Microsoft's Bob Heddle backstage at Expand (video) - Engadget

Bob Heddle, director of Kinect for Windows, took to our stage yesterday to talk about the evolution of Microsoft's gaming peripheral. After turning our editor-in-chief into a rather rubbery looking 3D rendering, he headed backstage for an interview with Brian Heater where the two talked about Kinect's effect on Microsoft's business as a whole and the possibility of an embedded future. For the full interview, check out our video after the break.

Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!

Repix Gives Your iPhone Photos a Fantastic New Look - Mashable

Tired of using Instagram to spruce up your smartphone photos? Meet Repix, a free iOS app that lets you remix your snapshots by "painting" on them using different preset brushes.

The app comes with a number of free built-in brushes, including a "Cartoonize" brush for turning your photo into a cartoon and a "Charcoal" brush for making it a drawing. Additional brushes can be purchased within the app in packs of four; they include options such as "Stars" for creating a starry sky anywhere you like and "Van Gogh" for making your picture look similar to a piece of art created by the painter.

To get started using the editor, simply take a photo with the app, bring in a pic from your phone's camera roll, or grab a photo from your Photo Stream or Facebook page.

You can then change the way your photo looks by brushing over the part you want to change, using one of the app's brushes. Effects can be applied to just a portion of a picture or the whole thing, and you can combine as many brush effects as you like to create the ultimate photo.

Your finished masterpiece can be shared directly from the app with your friends on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram.

Repix is available now on the App Store. Check out the video, above, to see Repix in action.

Have you tried Repix? Let us know what you think about the app in the comments.

Arm and Imagination Technologies jump after Samsung's Galaxy S4 launch - The Guardian (blog)

Arm has moved higher after the much trumpeted launch of Samsung's Galaxy S4, which uses its chip designs.

The Cambridge-based company, which also supplies rival Apple's iPhone, have added 22.5p to 945p, helped by analysts at Jefferies raising Arm to buy from hold and lifting their target price from 805p to £13. Arm shares have been under a little pressure recently, as analysts questioned whether its move into the Intel-dominated server market would be enough to outweigh loss of market share in its key tablets and smartphone markets.

But Jefferies does not seem to share those doubts. Their analysts said:

We see development in four market areas (mobile computing, datacentres, networking, Internet of Things) as key to the emergence of Arm as the architecture of choice for the mid-to-long term.

Arm remains well-positioned given: (i) rising royalty rates (cortex-A driven; later ARMv8), (ii) record licensing (estimated backlog of more than $570m), (iii) upcoming tax benefits (dropping to around 17% effective tax rate long term), and (iv) operating expenditure control showing through. Overall, we expect earnings growth (three-year compound annual growth rate of 40%) to continue largely unperturbed through 2013 to 2016.

Meanwhile the S4 launch has also benefited Imagination Technologies, up 10.5p to 550.5p on confirmation the phone uses the company's graphics. But James Goodman at Investec cautioned:

The much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 launch was held in New York last night. The phone will ship in some regions (not unexpectedly) with Samsung's Exynos Octa chip (which is based on Imagination graphics). Whilst overall this is clearly very good news for Imagination (and could lead to a 15% 2014 earnings per share upgrade on our estimates), it has been well flagged and a combination of "travel and arrive" and marginal disappointment that it is not a global launch could limit immediate share progress.

Microsoft Opens Online Flagship Store On Tmall, The 'Amazon Of China' - TechCrunch

Microsoft launched its flagship online store in China today on Tmall.com, in a move that could help bolster the market share of its hardware, including tablets and smartphones in that country.

Operated by Alibaba Group, Tmall.com is China's largest consumer e-commerce platform, with more than 50,000 merchants. According to market research firm Euromonitor, Tmall is set to overtake Amazon by 2015 as the largest Internet retailer in the world.

Microsoft's Tmall site follows Microsoftstore.com.cn, which it launched last October. The new site will offer over 50 products and be directly operated by a team in China which will oversee merchandise, offers, and promotions based on local consumer demand. Items available include: Microsoft Surface and accessories; Microsoft online store's Up & Running service for Surface; Microsoft Office; Windows Phone devices; Microsoft hardware and accessories; and Microsoft Online Store's signature PCs, which will be available soon.

Giving Chinese consumers easier access to Microsoft products online is one way to help boost Microsoft's market share in that country. According to IDC, shipments of the Surface RT tablet in China only reached 30,000 units during the fourth quarter of 2012, and its market share among all tablets in the Chinese market was just one percent. In comparison, Apple had a 62 percent share of the tablet market in China, while Android devices held a 36 percent slice.

Other efforts Microsoft has made to grab more consumers in the world's largest smartphone, PC, and tablet market include inking a deal with China Unicom, the country's third largest wireless operator with over 70 million subscribers, to boost sales of the Windows Phone. According to Beijing-based research firm Analysys International, the Windows Phone holds less than 3 percent of the market in China.

Salesforce revamps Chatter for iOS & Android to let you edit customer data ... - VentureBeat

Enterprise cloud software giant Salesforce has updated its iOS and Android versions of Chatter — the company's business social networking and collaboration service — with critical new features to match their browser counterpart, the company said today.

"Companies are social at their core, and Chatter can be the heart of that," Michael Peachey, Salesforce's senior director of solutions marketing, told VentureBeat. "Legacy CRM software isn't social or mobile. This next generation of Chatter sets the bar for mobile and social CRM."

Chatter competes with Microsoft's Yammer, Jive Software, Moxie Software, and Tibbr to help big companies with social networking and collaboration. Salesforce claims Chatter is the backbone for nearly 200,000 active business social networks. Chatter helps Salesforce compete in social, but you can't really own that arena now unless you have robust mobile apps to support it.

Today's update sees the Chatter's mobile apps updated to help with Salesforce's push to own social and mobile and to be a "customer company." The Chatter applications have received two major updates, so now you can:

• Post and edit media on the go from the new "publisher" including files, photos, polls, tasks, thanks, and more.
• Access and edit customer information from the Salesforce platform including customer accounts, campaigns, cases, leads, and more

"This makes it so you can see all the context of the account and your key customer data in one place," Peachey said. "You want to take action in less than 60 seconds, and we're making that happen."

Both features seem important to making Chatter more powerful on mobile devices. The "publisher" especially is critical because lets you post polls for your colleagues or photos of whatever you can take with your iPhone or Android device. These sort of things are important for quick collaboration among mobile employees.

While Salesforce does seem to have a strong mobile push as of late, it only seems to care about equipping iPhones, iPads, and Android phones with its tools. Peachy said the company has not yet committed itself to creating Chatter applications for Android tablets, Windows Phone, Windows RT, or Windows 8.

