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#1351 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 09:48

abu mohammed wrote:

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For this One, Basically HTC are offering US buyers free screen replacements on the HTC One range for the first six months.

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#1352 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 09:51

The average Android phone now costs about half that of an iPhone

In news that probably doesn't surprise many, the average price of an Android device is now about half that of an iPhone, and the gap is only widening. One thing that bugs me is that iPhone enthusiasts always claim that Android are for people that can't afford iPhone's. Yes, there are a plethora of cheap Android devices, and you can thank companies like Samsung that flood the market with low-end Android devices, but having the option to purchase one is never a bad thing. Android certainly has its fair share of top-tier and expensive devices, but at the same time you can get great cheap devices for a fraction of the price of a high-end Android phone or even an iPhone.

The likes of the Nexus 5, Moto X and Moto G have certainly re-defined the definition of a budget smartphone with its great combination of price and specs.

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#1353 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 09:53

The HTC One 2 is in trouble - it's going to have an awful name

Two years ago HTC was in a bit of a quagmire. After the success of the original Desire, its handsets had gone off the boil and consumers were rapidly forgetting about HTC - it needed to re-invigorate its brand.

It dropped it's rather odd logo for a cleaner, smarter trio of letters and reordered its pack with the introduction of the "One" range.

While the One X, One S and One V didn't set the world alight, HTC did at least have a brand name it could build upon, and that was brought to the fore with the launch of the excellent HTC One last year.

So all is well in the HTC camp again, right? Well, no. There's now the small issue of what it'll call the successor to its best smartphone to date - and when I say small, I mean huge.

That's not my name

HTC is so heavily invested in the "HTC One" brand it simply cannot afford to reinvent itself again - this is a crucial time for the Taiwanese firm and if it gets the HTC M8 wrong it could be in serious trouble.

That rules out the "HTC Two" early on then.

Dubbed the "HTC One 2" in initial rumours, the likelihood of that being the final name is pretty low. It's untidy, clunky and just doesn't sing premium smartphone.

People will make jokes about checking sound quality while pretending to speak into a mic (hilarious, guys), but at least you'll know what you're getting and it's probably the most logical option.

The numbers game has worked a charm for Samsung - one look at the sales of the Galaxy S2, S3 and S4 tells you all you need to know - but it has the advantage of only one digit in the name.

No one wants to say they have the One 3 or One 4 in a few years time - it just sounds stupid.

Go Apple

HTC could always take a leaf out of Apple's book - we have the iPad, the iPod, the MacBook - no numbers, no versions. Just a new device with the same name.

Keeping the name for the One's successor would mean people will be immediately drawn to it - but that gives us a problem with the current model.

When a new flagship phone goes on sale its predecessor doesn't disappear, usually it gets a price drop. You can still pick up the Galaxy S3, and even the iPhone 4S - so how would stores differentiate between the old and the new HTC One?

TechRadar's Phones and Tablets Editor Gareth Beavis reckons HTC might rename the 2013 model the "One Classic", but I can't see that working out particularly well.

While it may make sense in the short term, come the third iteration of the HTC One what happens then - does the M8 then suddenly become the One Classic 2?

Give me a break.

Plus one

Something we have seen HTC do is add a suffix in the shape of a symbol or additional letter to the end of a name to signal a new product.

We've had the One X+ and One SV - so what's stopping us seeing the HTC One+ launched in the next few months?

I'm hoping HTC will blow us away again with the M8 - but the One+ moniker suggests an incremental upgrade on last year's flagship, rather than an entirely new device.

HTC has backed itself into a corner and I can't see an easy way out for it without losing a chunk of dignity.

I hope you know what you're doing HTC, because I can't think of a single name that fits a truly decent successor to the all-conquering One.

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#1354 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 09:58

First there was the Apple!!!!

Now there is the Pomegranate!!!!

How a delicious fruit could change tech forever

Believe it or not, one tiny fruit could change consumer technology forever - and no, fanboys, we're not talking about Apple. It turns out that the pomegranate, which is quite trendy right now for everything from flavoring drinks to scenting shampoos and candles, is also the inspiration for new lithium-ion battery technology that may feature dramatically improved battery performance and longevity.

Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are developing new lithium-ion battery technology that could potentially have a huge impact on consumer devices, including smartphones and tablets, by equipping them with power cells that store more energy and do not degrade as quickly.

"While a couple of challenges remain, this design brings us closer to using silicon anodes in smaller, lighter and more powerful batteries for products like cell phones, tablets and electric cars," Stanford and SLAC associate professor Yi Cui said, according to Phys.org. "Experiments showed our pomegranate-inspired anode operates at 97 percent capacity even after 1,000 cycles of charging and discharging, which puts it well within the desired range for commercial operation."

The development could be huge for a many different types of portable tech, considering the pain point that battery life is currently for all devices.

