means a faster CPU. This one’s called the A6 — following the established numbering system — and Apple claims it is two times faster than it’s predecessor, able to load web pages 2.1 times speedier.

iOS 6

One advantage of buying the latest Apple product is having a device designed specifically for the latest and greatest software version. iOS 6 brings a lot of new features to the table, and builds on many of those introduced in iOS 5. For instance, Siri will now play nice with Yelp, Opentable, and Fandango. It’s also able to launch apps (finally). Facebook is now integrated into the OS alongside Twitter, and Safari has an offline reading list. Apple’s thrown in its own version of Google Maps with Yelp support and turn-by-turn navigation. Passbook is a new feature as well, essentially a wallet app that can store your boarding pass, Starbucks card, and more. Read our full breakdown of iOS 6 for extra details.

Connectivity

“Ultrafast Wireless” is the moniker Apple’s chosen for its latest wireless chip. The single chip supports standards necessary to operate on all carriers, according to Apple. It can handle HSPA+ (20Mbps), DC-HSDPA (42Mbps), and LTE (max 100Mbps). The iPhone’s Wi-Fi has been beefed up as well, sporting 802.11N (dual-channel, 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and a max speed of 150Mbps. The iPhone can, like most modern routers, switch between connections for the best results.

Sadly, Verizon said recently that the iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data connections, even on LTE. This is in direct contrast to the rest of its LTE phones, which can all handle voice and data. The feature won’t be supported by Sprint either. AT&T, however, has confirmed with The Verge that its customers can simultaneously access voice and data over HSPA+ or LTE.

Improved Audio

Wanting to make its iPhone refresh as thorough as possible, Apple made sure its audio components underwent a makeover as well. The iPhone 5 features three microphones: one on the bottom, back, and front. As a result, the sound quality of recordings and voice calls will be improved. In a truly impressive move, Apple has managed to include noise cancelling without the need for external hardware. In real world use, this means background noise should be muted as much as possible during voice calls. And with what Apple calls, “wideband audio,” the iPhone 5 will use more bandwidth to transmit higher-quality audio over your network. This feature will depend on carrier support, however.

The internal speakers are now 20 percent smaller and yet have grown from three to five magnet transducers for a richer sound. 

Last but certainly not least, the EarPods are Apple’s latest bundled earphones for its new mobile devices. Designed to be much more comfortable and better-sounding than the current unwieldy earphones, the EarPods are also more ergonomic and meant to fit comfortably in the ear. We look forward to trying these out.

Camera Features

Apple spent a lot of time talking up the iPhone’s camera improvements in its live event, putting the strongest emphasis on its new panorama mode, though it blissfully ignored the fact that most high-end smartphones already have this feature. It works much the same here, you simply pan the phone across an area and the software will stitch the images together for you. The iPhone 5 will even correct blur from your shaky hands and remove any moving objects.

The back camera keeps the five-element optics and 8-megapixel sensor (3264 x 2448) found in the 4S. It also has backside illumination, an f/2.4 aperture (slower than the F/2.0 aperture on the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE), and a hybrid infrared filter. A few video features have been tossed in as well: still photo capture while recording, improved image stabilization, and face detection.

The iPhone 5 also ships with a dynamic low light mode. The new image processing chip picks out the areas of a photo in need of noise reduction and leaves the rest alone. Because of this, Apple claims photography in low light is much improved. In addition, photos can be taken 40 percent faster than the 4S, which already has a super fast shutter. Even the lens has been revamped, this time made with a sapphire crystal (the next hardest material to diamond).

FaceTime is now in 720p HD and, as long as carriers play nice, video conversations will be available over a user’s cellular network. Like the rear-facing camera, the front-facing one has face detection built-in. According to The Verge, Verizon has recently stated users may run FaceTime over the network with no extra charge, regardless of which data plan they have. Sprint has also said it won’t be charging for the service, while AT&T will only allow it if you sign up for a new Mobile Share data plan. 

Lightning Connector

Here’s where Apple’s going to frustrate a lot of Apple users who have undoubtedly amassed a large collection of 30-pin connectors Luckily (or unluckily, depending how you look at it), the new, smaller 8-pin connector can still be used with older cords by purchasing a $30 adapter. A neat feature of the Lightning connector is its reversible orientation, it will plug into your device no matter which side is up.