"Our customers aren't asking us for that today," Peachey said.

Top photo via Salesforce

Microsoft begins automatic Windows 7 SP1 rollout - Register

Microsoft begins automatic Windows 7 SP1 rollout

You will be assimilated

By Jack Clark in San Francisco • Get more from this author

Posted in Operating Systems, 18th March 2013 23:13 GMT

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Microsoft will start the automatic rollout of Windows 7 Service Pack on Tuesday.

The extensive software update will be handled via Windows Update, and will make its way onto PCs whose users have Automatic Update enabled.

"Updating customers to Windows 7 SP1 is part of our ongoing effort to ensure continued support and improved security updates for customers who have not yet installed SP1," the company wrote in a blog post.

The update only applies to consumer PCs – systems managed by the Systems Center Configuration Manager or WSUS Server are still wholly controlled by their admins, who can make the final call about when to install SP1.

Windows 7 SP1 was released in February, 2011. It fixed bugs relating to printing and HDMI audio, and added support for Advanced Vector Extensions, various identity services, RemoteFX, and dynamic memory, among others. The update requires 1050MB of free disk space on 64-bit Windows systems, and 750MB for 32-bit.

Windows 7 is not due to get a second service pack, as had been traditional for previous versions of the operating system, with Microsoft instead moving to a monthly patch cycle.

In the past we've suspected this change in cadence could reflect a desire by Microsoft to encourage people to go to Windows 8 quicker.

But the recent (unconfirmed) reveal of Microsoft's plan to move Windows to a yearly release cycle under the 'Blue' platform strategy, means it could be part of a larger plan to shift Windows from major updates into a series of discrete regular patches. ®

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BlackBerry CEO: iPhone past its prime - Register

From BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins' point of view, Apple's iPhone is growing rather long in the tooth.

"The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about, is now five years old," Heins told The Australian Financial Review.

Not that Heins has no respect for the iPhone – it's more that his respect is somewhat like that which you have for your granddad, that upstanding member of The Greatest Generation.

"Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market. ... They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that," Heins said.

Just like you have to respect Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, and Woody Herman, but you don't have to tag their tunes into your workout playlist. You'll also notice that Heins chose the past-tense "were" rather than the present-tense "are" when discussing Apple's success.

"The point is that you can never stand still," Heins said. "It is true for us as well. Launching BB10 just put us on the starting grid of the wider mobile computing grand prix, and now we need to win it."

The width of that starting grid, however doesn't yet stretch far enough to include an upgrade to his company's failed tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook – at least not yet. Heins told The Australian Financial Review that he sees no compelling business case that would make it reasonable to get back into the tablet market in the near future.

The PlayBook, you may remember – if you remember it at all – inexplicably arrived on the scene without a native email client, an app that you'd think would be considered a necessity on a mobile device.

"I wouldn't want to do it the same way again," Heins said. "If I do something around tablets, I want it to be really substantial and meaningful, and quite frankly it would need to be profitable as well."

Concerning tablet profitability, Heins had kind words for Cupertino. "Kudos to Apple," he said, "I think they really managed to own that space, so it doesn't make sense for me to just take this head on."

Heins is in Australia for the launch of the BlackBerry Z10 in that country, (while watching the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix – thus some of his terminology) and to promote BlackBerry (née RIM) as "not a phone company," but instead as the provider of "a mobile computing solution."

Come to think of it, the use of the term "solution" to describe a combination of hardware, software, and services is a bit old hat, as well – just like a certain smartphone operating system. ®

Lenovo: Windows 8 is so good, everyone wants Windows 7 - Register

By | Andrew Orlowski 18th March 2013 13:43

Lenovo: Windows 8 is so good, everyone wants Windows 7

We'll just leave Redmond's latest OS on this DVD, over here. When you want it

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You don't notch up 15 consecutive quarters of growth in a declining market without doing something right - so what's PC maker Lenovo doing right?

Well, many things. But it can't do any harm that Lenovo is protecting enterprises from the waterboarding torture of the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system. The majority of Lenovo's enterprise shipments have Windows 7 installed; the touchscreen-friendly Windows 8 is discreetly bundled on its own separate disc.

Lenovo has learned from the Windows Vista experience that the official Microsoft "downgrade" path can be painful. So the machines are "downgraded" to Windows 7 by default. Of course, that's exactly what customers want - and Lenovo is reaping the benefit of listening to those customers.

The computer maker even throws in a Start Menu for Windows 8, which is installable from the Lenovo software bundle. The company wouldn't be drawn on the exact ratio of Windows 7 to Windows 8 machines shipped.

Lenovo's UK boss Marc Godin told The Channel that enterprises were interested in testing Windows 8-powered touchscreen devices in-house, and the company showed off its Thinkpad Helix convertible to woo big biz.

Essentially, the Helix is a docking station with a built-in QWERTY keyboard; the computer, what one might otherwise call a tablet, is in the detachable screen. Asus and others have similar form factors but this is more robust. Unlike Lenovo's Yoga Ultrabook, the Helix is unequivocally aimed at the enterprise. There's no word on an availability date just yet, but expect the price to be about £1,500. Ouch.

Lenovo's Helix Windows 8 laptop tablet thing

Lenovo said no talks are underway with TCOKAR (The Company Otherwise Known as RIM), aka BlackBerry. Last year Lenovo denied it was acquiring Nokia. BlackBerry makes a lot more sense, given the enterprise crossover - and if TCOKAR wants to dip its toe into licensing its new BlackBerry OS, it could do far worse than Lenovo. ®

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iPhone Still Ranks Far Above Samsung Galaxy Line In Mobile Ads, Says Velti - TechCrunch

A lot of headlines have focused on the new Galaxy S4 as a potential iPhone challenger in terms of hype and mindshare, but mobile ad firm Velti offers a different perspective in its February summary of global exchange data from its network. The company still sees iOS and iPhone dominating among mobile advertisers, despite the rising tide of Android devices.

Velti saw that 8 of 10 devices on its global ad exchange were iOS-based, including the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. Samsung managed to take two of the top 10 spots, but placed relatively low on the list with the Galaxy SII and Galaxy SIII at 7 and 10 respectively. The Galaxy SII is the only one to crack the top five in any region, coming in fifth overall in Europe, and while in general older phones ruled (there's generally bound to more of them active out there), the iPhone managed to already crack the top 3 in Asia. That's good news for Apple, which is focusing more attention on that region with recent launches.

Apple's iPhone and iPod devices ruled overall with a 38.1 percent share of Velti ad impressions, with the various iPad models making up 17.2 percent. By comparison, all Galaxy devices together only managed less than 5 percent of ad traffic in February. iOS ads were also better performing in terms of effective cost per thousand (ePCM), garnering 20 percent more than their Android counterparts. That's in spite of a higher click through rate on Android: ads on Google's mobile platform earned around 50 percent more clicks than those on Apple's.

