November, 2013

• 7 November

  Lenovo, smartphone dark horse? Its shipments surge 78%

  

  Lenovo’s earnings jumped by 36 percent last quarter thanks to rising sales of its mobile phones and tablets. Earnings for the quarter ended September 30 came in at $220 million, while revenue rose by 13 percent to $98.8 billion. Smartphone shipments grew by 78 percent from the prior year, while tablet shipments hit a record …

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• 7 November

  Asda launches a phone for £5

  

  Following the wallet-friendly Tesco Hudl, Asda is putting Britain’s cheapest mobile phone in your basket. The Alcatel 1010 costs just £5 on pay as you go. Asda reckons it’s the “UK’s lowest priced phone,” and is “expecting shoppers of all age” to take advantage of the diminutive price tag. You can buy it in branches of the supermarket or online. …

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• 7 November

  Daredevil leads four new Marvel TV shows, only on Netflix

  

  Following Thor, Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers, Marvel superhero Daredevil is leading the way for four new live-action shows based on Marvel characters — and they’re only on Netflix. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage will each star in their own full 13-episode series beginning in 2015, leading to a mini-series where they band together …

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• 7 November

  How to rent movies now that Blockbuster is dead

  

  The Patriot-News Talk about the end of an era. On Wednesday, Blockbuster Video — the chain that almost single-handedly drove mom-and-pop video stores out of business — announced plans to close its remaining retail stores, effectively driving the final nail in the movie-rental coffin. Well, the traditional movie rental, anyway. There are still plenty of ways to borrow a flick, …

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• 7 November

  Licence

  

  Don’t expect Auntie in 4K Ultra HD any time soon. Mark Harrison, the controller of production for BBC North, reckons punters won’t be knocking the corporation’s door down demanding Strictly and Doctor Who in next-gen high definition. “I very much doubt we’ll find licence-fee payers writing in saying ‘I demand 4K!'” Harrison told the Digital TV World Summit website. “Most …

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• 7 November

  Four 4K TV facts you must know

  

  Seen side by side, it’s very difficult to tell a 4K TV from a 1080p one. Sarah Tew/CNET After a couple weeks of sleeves-rolled-up, dark-room, side-by-side testing — peppered with wrangling 4K sources, juggling newfangled gear, and chatting up industry colleagues — I’ve finally been able to publish a couple of reviews of name-brand 4K TVs. These two expensive 65-inch …

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• 6 November

  Android 4.4 KitKat: Everything you need to know

  

  Google’s latest super phone, the £299 Nexus 5, brings with it the freshest version of Android, known as 4.4 KitKat (it’s a weird tie-in with Nestlé). We’re naturally super excited to see what’s new in the mobile software — so let’s take a look at the key facts. New features Visually, KitKat doesn’t look to be a massive overhaul of …

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• 6 November

  Android 4.4 KitKat hidden Easter egg revealed in video

  

  Android 4.4 KitKat is here, and with it comes a brand-new visual Easter egg! To see the newest hidden treat Google has in store, click play on the video below. To access the Easter egg, go to About phone at the bottom of Android’s Settings app, then tap repeatedly on the Android version that’s listed. This trick also works on …

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• 6 November

  Android KitKat on Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 in ‘weeks’, says Google

  

  Google has lifted the lid on the Nexus 5 — the fifth Google-branded smart phone, and the first device to run Android 4.4 KitKat. Jolly good news, but even better is that Google’s other Nexus gadgets will be granted access to the new software shortly. In a press release sent to CNET, Google says that KitKat will land on the …

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• 6 November

  Samsung aims to overtake Apple as top tablet maker

  

  Samsung has overpowered Apple in the smartphone market and now it has its sights set on the tablet arena. In an Analysts Day event held Wednesday in Seoul, Korea, JK Shin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, said that the company wants to steal the No. 1 tablet crown from Apple, according to the Associated Press. The executive didn’t reveal a …

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