Battery Life

The battery life of the iPhone 5 is nowhere near the impressive numbers shown earlier this month in Motorola’s newest RAZR line, but for the average user, it will do. Apple states the official numbers as 225 hours on standby, 8 hours of 3G talk, 8 hours of browsing with LTE, 10 hours on Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of video.

Availability and Pricing

On September 21, the new iPhone will be available in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Availability will extend to the remaining countries on September 28. Pre-orders began at midnight on Sept. 14. If you’re trying to get an iPhone 5 at launch, keep informed with our “How to Find an iPhone 5” article, which we’re updating with availability information as we get it.

The iPhone 5 will come in three different storage sizes and price points: 16GB for $200, 32GB for $300, and 64GB for $400. These prices include a two-year contract, however. At full price, the phone starts at $650 for the 16GB model. And since the iPhone 4S is old hat now, it will be offered for $100 on a two-year contract with the iPhone 4 costing zilch, nada, nothing after signing on the dotted line.

After the dust has settled, the iPhone 5 still stands tall as a premium gadget offering superior performance, outstanding build quality, and snappy wireless speeds. But is that enough? Will you be waiting in line for the sixth generation of Apple’s infamous smartphone-to-rule-them-all or are you sitting this one out?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

iPhone 5: Everything you need to know

At its event in San Franciso on September 12, Apple finally lifted the veil on the long-awaited iPhone 5. Our complete guide to Apple's newest flagship phone.

Confirming all the rumors detailing its appearance, internals, and bundled earbuds, the iPhone 5 launch was very predictable. But lack of shock-factor aside, the new handset still has a lot to offer. Apple’s newest iPhone has been slimmed down, suped up, and redesigned. If you want to know more about the iPhone 5 then you’ve come to the right place.

Advanced Retina Display

With the iPhone 5, Apple changed the size of the iPhone screen for the first time ever. The new screen is elongated, with a widesceen aspect ratio to 16:9. The new 4-inch, Retina display is described by Apple as “panoramic” and boasts 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S, making it full sRGB (aka: it’s gorgeous).

Apple also introduced new touch technology to the display of its latest smartphone. Rather than having two layers, the pixels in the screen and the touch sensors have been integrated into a thinner, single layer. The pixels actually sense the user’s touch all on their own, without the need for separate components. What does this mean for you? Much better viewing angles, a clearer image, a lighter device, and a thinner profile.

Updated Design

The design of the new iPhone was no surprise as Apple has obviously lost control of its secrets in a post-Jobs era. The iPhone 5 looks exactly as it was portrayed in many leaked images. Lead designer Jony Ive said Apple has “never built a product with this extraordinary level of fit and finish.” Made with a glass display and an aluminum unibody, the iPhone 5 comes in the standard color options: black or white. Thanks to its new touch-integrated display, the iPhone 5 is the thinnest LTE smartphone in the world at just 0.29 inches. It’s also 20 percent lighter than the 4S at 112 grams or 3.95 ounces.

A6 Processor

A new iPhone means a faster CPU. This one’s called the A6 — following the established numbering system — and Apple claims it is two times faster than it’s predecessor, able to load web pages 2.1 times speedier.

iOS 6

One advantage of buying the latest Apple product is having a device designed specifically for the latest and greatest software version. iOS 6 brings a lot of new features to the table, and builds on many of those introduced in iOS 5. For instance, Siri will now play nice with Yelp, Opentable, and Fandango. It’s also able to launch apps (finally). Facebook is now integrated into the OS alongside Twitter, and Safari has an offline reading list. Apple’s thrown in its own version of Google Maps with Yelp support and turn-by-turn navigation. Passbook is a new feature as well, essentially a wallet app that can store your boarding pass, Starbucks card, and more. Read our full breakdown of iOS 6 for extra details.

Connectivity

“Ultrafast Wireless” is the moniker Apple’s chosen for its latest wireless chip. The single chip supports standards necessary to operate on all carriers, according to Apple. It can handle HSPA+ (20Mbps), DC-HSDPA (42Mbps), and LTE (max 100Mbps). The iPhone’s Wi-Fi has been beefed up as well, sporting 802.11N (dual-channel, 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and a max speed of 150Mbps. The iPhone can, like most modern routers, switch between connections for the best results.