Taking tablets on their own, there isn't even remotely any competition for iOS. Android tablets as a whole account for only 0.7 percent, according to Velti, with the iPad making up 97.5 percent, with its share mostly shifting from standard iPads to iPad minis between January and February of 2013.

Overall, the picture on the advertiser side doesn't look to be changing very much at all, despite Android growth in worldwide sales. iOS actually gained share between January and February according to Velti, though only a very small 0.3 percent, but the firm said that iOS has earned more than 60 percent of advertiser demand for the past six months running.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 will be watched for a number of reasons, but it may be most interesting to see if it can help sway the needle with mobile advertisers. He who controls the spice controls the universe, after all, which in this case means that Apple's domination of the mobile ad world definitely give it a leg up among developers and media content providers.

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Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple's product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook Air) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod, the...

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Snoop Lion Reincarnated album gets a companion iPad app - The Guardian (blog)

Snoop Dogg's reinvention as reggae artist Snoop Lion is yielding a documentary film and album, both called Reincarnated and due for release this month. Now there's an app for that too.

Snoop Lion's Reincarnated: Track Notes App is a free download for iPad, released by digital publishing startup Citia, which has previously launched apps based on books by Kevin Kelly, John Maxwell and Dan Ariely.

The Snoop Lion app is the company's first venture into music, and the latest attempt to find a digital replacement for the liner notes and artwork from vinyl and CD albums.

"What you get isn't just the music – it's ABOUT the music," explains its App Store listing. "Where it came from, How it was made, WHY it was made. It's liner notes for the 21st century. Multimedia, multi-sensory, made for the fans."

At launch, three full audio tracks are included in the app, each with its own lyric video, quotes from producers and collaborators, and information on the reggae songs that inspired them – complete with links to buy them on Apple's iTunes Store.

The app also promotes Snoop Lion merchandise – t-shirts, "grindtainers" and a comfortable-looking pair of branded slippers, all sold from his Facebook store – as well as providing information on his Mind Gardens charity in Jamaica.

The music and videos are streamed from YouTube, with fans encouraged to register their details to be told when the "full app" is available after the album goes on sale. A purchase will presumably be involved then, either of music within the app, or from the iTunes Store.

I've been using the app this morning, and it's interesting, fleshing out the backstory of Snoop's reinvention, and providing lots of useful recommendations for any of his fans who are dipping their toes (slippered or otherwise) into the reggae genre.

Citia's Snoop Lion app includes three free songs and copious background material

It's just the latest example of a musician or label experimenting with apps as an album replacement or companion – this falls more into the latter category.

Earlier in March, pop duo Hurts took a different path, working with digital agency FOAM on an audio-only iPhone game, soundtracked by songs from their latest album Exile.

Meanwhile, a recent Philip Glass remix album spawned an iOS "interactive visualisations" app called REWORK_ (Philip Glass Remixed), developed by Scott Snibbe Studio – the agency that had a pivotal role in Bjork's Biophilia album-app project in 2011.

The Snoop Lion app's "liner notes for the 21st century" pitch corresponds with something Scott Snibbe told The Guardian in an interview back in 2011 about how apps might attempt to recapture the "falling in love" nature of listening to vinyl.

"You'd often sit on the carpet and let the whole thing wash over you while looking at the liner notes and artwork: it was a complete, immersive, sensory experience," he said.

Multi-sensory, as Citia puts it today. Liner notes, of course, were also something Apple was trying to revive with its iTunes LP format in iTunes, although it's not been hugely popular with labels or music fans – and has notably not yet been ported to Apple's iPad or iPhone.

Lady Gaga is promising a plethora of bells and whistles in an app for her upcoming ARTPOP album, telling fans in September 2012 that "The most major way to fully immerse yourself in ARTPOP is through the APP… completely interactive with chats, films for every song, extra music, content, gaga inspired games, fashion updates, magazines, and more still in the works".

Gaga is promising to "upload new things to the APP all the time", which raises the possibility of an album as something that evolves over time, and which fans might even pay for with a monthly subscription. Even if she eschews that option, if ARTPOP is a hit, it may spur even more experimentation by artists and labels.

There is still mileage in albums as apps, or apps as companions for albums then. But the jury remains out on how meaningful they'll be for artists and the music industry compared to the wider disruption being wrought by the growth of streaming services like Spotify and Deezer.

Here too, apps have a role to play. Nick Cave's new album is accompanied by an HTML5 app running in Spotify's desktop software helping fans dig into his back catalogue by theme, and it joins other apps for One Direction, David Guetta, Blur and Tiesto on the platform.

Meanwhile, in Spotify's Scandinavian heartland, EMI's Nordic division has released iPhone apps for five artists that enable fans to stream their albums in full from Spotify within those apps – in contrast to the Snoop Lion app's focus on iTunes downloads.

Snoop Dogg may be reinventing himself musically, but the music industry continues to go through its own digital rebirthing process, where a few huge revenue streams are replaced by a patchwork of digital, physical, live and licensing income.

Album apps aren't a simple, lucrative replacement for declining CD sales, but they're part of the industry's own reincarnation as a 21st century business.

Retina iPad mini Could Arrive In Second Half Of 2013, Says Analyst - Mashable

The much-rumored iPad mini with Retina display could be launched in the second half of 2013. That's according to DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza, who based his prediction on supply chain data.

Semenza has told CNET that the Retina iPad mini will have a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536.

No surprise there. That's the same as the resolution of the full-size iPad with Retina display, which, at 9.7 inches, has a pixel density of 264 ppi.

The Retina iPad mini, at 7.9 inches, will result in a higher pixel density of 324 ppi.

The Retina iPad mini, at 7.9 inches, will result in a higher pixel density of 324 ppi.

That's certainly a welcome development. But not so welcome is the prospect of having to increase the iPad mini's thickness (and weight) to accommodate the device's Retina display, as was done with the full-size iPad.

Semenza points to LG Display as the manufacturer most likely to produce the display. But he also mentions AU Optronics, Japan Display, and Sharp as possible candidates.

Previous reports have suggested that the iPad mini's Retina display could cost as much as $12 more than the current display, increasing Apple's cost per unit to approximately $200.

Earlier this month, Rene Ritchie of iMore, who has a fairly good track record in reporting on future Apple releases, wrote that a new version of the iPad mini may debut as early as next month. But a Retina display for this new version "still doesn't sound imminent."

Photo courtesy Apple

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Supply Chain Hints Suggest Retina iPad Mini Could Debut in Second Half of 2013 - Mac Rumors

Paul Semenza, an analyst at market research firm DisplaySearch, tells CNET that an iPad mini with Retina display could debut in the third or fourth quarter of this year.

