BlackBerry today announced its latest BBM update for Android and iOS. In addition to adding stickers, the release supports larger file attachments, and the ability to share photos in group chat.
iPhone 5S Vs HTC One M8 Camera Shootout: Guess Which One Wins
Thinking about grabbing that sweet HTC One M8 to use as a camera? Forget it – while HTC was spending all its time adding that second, depth-measuring camera, it forgot to make the main camera good enough to take decent pictures.
iMore has tested the M8 and the iPhone 5S side by side, and the iPhone wins in every round (strictly speaking the M8 wins one, but if you look a the pictures you’ll see that it was the iPhone that took the better photos).
Apple & Samsung Return To Court To Commence Patent Battle
Apple and Samsung will return to federal court in Silicon Valley today for the next round of their seemingly never-ending patent war.
The two rivals will face off once again before District Court Judge Lucy Koh, presiding in the California city of San Jose.
Koh was the same judge who presided over the previous Apple vs. Samsung trial, which ended with a jury deciding that Samsung owed Apple more than $1 billion in damaging for infringing on patents — although this number was later trimmed to $929 million.
Samsung’s Head Of Mobile Earns More Than Apple’s Tim Cook
Samsung’s head of mobile business, J.K. Shin, earns more than Tim Cook, according to a new report.
In 2014, Shin received $5.8 million compensation– made up of a base salary of 1.17 billion won, and 1.6 billion won in incentives and performance bonus. By comparison, Tim Cook took home $4.25 million — only slightly more than the $4.17 he earned in 2012.
How Google’s ‘Powered By Android’ Requirement Could Backfire
Google recently started requiring Android handset and tablet makers to add a very specific “Powered by Android” graphic to the boot animation when you power up an Android phone. It’s part of the revised Google Mobile Services agreement for new Android phones.
The penalty for handset makers’ non-compliance is banishment from access to the Play Store by users of those devices.
The move is no doubt intended to raise user awareness about Android and brand the platform.
Unfortunately, it could backfire. Here’s why.
Seven Areas That Virtual Reality Will Change Forever
Whether virtual-reality technology really takes off in a big way remains to be seen. But with Facebook having just dropped $2 billion acquiring Oculus Rift, a whole lot of people — some of them with very large checkbooks — are confident it will.
Both Apple and Google have have shown interest in virtual reality, but what exactly does it have the potential to change in our lives?
Here are seven answers:
Microsoft Office Goes Free On Android & iPhone
After finally bringing its Office suite to the iPad on Thursday, Microsoft rolled out an update to its existing Android and iPhone apps that makes one major change: they’re now completely free to use.
Unlike the tablet version, the smartphone apps no longer require an Office 365 subscription.
Call Of Duty: Strike Team Creator Closed By Activision
The Blast Furnace, the development studio responsible for Call of Duty: Strike Team, is being closed by Activision. The studio was originally expected to handle all future Call of Duty mobile games, but its 47 staff are now facing redundancy.
Russian Government Ditches iPads For Samsung Tablets
Russian government officials have ditched the iPad in favor of Samsung-made tablets according to a recent report. The move was supposedly made to “ensure tighter security.”
Russia’s telecoms minister Nikolai Nikiforov notes that Russian officials switched over to Samsung tablets “not so long ago,” and noted that the new tablets are “specially protected devices that can be used to work with confidential information.”
How The HTC One M8 Stacks Up Against The Galaxy S5, iPhone 5s, Xperia Z2 [Comparison]
HTC finally made its much-anticipated HTC One M8 official today. In addition to a gorgeous aluminum unibody design, it boasts all-new internals, a larger display, improved BoomSound speakers, and HTC’s latest Sense 6 user interface.
But how does it stack up against competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Sony Xperia Z2, and even the Apple iPhone 5s? Our in-depth comparison chart makes it all clear — and helps you decide which of today’s flagships is worth your hard-earned cash.
Uber May Take A Ride From iOS to Android
Uber, the app-based alternative to traditional taxi services, is reportedly considering switching its drivers from iPhones to Samsung-manufactured Android handsets.
Uber has previously purchased tens of thousands of iPhones, which are used for receiving and tracking rides. Although customers can use Uber on either an iOS or Android handset, the drivers’ systems runs only on iOS.
Here’s How The iOS vs. Android War Is Playing Out Globally
Want to know how the iOS and Android battle is playing out around the world?
Mobile technology firm dotMobi has created an infographic dividing 101 countries around the world into either the Apple (black) or Google (green) camp, based on device browsing. (Grey countries are not included in the dataset.)
Apple Scores Patent Victory Over Samsung In Japanese Court
Apple didn’t infringe on Samsung patents, and therefore won’t have to pay any damages, a Tokyo District Court said Tuesday.
Apple had been accused of infringing on data communication patents belonging to Samsung, which featured in Apple’s iPhone 4s, iPhone 4 and iPad 2.
Why Android Wear Will Rule the Smartwatch
The announcement of Android Wear, and smartwatches from LG and Motorola, was greeted by the public as: “Oh, look — a new kind of gadget!”
But the wearable revolution in general and Google’s Android Wear initiative in particular, is barely even about gadgets.