Sadly, Verizon said recently that the iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data connections, even on LTE. This is in direct contrast to the rest of its LTE phones, which can all handle voice and data. The feature won’t be supported by Sprint either. AT&T, however, has confirmed with The Verge that its customers can simultaneously access voice and data over HSPA+ or LTE.

Improved Audio

Wanting to make its iPhone refresh as thorough as possible, Apple made sure its audio components underwent a makeover as well. The iPhone 5 features three microphones: one on the bottom, back, and front. As a result, the sound quality of recordings and voice calls will be improved. In a truly impressive move, Apple has managed to include noise cancelling without the need for external hardware. In real world use, this means background noise should be muted as much as possible during voice calls. And with what Apple calls, “wideband audio,” the iPhone 5 will use more bandwidth to transmit higher-quality audio over your network. This feature will depend on carrier support, however.

The internal speakers are now 20 percent smaller and yet have grown from three to five magnet transducers for a richer sound. 

Last but certainly not least, the EarPods are Apple’s latest bundled earphones for its new mobile devices. Designed to be much more comfortable and better-sounding than the current unwieldy earphones, the EarPods are also more ergonomic and meant to fit comfortably in the ear. We look forward to trying these out.

Camera Features

Apple spent a lot of time talking up the iPhone’s camera improvements in its live event, putting the strongest emphasis on its new panorama mode, though it blissfully ignored the fact that most high-end smartphones already have this feature. It works much the same here, you simply pan the phone across an area and the software will stitch the images together for you. The iPhone 5 will even correct blur from your shaky hands and remove any moving objects.

The back camera keeps the five-element optics and 8-megapixel sensor (3264 x 2448) found in the 4S. It also has backside illumination, an f/2.4 aperture (slower than the F/2.0 aperture on the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE), and a hybrid infrared filter. A few video features have been tossed in as well: still photo capture while recording, improved image stabilization, and face detection.

The iPhone 5 also ships with a dynamic low light mode. The new image processing chip picks out the areas of a photo in need of noise reduction and leaves the rest alone. Because of this, Apple claims photography in low light is much improved. In addition, photos can be taken 40 percent faster than the 4S, which already has a super fast shutter. Even the lens has been revamped, this time made with a sapphire crystal (the next hardest material to diamond).

FaceTime is now in 720p HD and, as long as carriers play nice, video conversations will be available over a user’s cellular network. Like the rear-facing camera, the front-facing one has face detection built-in. According to The Verge, Verizon has recently stated users may run FaceTime over the network with no extra charge, regardless of which data plan they have. Sprint has also said it won’t be charging for the service, while AT&T will only allow it if you sign up for a new Mobile Share data plan. 

Lightning Connector

Here’s where Apple’s going to frustrate a lot of Apple users who have undoubtedly amassed a large collection of 30-pin connectors Luckily (or unluckily, depending how you look at it), the new, smaller 8-pin connector can still be used with older cords by purchasing a $30 adapter. A neat feature of the Lightning connector is its reversible orientation, it will plug into your device no matter which side is up.

Battery Life

The battery life of the iPhone 5 is nowhere near the impressive numbers shown earlier this month in Motorola’s newest RAZR line, but for the average user, it will do. Apple states the official numbers as 225 hours on standby, 8 hours of 3G talk, 8 hours of browsing with LTE, 10 hours on Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of video.

Availability and Pricing

On September 21, the new iPhone will be available in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Availability will extend to the remaining countries on September 28. Pre-orders began at midnight on Sept. 14. If you’re trying to get an iPhone 5 at launch, keep informed with our “How to Find an iPhone 5” article, which we’re updating with availability information as we get it.

The iPhone 5 will come in three different storage sizes and price points: 16GB for $200, 32GB for $300, and 64GB for $400. These prices include a two-year contract, however. At full price, the phone starts at $650 for the 16GB model. And since the iPhone 4S is old hat now, it will be offered for $100 on a two-year contract with the iPhone 4 costing zilch, nada, nothing after signing on the dotted line.

After the dust has settled, the iPhone 5 still stands tall as a premium gadget offering superior performance, outstanding build quality, and snappy wireless speeds. But is that enough? Will you be waiting in line for the sixth generation of Apple’s infamous smartphone-to-rule-them-all or are you sitting this one out?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: YouTube censors anti-Islam video, iPhone 5 pre-orders sell out

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September 14, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

YouTube censors an anti-Islam video, iPhone pre-orders begin to sell out, women love Pinterest, Anonymous arrest is caught on video, and Google adds a Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon search feature.