"We're seeing potential in the third quarter of panel production for a higher-resolution iPad Mini," DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza told CNET today.

"When would the Mini be available? Could be third quarter or fourth quarter," he said, adding that the speculation is DisplaySearch's best guess based on supply chain data.

Unsurprisingly, Semenza tells CNET that his data points to a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels for the Retina display iPad mini, giving it the same number of pixels as the full-size iPad but at a higher density of 324 pixels per inch. He goes on to note that it would be a challenge for Apple and its display partners to pair that kind of display with the current iPad mini chassis at just 7.2 mm thick, hinting that the company may need to increase the device's thickness somewhat as it did when the full-size iPad moved to a Retina display.

Semenza says that LG Display is the strongest candidate to make the display, but that AU Optronics, Sharp, and Japan Display are other possibilities. Japan Display currently produces the display for the iPhone 5, but Semenza says that the company is looking at getting into tablets.

DisplaySearch's report falls in line with what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in mid-January, and Kuo has been fairly accurate in the past with his Apple product predictions.

iMore's Rene Ritchie has also been relatively accurate, and he reports that Apple is set to debut the new iPad mini as soon as next month. Ritchie says, however, that a Retina display "doesn't sound imminent", suggesting that an April iPad mini would not contain the higher-resolution display. If Apple moves to a biannual release for its tablets, the company could announce an iPad mini in April and a new Retina iPad mini later this year, matching all three predictions.

iPad 4 and iPad mini Deals Offer Up to $50 Off Refurbs - Gotta Be Mobile

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The iPad 4 and iPad mini are finally available in the Apple refurbished and clearance section, offering savings of up to $50 off the newest iPad with a Retina Display and on the 5 month old iPad mini.

Apple offers a full 1 year warranty on Apple refurbished products, and the iPads will arrive without any damage or defects. In short, this is the cheapest iPad deal we expect to see until the next iPad arrives, or Black Friday.

While Apple does not offer every model and color option in the refurbished store, there are several options available, and stock does change from date to date.

iPad 4 Deals

The iPad 4 refurbished units are only available in the base 16GB WiFi only model. Apple offers 10% off the iPad 4 with this deal, dropping the price of the full size iPad to $449. This is the best iPad 4 deal available right now, and is a significant upgrade from the $399 iPad 2.

Apple offers the first refurb iPad 4 deals.

Apple's iPad 4 features a 9.7-inch Retina Display, front and rear facing cameras and uses the latest Apple A6X processor. The iPad 4 was originally release in October 2012, and includes the new Lightning connection for charging and syncing. Apple promises 10 hours of battery life. Users who like to read and watch HD content should consider paying the $50 premium to buy the iPad 4 over the iPad 2, as the display on the newer iPad is much better looking.

THX sues Apple over iPhone, iPad and iMac speaker technology - TechRadar UK

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Apple has been accused of stealing patented speaker technology from THX for its line of iOS devices and iMac computers.

The audio company, founded by Star Wars mastermind George Lucas, has filed suit in California claiming Apple has infringed upon a patent granted to THX in 2008.

The patent in question is called "narrow profile speaker configurations and systems" and relates to how speaker units can be connected to flatscreen televisions and desktop computers to boost output.

THX is seeking compensation or royalties from Apple, in its filing to the San Jose federal court, saying the infringement has caused "monetary damage and irreparable harm."

Resemblance

Examining the patent and the suit, AppleInsider commented that speaker configurations within iOS devices did resemble those outlined in the THX patent, but were more obvious within iMac computers.

"Looking at the patent claims, there appears to be some correlation with the configurations used in Apple's products," the report claimed.

"Perhaps most compelling is the latest iMac's speakers, which features an extremely thin profile with channeled acoustics exiting down-facing apertures that are more narrow than the speaker faces hidden within the machine. It is unknown if the speaker housings actually employ '483 patent's designs, though the structure looks to be similar to those described."

Neither Apple, nor THX have commented further on the matter, while Apple has until May 14 to reach a settlement before court proceedings commence in June.

Via Bloomberg

V-MODA VAMP VERZA Turns Samsung Galaxy S4 Into Mobile HI-Fi System - Gotta Be Mobile

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Samsung recently introduced the Samsung Galaxy S4 in New York. Already we're seeing a rush of third-party accessories announced, now including the V-MODA VAMP VERZA. The VERZA is an attachment and case combo that turns the Samsung Galaxy S4, the older Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 into a mobile premium hi-fi system. At nearly $600 it's intended for people with discriminating ears and plenty of cash, or for audio professionals needing a mobile solution.

V-MODA, known for high-end audio accessories, designed the system to encase a smartphone and extend the phone's built-in battery, while including an amp and digital-to-analog (or DAC) converter.

This VAMP VERZA with METALLO Case fits the Galaxy S3, but a Galaxy S4 model will ship soon.

The system includes two parts. First there is the V-MODA METALLO Case. The case interfaces with the other part, the V-MODA VAMP VERZA. The VAMP VERZA connects to an audio source and offers high-end sound as a DAC or head phone amplifier.

The VAMP VERZA works with any 30-pin Apple product, like the iPhone 4S or older iPods and iPads. There's also a micro-USB cable that will connect to a Samsung Galaxy S4, S3 or any other Android phone or tablet capable of sending audio through the micro-USB cable port. The Lightning adapter connects to the newer iPhone 5, iPad mini or iPad 4th gen. Finally, a regular USB cable will connect to a computer.

See the video from the V-MODA site explaining the system:

THX Sues Apple, Claims iPhone, iMac, iPad Speakers Infringe Patent - PC Magazine

THX has filed suit against Apple, claiming that the tech giant has infringed on one of THX's patent's for "Narrow profile speaker configurations and systems" within the company's iPhones, iPads, and iMacs.

The result? The violations cause THX "monetary damage and irreparable harm," reports Bloomberg, and the company is seeking monetary damages or royalty payments, as well as a court order that would force Apple to cease its alleged infringement.

According to THX's complaint, filed Thursday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple's infringing the patent on its iPhone 4 (and later models), iPads, and iMacs, "which incorporate narrow-profile speaker units that output sound through a duct or aperture having a narrow dimension."

Here's where it gets interesting. The patent that THX is holding over Apple's head was granted to the company in 2008. U.S. Patent No. 7,433,483 describes, in part, "A narrow profile speaker unit comprises at least one speaker outputting sound towards an internal surface and through a duct with an output terminus, such as a slot, having a narrow dimension, effectively changing the cross-section of the speaker's audio output wave. A pair of speakers may face one another, outputting sound towards a common output slot."

