April, 2013

• 5 April

  New Arrested Development hits Netflix on 26 May

  

  Waggish American comedy Arrested Development starring Jason Bateman is all set to whimsy its way onto Netflix on 26 May, the show’s makers have announced on its Facebook page. The new series contains 15 episodes, all of which will be available at once on the streaming service from 12.01am PT, or 8am here in Blighty …

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• 4 April

  Facebook launches Chat Heads for staying in touch with friends

  

  Facebook today unveiled its new Chat Head feature for Android devices, giving users a way to stay in constant contact with friends, no matter what they’re doing on their mobile devices. Whenever someone messages you either through text or chat messaging, a small photo of the person will pop up at the top of your screen. It will initially show …

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• 4 April

  HTC One comes without a charger on O2

  

  If you buy the HTC One from O2, there’ll be no charge. Sorry, I mean no charger. You see, the HTC One is the first phone in O2’s plan to get rid of chargers altogether. The HTC One won’t have a charger in the box if you buy it from O2, on the assumption that in this day and age …

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• 4 April

  No new terms for T

  

  Looks like there won’t be any sweetened deal terms for the T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger, as much as MetroPCS shareholders may wish. Related stories: MetroPCS advises investors to say ‘yes’ to T-Mobile merger MetroPCS shareholders told to vote against T-Mobile merger Wireless shakeup: T-Mobile to merge with MetroPCS Deutsche Telekom, speaking with FierceWireless, refuted a Reuters report from earlier today that it …

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• 4 April

  Facebook Home launches April 12 on HTC, Samsung phones

  

  The initial run of phones that will get access to Facebook Home. Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET Related stories Facebook unveils Home apps for Android CNET Editors’ Take: Facebook’s Home Pictures: Home for Android CNET Editors’ Take: The HTC First Pictures: HTC First Facebook launches Chat Heads for staying in touch with friends Home faces hurdles getting on iOS Facebook’s Zuckerberg: …

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• 4 April

  Facebook Home: Bold experiment or extreme bloatware?

  

  Hard-core Facebook devotees may find Home to be the smartphone experience they’ve been looking for. For everyone else, Facebook’s new Android skin may be little better than bloatware (although, to be fair, it’s not forced on people). In particular, Android purists will want to stay clear. Facebook took a major step today toward staking its claim in the mobile field …

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• 4 April

  Samsung expects first

  

  Samsung Electronics expects to record an operating profit of 8.7 trillion won ($7.7 billion) for the first quarter of 2013, a 53 percent increase over the year-ago period. The guidance, released today by the South Korean electronics giant ahead of full earnings later this month, is better than many analysts had forecast but a slight decline over the fourth quarter …

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• 4 April

  Facebook touts Home’s benefits for developers

  

  Facebook launched Home to put a user’s friends at the center of the phone. But for developers, it means a new way to help people discover their apps and reengage with existing users, the company said. Facebook today launched Home, a family of apps and a skin that runs over Android. The company said users will be able to download …

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• 4 April

  Facebook wrestles Google for control of your phone

  

  Facebook doesn’t want anything to come between you and your friends, not even Google or Android. Facebook today unveiled a new downloadable user interface that takes over your smartphone’s home screen, lock screen, and wallpaper. Instead of the regular Android features, you’re treated to a slideshow of updates, photos, and shared links. Related stories: Facebook unveils ‘Home,’ a family of …

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• 4 April

  Samsung Galaxy Win wins us over with Jelly Bean, two SIMs

  

  New phones for the win. The Samsung Galaxy Win, that is — a new quad-core smart phone rocking Android, a big screen and two SIM cards. Winning! Whether we’ll be winners is open to question: the Win hasn’t been officially announced by Samsung but has appeared on a Vietnamese retailer, listing a release date in May. Read on for the …

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