Related Links:

• YouTube blocks video inciting violence in Mid East
• ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Trailer [HD] – Egypt Protest Film
• How to find an iPhone 5 (Update: Apple.com sells out of day 1 orders)
• Study: Women love Pinterest
• AntiSec leaks ‘Feds’ credit cards’ after Barrett Brown cuffed
• Barrett Brown Raid on sept. 12 2012
• Google really wants you to play ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’
• Logitech | Google TV and Kevin Bacon Commercial

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

What happens when you give people an iPhone 4S and tell them it’s an iPhone 5?

After a day of iPhone 5 announcements, it might be difficult to remember that the product doesn't actually ship until September 21.

Seconds ago, my colleague Dana walked into our office and said he tried to talk to the people sharing his elevator up to our floor about the new iPhone 5. To his surprise, neither one of the two people knew what he was talking about, and hadn’t even realized Apple announced a new product.

In our tech-obsessed professions, it can be hard to remember that not everyone (especially not in our industry) keep up with the ever-changing world of consumer technology. Of course, Jimmy Kimmel had a different take on the matter. The late-night talk show host decided to take it to the streets of Hollywood and showed random people the iPhone 4S and told them they were previewing the iPhone 5. This resulted in a ton of people truly believing the phone was new and different, even though some of the previewers owned an iPhone 4/4S themselves.

 

Some of the comments include a change in weight, thinness, and processing speed. One guy was even holding his own iPhone 4 in the other hand and still commented that the weight was different, while another says he owns an iPhone 4S and likes the “new one” better.

We’re not sure what Jimmy Kimmel actually thinks of the iPhone 5, but maybe this is his way of saying what we’ve all mentioned yesterday… been there, done that, nothing remarkably new. But of course, we’ll be the judge of that when we actually get the authentic iPhone 5 in our hands to see if what this lightweight, skinny body, A6 processor really means. If you see anyone in the street telling you to preview an iPhone 5, just remember: the official Apple product ships September 21. Anything before that is a jerk trying to hoax you!

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How to get an iPhone 5 on launch day

The iPhone 5 has finally been announced. Pre-orders start September 14 and the phone hits the streets on September 21. We've got a guide to getting yours.

The September 12 announcement of the iPhone 5 was anything but shocking to the tech world, but that doesn’t mean we won’t all dash out to get one. That’s the crazy thing about Apple products: the information can leak days in advance, but the official announcement can put consumers in a trance until they wake up in line on launch day. There’s no stopping the horde of fruit phone frenzied zombies, so you may as well prepare yourself to join in.

Before you decide to jump head-first into the pool of iPhone 5 early adopters, make sure that you take a look at everything that’s out there. The market is full of worthy competitors, from the Galaxy S3 to the new Razrs, and even Apple’s own iPhone 4S. Who are we kidding, though? You want the iPhone 5. I mean, just look at the thing. If you’ve made up your mind and are already packing your tent to camp out at the Apple Store, make sure to arm yourself with this information.

Basics

The iPhone 5 will become available for pre-order online through the Apple Store on Friday, Sept. 14. The phone will officially be available on the following Friday, Sept. 21. Apple stores open at 8:00 a.m., so make sure you’ve got a fresh cup of coffee for the morning. The lowest price rung for the iPhone will be the 16GB model for $200, followed by the 32GB for $300, and the 64GB for $400. 

Pre-Order Details

Sprint customers should sprint to Sprint’s iPhone page to do their own pre-order. While the site will remain filled with old model information until the 14th, the service provider will start their own pre-order offer at 12:01 a.m. AT&T users can also get themselves geared up to keep hitting the refresh button come Friday, because they have a pre-order option available as well. The information is likely to live right after midnight on AT&T’s iPhone page. No word has come from Verizon about a Friday frenzy, but it’d be a safe bet for customers to bookmark the iPhone landing page there.