As Apple Insider notes, the bit about the duct does look rather similar to the current design of Apple's iMac speakers ? which feature ducts that appear to channel sound in a downward direction from the actual speakers hidden inside the lower portion of the computer's thin body.

Additionally, it remains to be seen just how Apple's existing patents ? which do include patents related to the channeling of audio in different directions within electronic devices ? play into THX's claims. And that's especially true for any patents that happen to predate THX's patent. According to Apple Insider, one of the more relevant patents Apple currently holds, U.S. Patent No. 8,385,568 for, "Low-profile speaker arrangements for compact electronic devices," was filed for by Apple all of two years after THX's aforementioned patent was granted.

Apple and THX have until May 14 to reach some kind of early settlement over the dispute. As expected, neither Apple nor THX are commenting about the patent allegations in question.

Kinect for Windows SDK to get hand-recognition, 3D-modeling on March 18th - The Verge

We've been expecting Microsoft to release an update to the Kinect SDK for Windows that would enable both hand recognition and real-time 3D modeling, and today we finally have a date: verision 1.7 will be released on Monday, March 18th, Engadget reports. Those hand recognition gestures will include "push-to-press buttons, grip-to-pan capabilities, and support for smart ways to accommodate multiple users and two-person interactions," according to Microsoft. The company will also release code samples on its Kinect for Windows development site for the first time.

Bob Heddle, Director, Kinect for Windows at Microsoft, said that these "Kinect Interactions" (as the gestures are called) came about because Microsoft notices that many developers were using the Kinect for core UI functions much more than Microsoft originally expected. Microsoft wanted to standardize those gestures so developers could focus on the unique parts of their apps.

As demoed today, the PC offered a series of prompts to teach the user the core ways of using Kinect Interactions. The interaction seemed to work with finer-grained movement, especially as compared to using Kinect on the Xbox — you can gesture with smaller movements. Instead of waiting for a "hover-select," you can directly press, which is much faster. The system is also smart enough to not allow a second user to "take control" of the system when the first user is controlling the Kinect — although you can hand off control fairly easily. You can see in the image below that the purple user has control, while the gray interloper can't mess with his gestures.

"Kinect Fusion" represents the real-time 3D modeling, and it appears to work just in the same way that we saw before. You pick up the Kinect sensor, move it about your subject, and the computer immediately creates a 3D rendering. Once the 3D render is created, you can do anything you might do with a 3D render. Microsoft created a Han Solo-in-carbonite Lumia case, for example, but the company also suggests that you could create an app to fit clothing to a person.

Heddle spoke at the Engadget Expand conference. You can see some video demoes of both features from Microsoft HQ below.

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Apple's Next iPhone Might Be Unlockable By The Owner's Fingerprint - Business Insider

Flickr/Yeray Hernández

The end of the smartphone passcode could be at hand, if technology companies have their way.

Apple is said to be planning to introduce an iPhone that can be unlocked by the owner's fingerprint, while other manufacturers are thought to be experimenting with iris scanning and voice recognition.

Speculation about Apple's plans for fingerprint recognition began last summer when the iPhone maker bought biometric security firm AuthenTec for £235 million. Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said his firm expected the results of that takeover to be revealed this summer with the new iPhone 5S .

He said: "We expect [that] iPhone 5S will have a fingerprint chip under the Home button, improving security and usability."

Samsung has had a "Face Unlock" feature in its phones since last year's Galaxy S3. However, the phone's camera would often unlock if it recognised a photograph of the owner. The firm says the feature has been improved in the Galaxy S4, released in New York last week .

The Galaxy S4, like Apple's iPhone, has voice recognition software but at present it cannot identify a particular person. In future, it's possible that a smartphone could recognise its owner's voice and unlock accordingly.

Many companies are hoping that these security features could soon be used in place of passwords for websites and mobile applications. Instead of having to remember complicated passwords, fingerprint identification would be quicker, easier and more secure.

Earlier this year, in a paper in an engineering journal, two Google security experts outlined plans for an ID ring or smartphone chip that could replace online passwords.

"We'd like your smartphone or smartcard-embedded finger ring to authorize a new computer via a tap on the computer, even in situations in which your phone might be without cellular connectivity," wrote Eric Grosse, Google's vice president of security, and engineer Mayank Upadhyay.

HP and Samsung offer setup-free printing on the Galaxy S 4, with others to follow - Engadget

HP and Samsung Launch New Mobile Print Offering

PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 14, 2013) - HP (HPQ) today unveiled a new print offering built within select Samsung devices to provide users an easy way to print directly to more than 180 HP network printer models across the HP inkjet and HP LaserJet portfolios.

The collaboration demonstrates HP's continued investment and leadership in the mobile printing space by satisfying a common need for today's mobile user -- on-demand, customized printing from virtually anywhere.

Different from current mobile printing apps on the market, the new embedded solution from HP and Samsung requires no setup, tools, drivers or network configurations to adjust on the phone, making mobile printing effortless and convenient. In addition, the print offering is one of the only solutions to offer sophisticated printer settings and options that include duplex printing, color, orientation and paper type. By offering these capabilities and much more, this new mobile print enablement will make printing on the go easier, saving time for the mobile worker and beyond.

Print functionality will be supported with the upcoming release of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and will be available later this year as a firmware upgrade to the Samsung GALAXY S III and Note II, enabling built-in, wireless printing compatibility.

Users can print in two ways: by automatically connecting their Samsung mobile device and HP printer on the same local network via Wi-Fi, or by using HP technology via wireless direct print.(1)

"Customers continue to look for ways to print from their smartphones and tablets," said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Inkjet and Printing Solutions and Graphics Solutions Business, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP. "This partnership with Samsung is the latest example of how HP is making it easy to print what you want from wherever you are."

The Samsung print solution is HP's latest feature for its mobile print portfolio that also includes HP ePrint.

The built-in print solution works in three simple steps: choose a document, photo or web page(2); select a printer (either on Wi-Fi or directly); and hit print. The embedded solution also offers additional, convenient print options for the user, including number of copies, paper size, orientation, paper type, color mode, double-sided printing and job completion status.

Availability and support

The print solution is compatible with nearly 200 HP printer models across the HP inkjet and HP LaserJet printer portfolios.(3)

The built-in print button will be available on many applications of the Samsung mobile devices, including: Email Client, Android Browser, Photo Gallery, Contacts, S Note and Polaris Office.

Microsoft Surface sales taking off slower than expected, sources say - The Guardian

Microsoft has only sold about 1m Surface RT tablets since its launch in October 2012 and about 400,000 Surface Pros, which run the full version of Windows 8, since their release a month ago.

The figures are cited in a report by Bloomberg, citing sources who know about the sales figures.