The smartwatch revolution is about three things: devices, smartphone apps and cloud services.
You’ll note, however, that these are listed in order from least to most important. Here’s why Google’s total dominance of the third aspect of the smartwatch revolution will make them unbeatable.
Sync Your iTunes Library, Photos And Videos With Android [Switching 101]
Unlike iOS and Windows Phone, Android devices don’t have an iTunes or Zune alternative that helps them manage all their data in one place. But that doesn’t mean it’s not easy to sync your music, photos, and videos with your Android smartphone.
In the previous edition of our iPhone to Android switching guide, we explained how to transfer your contacts, messages, and calendar entries. In this one, we show you how to sync your iTunes music library, along with your photo and videos, the right way.
Transfer Your Contacts, Calendars, Messages From iPhone To Android [Switching 101]
Jumping from one mobile platform to another can lead to a lot of headaches initially — especially with respect to all your personal data. You won’t want to lose your contacts, calendar entries, and other important information, so it’s important that you transfer them properly.
If you’re thinking about dropping your iPhone for an Android — maybe because you realized you could pick up a flagship Android for less than the 8GB iPhone 5c — then our switching guides can help.
In this one, we’ll show you how to transfer your messages, contacts, and calendars from your old handset to your new one. On Friday, we’ll follow it up with a simple how-to on syncing your Android with your iTunes library, and how to transfer your photos and videos.
Flappy Bird Creator Says His Life-Ruining Game Is Coming Back, But Not Soon
Creator of Flappy Bird found and he told me he is going to repost it to the App Store!!! pic.twitter.com/odmKbWaTw8
— Todd Moore (@toddmoore) March 19, 2014
Thanks to the strange demise of Flappy Bird the App Store and Google Play are rampant with flappy knock-offs, but after a period of silence game developer Dong Nguyen confirmed that his life destroying game is making a comeback, but you’ll have to wait a while.
Android Wear Overview Shows How Beautifully Simple Your Future Smartwatch Will Be
Like every software platform, Android Wear’s future success will hinge on how it’s supported by third-party developers. But there’s one thing we can be absolutely sure of at this stage — and that is that Google has at least got the basics right.
The search giant’s promotional video, which was published on Tuesday alongside its Android Wear announcement, shows how it has optimized Android — or Google Now — to work seamlessly and elegantly on a tiny touchscreen that fits on your wrist.
But we get an even better look at some of Android Wear’s basic features in the overview video below.
Motorola’s Answer For iWatch Is A Round-Screen Beauty
The iWatch hasn’t been announced. We haven’t seen any leaked hardware, but that’s not stopping every major tech company in the world from rushing out their smartwatch designs, including Motorola which just announced its beautiful answer to iWatch, the Moto 360.
Rather than utilizing a square display Motorola ambitiously decided to give the Moto 360 watch face a round display, which is trickier to manufacture and code for, but it looks gorgeous. Moto 360 is powered by Google Wear, features Google Now voice inputs, has built in support for Maps, Email, Texting and calls, plus it doubles as a pretty nice timepiece.
Here’s the Moto 360 teaser video:
Google Android Wear Is A New Platform Just For Wearables
Google today announced Android Wear, a new version of its popular mobile operating system that’s designed exclusively for wearables. The search giant says it is working with consumer electronics manufacturers, chipmakers, and fashion brands to bring the technology to life in “an ecosystem of watches in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes.”
Am I a Glasshole? Or Are You a Self-Absorbed, Irrational Luddite?
An open letter to the minority of people who oppose the wearing of Google Glass in public.
Dear waiter, Costco cashier, random Whole Foods shopper and angry man on the street and everyone else with the gall to ask me and Glass wearers I know to approach a stranger and insist that we not wear Glass because you don’t want to be photographed:
Hi.
6 Android Flagships That Are Cheaper Than The 8GB iPhone 5c
Apple launched its new 8GB iPhone 5c in Europe this morning in an effort to boost disappointing sales figures — but there’s just one problem. At £429 ($712) in the United Kingdom, it’s still far too expensive for budget-conscious smartphone consumers.
In fact, there are a whole bunch of flagship Android-powered handsets with bigger displays and better specifications that you can get significantly cheaper. Here are six of the best.
Amazon’s Apple TV Competitor To Launch Next Month [Rumor]
Amazon’s much-anticipated Apple TV competitor will finally launch next month, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The device will offer incentives to members of the Amazon Prime subscription service, sources claim, and it will be powered by a custom version of Android.
Google Play Games To Support Cross-Platform Multiplayer With iOS
Ahead of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco this week, Google has announced a number of changes and improvements it is making to Google Play Games. In addition to adding support for cross-platform multiplayer gaming with iOS, the search giant will also offer virtual gifting and support for multiplayer game invites.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Solves Rubik’s Cube In 3.253 Seconds
Can you solve the Rubik Cube? As an 80s child, I can, but I can’t do it in anywhere near as fast as a robot. David Gilday and Mike Dobson’s Cubestormer 3 can take the puzzle from haphazard mess to ADD-friendly uniformity in just 3.253 seconds, powered by the brain of an Android phone.