What to Expect when Pre-Ordering

If you decide to be one of the brave few (million) that decide to stay up to snag an early purchase of the iPhone 5, there are a few things you should prepare for. First of all, slow loading. These sites are built to manage a fair amount of traffic, but any event like this is sure to cause the servers to take a beating. If you have to refresh a few times, don’t be too shocked. Once you do get through, you should make sure that you’ve received email confirmation of your order. This will come in handy when you decide to pick up your phone from the local carrier of choice.

What to Expect In-Store

Buying an Apple product on the day of launch historically calls for a camping session the night before. There might not be s’mores in store, but there are no bears either, and you’ll be getting the ultimate Swiss Army Knife when you wake up in the morning. Needless to say, though, you should arrive as early as you possibly can to secure your spot in line. If you’re not committed to the cause and you didn’t pre-order, don’t bother. Wait for the madness to die down after the first few weeks so you can easily slip in and out of the store without running the risk of being squished or body-surfed to the back of the line. But if you want an iPhone on launch day and don’t want to pre-order, be prepared to get in line and wait there… for many hours.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Eargonomic: Apple’s redesigned ‘EarPod’ headphones

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September 12, 2012

In this video, Apple design guru Jonathan Ive explains the unique design challenges engineers faced when designing an earbud that would fit everyone's ears.

Apple rolled out its first earbuds about 10 years ago alongside the first-generation iPod. By the time the third and fourth generations of iPod surfaced, the little white headphones had become ubiquitous. Some people loved them, but others hated them with a passion, citing their poor design, crappy sound quality, and uncomfortable fit. Now, after 10 years of complaints, Apple has finally come up with a redesign. 

The new earbuds are the result of some seriously rigorous R&D — according to Jonathan Ive, they analyzed the shape of hundreds of different ears before settling on a design that could comfortably fit them all. 

They definitely look cool, but their sound quality and level of comfort remain to be proven. Stay tuned for a review in the coming days when we have a chance to get our hands on them. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

AT&T announces LG Escape as a budget-sensitive smartphone

AT&T and LG come together to offer consumers a smartphone that won't break the bank. The LG Escape will be available for $50 on September 16, 2012.

LG continues its resurgence in the smartphone field. Its latest offering, the LG Escape, will make its way into AT&T’s fall lineup. Starting September 16, the 4G LTE handset will be available online and through AT&T retail dealers for $50 with a two-year contract.

For a $50 price tag, the LG Escape looks like it will aim to keep even the budget-conscious equipped with a functional smartphone.  The handset will operate off Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with 4GB of onboard memory — expandable with a microSD card — and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The phone also comes equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The display is a 4.3-inch qHD true-color IPS screen.

AT&T will also roll out a new feature on the Escape: the Skyfire Horizon. This is a browser toolbar extension and promises to allow users easier access to their social media pages while browsing the Web. It adds quick links to Facebook, Twitter, and other utilities on the screen, making it possible to update your friends on how awesome the Skyfire Horizon toolbar is from the Skyfire Horizon toolbar while sharing a link about the features of the Skyfire Horizon toolbar. The toolbar will be available on future Android handsets as well.

From the looks of everything that is promised in this $50 package, the LG Escape could offer a legitimate option to consumers looking for mid-range features for a entry level price. The handset will be available next week, so keep your eyes out for more information on the handset.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

DT Daily: Spotify goes in-browser, Toy ‘R’ Us makes its own tablet

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September 10, 2012

• DT Daily Syndication

Spotify breaks out of its app and into browsers, Toys R Us unveils its own kid-friendly tablets, Apple may have new iPods on the way to accompany the new iPhone, and which celebrity produces the most dangerous search results on the Web.

Related Links:

• Report: Spotify planning to launch browser-based music player
• Toys ‘R’ Us jumps in the tablet game: 7-inch Tabeo with Android 4.0
• Will new iPods join the iPhone at Apple’s September 12 event?
• 13-year-old girl steals car to meet XBOX crush, returns home
• Celebrities Are Lures For Scammers
• Apple’s next big launch: What we expect from Cupertino on September 12

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Will new iPods join the iPhone at Apple’s September 12 event?

Apple may reveal a range of new iPods at its event on September 12, and given the amount if iPhone leaks, they could be the only surprise.

Apple’s talk about “doubling down” on secrecy appears to have been bluster, as a steady stream of leaks over the past few months have built an almost complete picture of what many believe to be the next iPhone.