That compares to about 89m PCs and 52.5m tablets sold worldwide during the fourth quarter, and the figures have almost doubled in the three months since – suggesting that the Surface tablet is making almost no impact on the market.

While Microsoft has not released official sales figures, it has poured significant development effort into Windows RT, which runs a version of Windows 8 on chips with the ARM architecture, rather than the Intel architecture that more than a billion PCs – and the Surface Pro – use. On unveiling Windows RT in 2011, Microsoft suggested that it saw the ARM architecture as an increasingly important platform for low-power, long-life devices.

But the poor reception for the Surface RT suggests that consumers and businesses have so far disagreed. Bloomberg says that Microsoft ordered about 3m Surface RTs in its initial planning, and analysts had forecast that it would sell millions in the three months to December.

However, reports of slow sales emerged almost immediately. In November, supply chain sources suggested that Microsoft had halved its order from around to 4m by the end of 2012 to 2m.

The Surface, in both forms, puts Microsoft into competition both with Apple's iPad and Google's Android partners, as well as its own OEM partners making Windows devices. But the story for Windows RT has been disappointing, with Samsung announcing recently that it would not be selling its Ativ RT PC anywhere except Asia, having apparently seen poor sales in Europe and the US.

Finding success with Surface is important for Microsoft, which makes more than half its profits from Windows licences on PCs, and roughly the same from licences for Microsoft Office on those PCs. The shift to tablets is also depressing sales of PCs, which threatens its long-term revenues. Texas Instruments, which makes chips used in laptops, and Hewlett-Packard have warned of weak demand in the PC segment in the first three months of the year.

"The tide continues to go out on PC sales as consumers and emerging market users prefer tablets and smartphones to Windows based PCs," Rick Sherlund, an analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc., wrote in a report this week quoted by Bloomberg. "Windows 8 has failed to ebb the receding tide."

Apple Explains Why iPhone 5 Is The Best [10 Reasons] - Indiatimes.com

 

After Samsung unveiled its new flagship smartphone, Galaxy S4, Apple released a webpage explaining why the iPhone 5 is better than smartphones from its rivals. The webpage's banner says, "There's iPhone. And then there's everything else."

The Samsung Galaxy S4 may have powerful specs like an octa-core processor, full HD display, Android 4.2 OS, but Apple has its own reasons that why even then the iPhone 5 stands out in the crowd.

- The iPhone has received eight straight JD Power and Associates awards for customer satisfaction.

- It is thin and light, and thus the iPhone feels substantial in your hand.

- Only the iPhone and other Apple products have retina display.

- The iPhone 5 gives you long battery life so you can easily make it through your day. You get up to 8 hours of talk time, up to 8 hours of browsing over cellular networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback, claims Apple, adding the iPhone has a powerful battery into such a thin and light design.

- Referring to the processor under the hood, Apple says the iPhone 5 has an A6 chip, which is powerful but not power hungry. It makes quick work of even the most graphics-intensive apps, and high frame rates make gameplay feel smooth and downright real.

- The iPhone has ultrafast wireless and LTE.

- The iSight camera on iPhone is claimed to be the world's most popular camera. The company says that an 8 megapixel on iPhone 5 captures great photo data, and the hardware and software work together to make behind-the-scenes image and color adjustments. So it's easy for anyone to take impressive photos in various lighting conditions.

- The iPhone has acces to the iTunes Store and the App Store, which offers more than 800,000 apps - all reviewed by Apple to guard against malware. Attacking its rivals, the company says that other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options, resulting in availability issues, developer frustration, and security risks.

- Only the iPhone has Siri, the intelligent assistant, lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place calls, set reminders, and more.

- iCloud takes the experience of using iPhone that much further. It stores your content - your music, photos, apps, mail, contacts, calendars, documents, and more - and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices.

Samsung Galaxy SIV to Cost $600? Functional Cure for AIDS Discovered

'Windows Blue' Could Be Microsoft's Way To Create Cheap, 7-Inch Tablets - Business Insider

REUTERS/Rick Wilking

See Also

Microsoft Has Only Sold About 1.5 Million Surface Tablets So Far

BII REPORT: How Samsung's Rise Is Reshaping The Mobile Ecosystem

iPhone Users Watch More Video Than Android Owners

Microsoft is working on its next operating system, code-named Windows Blue, that could be released as early as this summer. 

Only a few details about it have leaked so far, making Windows Blue sound like it will basically be an update to Windows 8, rather than a brand new thing.

But now reports are circulating that the one big thing Windows 8 would do is allow Microsoft and its partners to build smaller, cheaper tablets, in the 7-10-inch range.

So says Ben Bajarin, analyst of consumer technologies for Valley consulting firm Creative Strategies, in a column published by TabTimes.

He writes:

"Microsoft has been glaringly absent from the tablet discussion in the white hot 7-8" form factor. My firm estimates that in 2013, sub 10-inch tablets will dominate tablet sales and represent more than 60% of total sales. Windows 8 today can only go as small as 10.1-inches. They are losing ground and offering their partners no solution for the hottest category of tablets."

But Windows Blue could be the answer, he says, because it is expected to support smaller screen sizes. Plus, Microsoft is expected to sell it to partners for less than Windows 8. It could cost them $40-$50 per tablet, which is at least $20 cheaper than Windows 8, Bajarin says. The drop in price allows them to profitably make tablets in the $199-$349 range.

Because early sales reports on Windows 8 tablets, including Microsoft's own Surface, have been disappointing, Microsoft desperately needs to make Windows 8 tablets more attractive to consumers. Smaller, cheaper ones could be the way to do it.

Microsoft is surely aware of this. In fact, last month, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, Microsoft's CFO Peter Klein confirmed that the company is ready to deliver smaller tablets, reports Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet.

"We've done a lot of the hard work in the developer platform," Klein said. "We are well set up to respond to demand as we see it" with different-sized form factors, he said.

It's reasonable to assume that by "hard work" he was referring to Windows Blue.

SEE ALSO:  More Details Leak About Microsoft's Next Operating System: Windows Blue

Links 16 March: Apple's Mexican Troubles Over iPhone and iFone Trademarks - Forbes

At first this looks like just one of those things. Apple makes the iPhone, this we all know, but in Mexico, as in Brazil, another company has a very similar trademark. Usually something can be worked out in such cases. It's not exactly unusual that a would be global trademark finds there are other local uses for it: Microsoft dropped "Metro" as a description of the tiles in Windows 8 after pushback from the German retail chain, "Metro" for example.

Apple's already lost hope for exclusive rights to the name "iPhone" in Brazil, and now it's been defeated in another battle south of the border. Cupertino and Mexican company iFone S.A. have a long history, stretching back to 2009 when Apple tried to have the firm's "iFone" trademark revoked.