According to the report, the new pomegranate-inspired structure allows lithium-ion batteries to utilize silicon anodes in place of graphite anodes, which are used in today's batteries. Silicon anodes are capable of storing 10 times more energy than comparable graphite modules, but they are also brittle and unstable.

By using a new structure modeled after a pomegranate coupled with a "yolk shell" design that allows the anode to expand and contract inside a protective casing, Cui's team may have tackled the biggest road blocks preventing silicon anodes from becoming a reality.

Cui says his team still has more work to do before the new lithium-ion technology is ready for consumer devices, but he's confident that they will get there soon. "To me it's very exciting to see how much progress we've made in the last seven or eight years and how we have solved the problems one by one," he said.

Source:Phys.org

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#1355 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 10:02

Apple patent hints at fitness-tracking headphones on the way

The last time we checked, very few people wear watches anymore. So what if Apple, instead of tacking cool features onto something that we'll have to add to our arsenals, puts them into something that is already a mainstay in the average American's wardrobe? It turns out that the company has been patiently waiting on patent approval for something that fits that very profile: earphones that can monitor your physical vitals in real-time, as well as provide quick feedback and motivation, personalized via their assessment of your body.

The patent, titled "Sports monitoring system for headphones, earbuds and/or headsets," aims to solidify the vitals-monitoring aspects of the headphones and a new style of user functionality and control. In essence, the wearer of Apple's future headphones will merely move his or her head one way or the other to pause the track, skip to the next, or modify the volume - all hands-free.

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#1356 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 13:16

You won't believe how easy it is for just about anyone to track your smartphone

By Chris Smith

Wednesday February 19, 2014, 6:30 AM

It's not just spy agencies that can track smartphone users... in fact,�almost anybody can do it as long as they have the right equipment, a new Forbes report reveals. Many third parties already track smartphones and tablets by picking up their user data for various purposes, mostly commercial or ad-related. Advertisers and retail stores can record location data about users in order to either serve certain location-related ads, or to better customize store layouts to maximize in-store impulse purchases.

Latanya Sweeney, the new chief technology officer at the Federal Trade Commission, has detailed in a lengthy post the potential advantages and disadvantages of retail stores tracking users by picking up Wi-Fi data. Because each device has unique MAC addresses that is relayed while looking for and establishing wireless connections, those stores that track smartphones can analyze patterns to maximize profits.

"Your phone's MAC address remains the same regardless of the network and transmits even without actually connecting to the Internet," Sweeney wrote.

Such features can further be used to improve and personalize store experiences for shoppers, but not everybody will be thrilled by the idea of being constantly tracked. While retailers could use such tracking features to replace loyalty cards, thus offering buyers and incentive to allow their in-store location to be tracked, it may also lead to unwanted side effects.

In one example, Sweeney revealed how a store associated MAC addresses with purchases, constructing profiles of its customers. Based on the purchases, the store could predict with some accuracy even pregnant customers.

"The store sells everything for new parents, from formula to toys, so the company sent coupons to people its analysts determined were likely to be expecting a child. One of these coupons arrived at the house of a man who prior to receiving the coupon did not know his teenage daughter was pregnant," Sweeney wrote.

The exec also proposed several methods that could allow both retailers and interested customers to benefit from such tracking technology, as long as stores would disclose their data collection practices and offer opt-outs to their customers. Furthermore, on February 19th, "the FTC will host a public seminar related to commercial tracking using Wi-Fi addresses on mobile phones" to discuss these matters.

Of course, not all smartphone tracking is done for commercial purposes. Forbes further details how "an ordinary person could intercept cellphone calls and data, by, in effect, creating a desktop GSM cell phone tower." While difficult for most people, there are companies that sell equipment that could help out with advanced tracking of mobile devices. A company in Las Vegas says that its device can help you "intercept, block, follow, track, record and listen to communications using unique triangulation and other advanced technology." However, such products are available only to the U.S. Government and appropriate agencies, at least in theory.

Meanwhile, users who want to avoid being tracked can turn off the Wi-Fi of their devices. Alternatively, a better method may be installing apps that hide the MAC address while the Wi-Fi is on, which would make tracking from advertisers a lot more difficult. Additionally�the Blackphone, whose main feature is supposed to be guarding the privacy of the owner, will be unveiled at MWC next week, so you'll soon have yet another option for blocking third parties from tracking you.

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#1357 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 13:32

The WiFi at my house is setup using MAC address only. So anyone wanting to connect to the WiFi, their MAC address has to be stored into all the access points.

So I wonder if installing an app to hide my MAC address will allow me to connect automatically to my own WiFi. Hmm, interesting and I'll probably give it a go, see what happens.

And for all we know, these so called apps that allows the user to do these amazing tricks probably have something up their sleeves anyway. No escape!!!!