There’s so much information out there, that its big reveal on September 12 could be less exciting than Apple events of old. Provided that is, the leaks really do relate to the new iPhone, and aren’t part of an elaborate smokescreen to obfuscate the true new device.

If that’s the case, then Tim Cook and his team will have done an impressive job of fooling us all, but if it’s not, then will the event hold any surprises at all?

Leaving aside the prospect of an iPad Mini, what about the iPod range? 9to5mac.com suggests a new Nano and Shuffle could join the new iPhone at the Yerba Buena Center this week, along with the possibility of a third — potentially new — iPod model too.

The report says the new Nano and Shuffle will come in various colors, and that one — presumably the Nano — will come with a choice of memory capacities, while the other will only have one option. Nothing is known about the mystery third device.

Apple’s last Nano refresh was in October 2011, but the current seventh-generation Nano is almost identical to the sixth-generation device, with the differences between them almost solely software-based and applicable to the older 2010 model too. Apple doesn’t even list the seventh-gen Nano as a device on its own site, preferring to stick with the sixth-generation Nano introduced in 2010.

The Nano is perfectly placed for an update then, and as Apple combined the iPhone and iPod launch for its October event last year, it’s not a stretch to see them doing the same this year.

The good thing is, we’ve not seen or heard very much about any new iPods — bar a version of the Nano sporting a camera at the beginning of the year –  so even if the iPhone looks familiar when it makes its debut, at least they’ll be a surprise.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How many times can Apple bottle lighting? The challenges of staying on top

With iPhone 5 details leaking out of every seam and competitors already ahead, Apple’s September 12 launch event will present one of its toughest challenges ever.

Apple has two big products left to unveil this year: the new iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini. Of the two, the phone will be more critical, because Android competitors (Samsung in particular) have been gaining significant ground on the current iPhone. The iPhone 5 may well be Apple’s only way to keep from slipping to a number-two spot. More importantly, the September 12 launch event will be the first to really showcase Tim Cook’s Apple. If Cook stumbles, are we veering toward a future Apple that looks far less powerful than the one Steve Jobs helmed?

Unfortunately for Cook, a number of problems have already presented themselves. For one, the company’s vaunted wall of secrecy might be cracking; we seem to know far more about the iPhone 5 than we should. Two, while Apple was winning its patent war with Samsung, Samsung was wracking up more market share: It now controls 32.6 percent of the smartphone market, compared to Apple’s 18.8 percent. Three, Apple’s ads during the Olympics (which made Apple customers look stupid) were arguably the company’s first marketing misstep since Jobs returned to the company in 1996.

Apple has been setting the bar for smartphones since it introduced the original iPhone in 2007, but its ability to continue raising it is more in question than ever. That makes the iPhone 5 a critical product for Apple’s continued dominance and market leadership. But will it be enough?

Treading the line between new and familiar

The iPhone 5 will have a unique 4-inch screen among highest resolutions in the market, and 4G LTE capability. Its strongest competitive feature will be its similarity to other iPhones – Apple can’t break that because we users don’t like change. This is why otherwise excellent products like Windows Phone devices aren’t taking off; they are just too different from the current iPhone standard. Maintaining that sense of familiarity creates a tricky dance for Apple: It has to showcase the product as both new and innovative, but also old and familiar. If Apple fails on either vector, it will either lose existing iPhone users for becoming too different, or fail to capture new ones for not becoming different enough.

So much has leaked about the iPhone 5 that we already know a lack of similarity won’t be the problem here; existing iPhone users won’t have a problem with this product. The challenge will be appearing innovative and market leading. Even a 4-inch screen will be smaller than other phones, it won’t be as brilliant, and it won’t be as sturdy. Those are all OK if users see the unique configuration as being more useful. The iPhone 5 may well accomplish much of what its competitors accomplish without referring to those competitors’ occasionally cumbersome dimensions, but being “Best In Class” if the class in question is “fitting into small hands” isn’t what the world has come to expect from Apple.

Besides introducing new features, Apple will also be on the hook for fixing and improving old ones. Siri and iCloud have both proven somewhat problematic in actual use, so I would hope for improvements in both – especially since Siri has become a keystone iPhone feature. Apple could improve both reasonably quickly. I would also expect an improvement on how the phone takes, edits, and shares pictures, which has the possibility to appear magical with the right spin.