Oh well, as I say, it's always a little unlikely that any word is going to be unique in 190 countries or more, isn't it? However, it's going a little further than that in Mexico.

A Mexican technology services company is hoping to reap compensation from Apple Inc. and local mobile operators for the use of its brand name—Ifone—after Mexico's Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the local firm owns and makes proper use of the brand in the country.

Ah, it's going to get worse for Apple. Not only are they not allowed to use iPhone they've got to pay damages for having done so. And those damages could be substantial:

It's unknown how much money the Mexican company is looking for, but its corporate lawyer told The Wall Street Journal that the law provides for an award of at least 40 percent of infringing sales.

Lucky that Apple's net margins on iPhones are up at around that 40% level really. At least they'll not be losing money after paying the damages.

iFone didn't and doesn't market a phone but they do use the name as a brand for their call centre services. This is obviously close enough in the various classes to which trademarks can be assigned that their precedence takes, umm, precedence.

In Mexico, the fight was not over the brand of a device though, it was over the name itself, as a service for which iFone has been using for years.

One thing that's worth noting is that the potential damages are not 40% of iFones' quite small sales, but 40% of Apple's rather large ones of the offending devices.

After the near disaster in China with Proview and the iPad trademark and now this I do wonder whether Apple is really paying quite enough attention to these trademark issues. We know they're very keen indeed on the other half of IP law, patents, but this is starting to look a little careless over trademarks.

Does Apple's new 'Why iPhone' website prove it is running scared? - TechRadar UK

• Non-shocker of the day: record number of smartphones shipped in 2012
• Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Sony Xperia Z vs HTC One vs iPhone 5 vs Lumia 920
• Galaxy S4 'pales in comparison to the One,' blasts HTC chief

They say the best defence is a good offence and Apple has attempted to reassert the superiority of the iPhone 5 with a new website outlining how the device still smacks down its high profile Android rivals.

The new 'Why iPhone' portion of Apple's website, launched on Saturday, just two days removed from the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch, explains why "there's the iPhone and there's the rest."

It touts hardware design, customer satisfaction awards, the togetherness of iOS over Android, the safety and selection offered by the App Store and the quality and popularity of the iSight camera, among other features.

It's a somewhat unexpected and defensive move from Apple as the company hasn't felt the need to defend the iPhone against rivals in its marketing materials, rather letting the features speak for themselves.

Is Retina still the gold standard?

The defensive nature of the campaign is outlined by the praise Apple lavishes upon the iPhone's Retina Display.

It explains that only the iPhone and other Apple products have the Retina Display, and claimed that the iPhone "ushered in the era of super hi-res displays."

However, the iPhone 5's 1136 x 640 resolution and 326 ppi pixel-density have been bested by the 5-inch, 1080p HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets, that all rate above 440ppi.

And while it's true that only Apple products have one, for all intents and purposes, 'Retina Display' is a marketing term rather than a technological advance that consumers should be coveting.

Oh snap

The site, which is also bullish about the iPhone 5's battery life and the power of its A6 processor, also touts the merits of the iPhone's rear-facing 8-megapixel iSight camera.

It calls it "the world's most popular camera," citing the fact that the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 are the top three cameras used to upload photos to Flickr.

"While other smartphones simply tout large amounts of megapixels, taking great pictures is about so much more," the company says, in response to 13-megapixel offerings from its Android competitors.

Support system

Apple also makes clear that its status as the hardware and software manufacturer keeps everything perfectly integrated, while the threat of malware is seen off by a stringent App Store approval process.

Finally, it outlines the support system, claiming that any problems with the iPhone can be handled through its own in-store, online and telephone channels, rather than seeking assistance from multiple parties.

The post reads: "With other smartphones, you're not sure where to go for help. Call the manufacturer, and they tell you to call your service provider. Call your service provider, and they tell you to contact the OS developer. Getting answers shouldn't be that hard. And with Apple, it never is."

Running scared?

It certainly seems that Apple's marketing team has decided to go on the offensive in order to protect its territory against a swathe of ever-improving, well-hyped and critically acclaimed Android rivals.

With the iPhone 5 only half way into its annual life-cycle, perhaps its a smart, well-timed play to outline the perceived superiority of that device?

The three big Android rivals HTC, Samsung and Sony are all launching their flagship 2013 offerings this spring, while there's at likely to be least six months left before we see a new iPhone

What are your thoughts on Apple's shift in strategy? Is it running scared or just throwing out a few truth bombs? Let us know in the comments section below.

Via 9to5Mac

Windows 8 Tip: Reset or Refresh Your PC - Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows

Before Windows 8, resetting a PC was a complex and time-consuming affair. But thanks to Push Button Reset, you can now "nuke it from space," as I think of it, and return the PC to its factory-fresh state in just minutes. Too good to be true? Not at all. In fact, this is one of Windows 8's best new features.

Because of what I do for a living, I test a lot of software, and generally beat up my PCs enough that I end up resetting them pretty regularly. Coming into this month, I felt like both of my main-use PCs, an HP tower desktop and a Samsung Ultrabook, were in need of a little spring cleaning. And during a recent trip to Microsoft's Redmond campus, I resolved to nuke the Ultrabook when I got home.

Doing so is now a lot easier—and less time-consuming—than it used to be.

With previous versions of Windows, you had two choices for nuking the PC: You could use the PC maker's restore routine, either via a built-in partition on the disk or separate optical disc, or you could boot the PC with a Windows Setup disk and install a clean version of the OS, albeit one that would probably require some additional driver installation after the fact.

Though there are exceptions—Lenovo's ThinkPad PCs are notably clean of crapware, for example, and of course Microsoft Signature PCs are pristine—I've generally preferred the latter option in order to ensure that the Windows version I'm starting with is the one Microsoft released, and not one over-burdened by unnecessary utilities and applications. But with Windows 8, new options are available under the umbrella of Push Button Reset.

You won't see the term Push Button Reset anywhere in Windows 8: That's what this set of functionality is called internally. Instead, this technology is exposed as two features in the OS, PC Reset ("Remove everything and reinstall Windows") and PC Refresh ("Refresh your PC without affecting your files"). Which you will choose is based on your needs.

Both offer the same basic functionality: They will remove and then clean install Windows 8 in a very fast manner, returning the OS to its default configuration. (More on that in a moment.) But PC Refresh adds a twist by copying your Metro apps, personalizations, and personal files to a temporary location during the process and then returning them to the new Windows install when done.

"Default configuration" varies from PC to PC. If you installed Windows 8 using Microsoft's installer yourself, you'll get a base install of Windows 8 as God intended. If you bought a Windows 8-based PC from a PC maker, that default configuration will include PC-specific drivers. It can also unfortunately include crapware.