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#1358 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 13:43

Gionee Announces the Elife S5.5, World's Slimmest Phone at 5.5 mm Thickness

Syed Sofian Rabbani | February 19, 2014

Outside of the US, China has emerged to be the largest consumer of smartphone devices in the world, so much so, that several manufacturers cater only to the domestic Chinese market and do not expand outside. However in the last couple of years, we've seen Chinese manufacturers trying to create a toe-hold in the Western world - especially by banking on premium smartphone devices. We saw the same trend with Oppo when it released the Find 5, Find 7 and N1 - both premium devices and with Vivo as well.

However, another Chinese manufacturer is trying to differentiate itself from its home-base competitors. Gionee has claimed to launch the world's slimmest smartphone - the Gionee Elife S5.5 - which measures in at an incredibly slim 5.5 mm profile. Just to set a perspective, the Apple iPhone 5S is 7.6 mm thick whereas the LG-made Google Nexus 5 is 8.6 mm thick. If Gionee's claim is believed, the Elife S5.5 edges out Vivo's X3 from the spotlight (the Vivo X3 was crowned the slimmest at 5.75mm). The Chinese manufacturer also goes on to claim that despite its slim profile, the Elife S5.5 will not disappoint on battery life thanks to its 2300 mAh battery - which (as claimed by Gionee) would last all day.

Apart from its profile and battery life, the Gionee Elife S5.5 seems like a mediocre device with a 5 inch display of unknown resolution, a quad-core Mediatek MT6592 chipset clocked at 1.7 GHz, with 2 GB RAM. Internal storage is not yet specified. However, we do know that the device will boast a 13 mega pixels (MP) primary camera and a 5 MP front facing video call camera. The 3G variant of the Gionee Elife S5.5 is already available for preorder in China for ~$370, while the LTE variant would be announced later in June. Gionee has confirmed that the device will be available in close to 40 markets globally, however these markets have not been declared as of yet.

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#1359 [Permalink] Posted on 19th February 2014 22:16

T-Mobile iPhone ad targets BlackBerry owners: "outrage" ensues
Supposing you're a die-hard BlackBerry user and you've seen the T-Mobile USA advertisement released this week targeting you directly, you may feel puzzled. This advertisement shows the iPhone 5s and blasts the message "GREAT OFFER for BlackBerry customers". Since this message was posted earlier this week, BlackBerry users and top brass alike have taken to the soapbox to speak out against it.

And then the apology

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#1360 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 05:00

100

I Finally changed my phone because of a phone upgrade to my plan and got the samsung galaxy 4 S. Quite frankly, I'm pretty much flabbergasted with all the options on the Android (I just converted a nasheed from youtube into an mp3 file, used an app to customize and cut it, then put it as my ringtone....Ya Allah!). Guess I'm experiencing detox from using Apple. :-P But on a serious note, there's a lot of options for customizations, to memory, to apps etc. The only things that I'm unsettled with is the font display for Arabic. They look too comical and graffiti like to me. It looks way better on the Iphone. I know there has to be some type of app out there in the android app store with better Arabic font.

Besides that, I'm satisfied with everything else, Alhamdulillah.

I was looking for that post of abu muhammed on the diff Arabic font apps for the droid.

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#1361 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 07:09

Sulaiman84 wrote:

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abu mohammed wrote:

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www.muftisays.com/forums/27-sharing-portal/7882-recommend...

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#1362 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 08:15

Taalibah wrote:

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Jazakallah I've been on that thread throughout the day and, although that app "Noon" looks nice, there was another app abu muhammad posted a while ago of actual Arabic fonts that I was looking for...

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#1363 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 08:22

Well done brother. Now you will see what all the fuss is about.

Sorry, but I personally am not a fan of Samsung. Too many unnecessary features. Nevertheless better than iPhone.

The fonts I showed you are standard Arabic fonts built in to the phone.

Also, if you've changed your entire font settings, then the Arabic will also change slightly.

InshaAllah, I'll try and find you something as good as the HTC and iPhone Arabic fonts.

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#1364 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 08:34

It'll be much appreciated, Jazakallah!

Since I got the phone, I've been downloading apps mentioned in this thread lol.

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#1365 [Permalink] Posted on 20th February 2014 08:34

Sulaiman84 wrote:

(I just converted a nasheed from youtube into an mp3 file, used an app to customize and cut it, then put it as my ringtone....Ya Allah!).

I did a whole massive post on this issue. I have custom ring tones for different people and I wanted the same ones on my iPhone. It took me soooooo long to do. I posted links to pro Apple forums just for a laugh. Absolutely craziness. I eventually asked Apple owners here to help me. Did I get any? NO!

I finally did it and then posted the whole thing here.

My friend converted from years of iPhone idolizing to the HTC One, downloaded Zedge and spent the whole day in shock and awe. Within minutes he couldn't believe how brainwashed he was.

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