Finding the magic

No matter what Apple announces on Wednesday, I have no doubt that the pent-up demand will create lines. We’re creatures of habit. We lined up for the old Batman and Star Wars films long after they stopped being great, and we’ll pay Apple the same courtesy if it loses its mojo.

I don’t think Apple is going to have a flop, but it will have real difficulty creating the kind of magic that Jobs was able to summon up. For instance, we’ll likely see a celebrity trotted out at the launch event to help create the kind of on-stage presence that Steve Jobs once had, and Tim Cook lacks.

Apple’s future will have a great deal to do with perfecting the recipe for magic, and learning to conjure it up without Steve Jobs. The company will continue to sell phones either way, but retaining that magic is the only way to retain true leadership in the market. I know Apple can do it. I hope they will do it. But I also have my doubts.

We’ll know in a few days. Fingers crossed.

Guest contributor Rob Enderle is the founder and principal analyst for the Enderle Group, and one of the most frequently quoted tech pundits in the world. Opinion pieces denote the opinions of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of Digital Trends.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Apple approved: Paradigm’s CT 2.1 speaker system

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September 7, 2012

The big news from Paradigm this year is that Apple likes its products and will soon feature Paradigm speakers and earphones in its stores.

We could tell something was going on as we approached Paradigm’s booth at CEDIA 2012. A little more than the usual amount of glimmer in the team’s eyes and some extra-wide smiles tipped us off that Paradigm was pleased with the news it had to share with us. Now we get it. 

It turns out that Paradigm has been courting Apple for the last few months. Paradigm developed a prototype speaker system, showed it to Apple, and the way we hear it, it took Apple about 20 seconds to let Paradigm know it loved what it heard. With its foot in Apple’s door, Paradigm got busy redesigning its Shift series of earphones, developing an Airplay speaker and finalizing the design of what you’ll see in this video, the Paradigm CT 2.1 system. 

With Paradigm’s products due to hit Apple’s online and brick and mortar stores in mere weeks, a whole new generation of listeners is about to become familiar with Paradigm’s products and signature sound. No wonder Paradigm is grinning.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Motorola Razr M first impressions: Maximized screen real estate at its finest

Here's our first look at the budget-friendly model of Motorola's new Droid Razr line ahead of its September 13 release date.

Motorola announced an updated line of its Razr smartphone family this week, and the first of the three to be released is the Motorola Razr M — otherwise known as its budget-friendly edition. At $100 (with a 2-year contract,) the phone stacks up competitively to other budget phones on the market such as the HTC One V. Here’s our first look at what Motorola has in store for its Razr line.

It’s funny to think that a 4.3-inch screen phone these days is considered “compact,” but that’s exactly how Motorola described the Razr M during its press conference Wednesday. The near edge-to-edge design offers more screen per square inch — which makes the advertised 4.3-inch screen bigger than it sounds. The 960 x 540 resolution display itself is truly vivid especially under the gorilla glass, and the whole device feels more expensive than your average budget phone. Thanks to its Kevlar back, the anti-scratch and added grip makes for a beautifully-designed phone that feels like it’s worth a ton more than one Benjamin.

While the Motorola Razr M comes with an internal memory of 8GB and 1GB of RAM, storage is expandable with the micro-SD slot placed right on the side of the phone. The SIM card slot is also right next to it, so no more opening the back of your phone and digging your nails in to remove either chips. The device is runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a bit of a disappointment, but Motorola says all the new Razr phones should be getting Jellybean by the end of the year.

The Razr M also comes with a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor, 8 MP back camera, and a 3 MP front-facing shooter. The dual-core processor makes the Razr M run extremely fast. Switching between screens is swift, and you can program your own pages and add them as needed. To delete, simply hold and drag the app icon or page to the trash can.  

What’s new about the Razr M is a circle interface that allows you to customize shortcuts. For example, new text messages can appear on the most prominent circle while the second circle is dedicated to weather. For each city you add, you can flip the circle to navigate through the cities and get updated weather information for each location.

According to Motorola, one full charge can deliver an impressive 20 hours of battery life but we’ll see if that claim holds true. Be on a lookout for our full review shortly. In the meantime, the Motorola Razr M is available for pre-order now at Verizon with an official release date of September 13. To get the $100 price, you will have to mail in a $50 rebate through Verizon.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com