In a future tip, I'll explore how you can modify this system image to your needs, but in the meantime remember that the old way of doing things still works. That is, you can reset your PC, remove any crapware, and then backup the newly-clean configuration using the old-school backup routine from Windows 7. Windows 8 Tip: Use Windows 7 System Image Backup explains how.

For whatever reason, I tend to use PC Reset, not PC Refresh. Mulling this over, there's actually no good reason for this, as I end up repopulating my documents via SkyDrive each time anyway. But either way, the process is the same: You can trigger PC Reset or Refresh from the Metro-based PC Settings or via Control Panel. Or if your PC isn't working, you can use the Recovery environment. (Check out Windows 8 Tip: Create Recovery Media for information about creating a bootable disc for this purpose, though your Windows 8 Setup media will work too, if you have that.) Since the Metro version is the most obvious, let's look at that.

You can find the Push Button Reset options in PC Settings under General, near the bottom of the list of options.

If you choose the refresh option, you'll be prompted with an explanation of what's about to happen. Click through this full-screen notification and Windows will be reinstalled, with your personal data, personalizations, and Metro apps all backed up and reapplied to the new install automatically.

The entire process takes just several minutes, though anything added by your PC maker will stretch things out a bit. In a test of my Ultrabook, which was first reset as described below, it took about 10 minutes for the refresh process, including moving about 8 GB of data back and forth.

If you choose to reset, you'll be prompted with a much shorter explanation as you're essentially performing a clean install of the OS, or that "nuke from space" scenario I described earlier.

But once you get past that first stage of the wizard, you're presented with a second option: Do you want to fully clean your drive?

If you're just resetting the PC for your own use, choose "Just remove my files," as the process is much faster. The second option, "Fully clean the drive," is there for when you are giving or selling the PC to someone else and you want to ensure that they can't use a PC forensics utility to mine data off the supposedly erased hard drive. It's much more time consuming than the first option, but also makes your PC safe for transfer to a new owner.

The reset process is even quicker than refresh, unless of course you choose the full-clean option. On my Ultrabook, I was able to nuke from space in 7 minutes.

One thing to realize about Push Button Reset is that it won't retain your PC's drivers; the process literally installs Windows 8 from scratch whether you choose PC Reset or PC Refresh. So unless your PC maker has included those drivers as part of the process, you'll likely need to install missing drivers after the fact. This works as it always has: Use Windows Update first and then, if necessary, check your PC maker's support web site for individual drivers or, hopefully, a driver install front-end application (as is provided for my Samsung Ultrabook).

High-res Nexus 7, iPad mini with Retina Display coming later this year? - Gizmag

In the past year, both large tablets and 5-inch smartphones have shifted to razor-sharp, high-resolution displays. Smaller tablets, however, have yet to make that leap. According to an analyst who's been keeping tabs on the supply chain, that could soon change – with both the iPad mini and Nexus 7 switching to high-res "Retina" displays.

• 
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Google strikes first?

According to CNET, DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza sees the supply chain moving in that direction. After examining data from Asian parts suppliers, he predicts that Google and ASUS will strike first, releasing a 2nd-generation Nexus 7 with a sharper display. He then sees Apple shipping the much-desired iPad mini with Retina Display sometime in Q3 or Q4, 2013.

He predicts that the 2nd-gen Nexus 7 will tote a 1,920 x 1,200 display, at 323 pixels per inch (PPI). That would be a significant upgrade over the current model's 1,280 x 800 (216 PPI) display. Semenza said panel production could potentially start in Q2 2013.

Retina iPad mini in October?

The iPad mini with Retina Display, meanwhile, would quadruple its predecessor's pixel count, jumping to 2,048 x 1,536 (326 PPI). Unless Apple radically alters its approach to upgrading iOS device displays, Semenza's prediction is no surprise. Apple upgrades iOS device displays in even multiples, to maximize compatibility and simplify the transition for developers.

Semenza didn't go as far as predicting that the Retina iPad mini would be thicker and heavier than its predecessor, but he did reiterate Apple's challenge in creating the product, pointing to the fact that the Retina iPads (3rd and 4th gen models) are chunkier than the iPad 2.

The analyst's predictions are potentially in line with previous (alleged) leaks, which pointed to a higher-resolution Nexus 7 sequel in May. Separate leaks suggested that the iPad mini won't get a Retina Display until October.

Grains of salt

When you're dealing with Apple rumors and supply chain leaks, it's often hard to separate fact from fiction. But with multiple leaks pointing in the same direction – and few murmurs contradicting them – there's a decent chance that this smoke will soon reveal a fire.

Source: CNET

HTC President: We're Pleased To See No Innovation In Samsung's Galaxy S4 - Business Insider

Kevin Smith/Business Insider

HTC's street marketing team at the Galaxy S4 event.

See Also

First Photos: Samsung's Galaxy S4

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 HAS ARRIVED: Here's What You Need To Know

POLL: Will You Buy The Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, Or Something Else?

Apple isn't the only smartphone maker going on the defensive against Samsung's new Galaxy S4.

HTC, Samsung's biggest Android rival, has been reaching out to several outlets since the GS4 announcement to give its take on the device. It also hired a street marketing team to pass out free snacks plus some coupons for its next flagship phone, the HTC One, to people waiting in line outside of Samsung's GS4 launch event at Radio City Music Hall.

We spoke to Mike Woodward, President of HTC North America, this morning for his take on the GS4.

"It feels very iterative. It looks a lot like the Galaxy S III," Woodward said of the GS4. "We were pleased to see no innovation in the design itself."

Woodward went on to criticize the Galaxy S4's slew of new software features as gimmicky, and said users probably won't be interested in them. 

So what would they be interested in?

Woodward rattled off a slew of the HTC One's own features, which has a new user interface called Sense 5 that pulls in live content from partners like ESPN and social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The One also has an all metal and glass design, while the Galaxy S4 stuck with a plastic construction.

But it seems like an odd argument, considering it doesn't quite address how the HTC One would be a better choice for people. Many of these features are a matter of personal preference.

Look, we get that HTC is the underdog here, but it's not because they make bad products. The HTC One is a stunningly gorgeous phone, and early reviews are really good. HTC also makes the best Windows Phone you can buy.

Unfortunately, HTC is at a huge disadvantage because Samsung has a massive marketing budget. HTC is correct in its assessment that Samsung is able to essentially buy a lot of its hype.

"I think Samsung is trying to overwhelm us with money and marketing and then pushing multiple features out there," Woodward said. 

Woodward said HTC can't match Samsung's marketing budget now, but will be able to get more aggressive in the future as it sells more devices.

This isn't a story about who makes the best phone. It's about who has the best messaging.