July, 2013

• 25 July

  Five apps that put a twist on Android notifications

  

  Since its inception, one of the best features built into the Android experience is the manner in which notifications are handled. Yet, as great as the status bar is at displaying missed calls and new emails, app developers have come up with even more clever ways of delivering bite-size broadcasts. Related stories: Five Android apps …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Android 4.3 arrives on new Nexus 7, brings user profiles

  

  Google has taken the wraps off Android 4.3, the latest software update for phones and tablets. 4.3 makes its first appearance on the new Google Nexus 7 tablet, also announced today. 4.3 is a relatively small update, which it’s why it’s still under the Jelly Bean name rather than moving on to Key Lime Pie. On first impression, the most …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  The LG G2 could hit Australian retailers in October

  

  With the Optimus part of its name left by the roadside, LG’s G2 is expected to be formally revealed at an event in the US in early August. LG’s next flagship, the G2, takes the stage on 7 August. (Credit: LG) Speaking to the Korean news site The Kyunghyang Shinmun, LG’s CFO David Jung let slip a few choice bites …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Samsung extends lead in global mobile phone market

  

  Samsung expanded its lead in the global mobile phone market during the second quarter of 2013, accounting for nearly 28 percent of all mobile phones shipped, according to new data released Thursday. The South Korean electronics shipped 107 million handsets in a quarter that saw the sector’s fastest expansion in a year, growing 4 percent annually to reach 386 million …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Geeksphone now selling Firefox OS to consumers with Peak+

  

  Geeksphone on Thursday began taking preorders for its upcoming Peak+, a smartphone that marks the startup’s expansion from earlier developer-oriented Firefox OS models to ones geared for consumers. The Peak+, with a promotional preorder price of 149 euros ($197) while stock lasts, is a tweak to the earlier Peak model for developers. It’s got 1GB of memory instead of 512MB, …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Android 4.3 to hit Sony Xperia smartphones, tablet

  

  Android 4.3 Jelly Bean just spilled out Wednesday, but Sony has already lined up the devices slated to receive Google’s latest update. Sony’s Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, and Xperia Z Ultra were confirmed as some of the recipients for Android 4.3, according to a Thursday press release. An ellipsis after Xperia Z Ultra …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Large

  

  Nokia could be prepping a big-screened Lumia smartphone, at least judging from a new image that’s popped up online. A photo served up by Chinese blog WPDang displays the front glass housing for a large-screen device. A close-up of the image provided by The Verge clearly shows the name Lumia at the top. The exact size of the screen is …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame goes mobile

  

  Any number of video games can trace their roots to Prince of Persia: Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider, even endless runners like Mirror’s Edge and Vector. But what of that legendary original? Last year, Prince of Persia Classic made its iOS debut, and for those who have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, it has arrived: Prince of Persia The Shadow and …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  HP to try a $99 tablet again?

  

  Hewlett-Packard unintentionally pioneered the ultra-cheap tablet when it fire-sold the TouchPad for $99 back in the summer of 2011. HP may be ready to do it again. HP will launch a $99 tablet in cooperation with Wal-Mart in time for the back-to-school shopping, Digitimes reported Wednesday, citing Asia-based suppliers. Here’s what the Taipei-based publication said. The US$99 tablet is manufactured …

  Read More »
• 25 July

  Google Nexus 7 could be joined by new Samsung Nexus 10

  

  The new Google Nexus 7 could be followed shortly by a new 10-inch version, built once again by Samsung. The sequel to the wallet-friendly 7-inch Nexus 7 was unveiled yesterday, showing off new Android 4.3 software and a beautifully high-resolution screen. And the Nexus 10 could get a similar update soon. Amir Efrati of the Wall Street Journal was at …

  Read More »