Motorola Touchless Control App Update Unlocks Your Phone With But A Spoken Word

They say that a spoken word can be extremely powerful, although it is also understood that a curse which has no place will not fall on anyone. Some people follow the school of thought of speaking things into reality, but why not let technology ensure that this happens every time, all the time? Motorola has recently introduced a new update to its Touchless Control app over on Google Play, which would ensure that your smartphone will be more versatile even when it is in a locked state, as extra Google Now commands should now be able to jive with your smartphone when it is idle and locked. You will be able to unlock your PIN simply by speaking it out, and Touchless Control will do all the rest. A new tone is also introduced when you say “OK Google Now.” Apparently, this particular update does seem to be made available only to devices that have Android 4.4 KitKat as the operating system of choice, which pretty much rules out the recent DROID family, at least until Motorola and Verizon do something to remedy that situation soon. Speaking out your PIN is fine and dandy by me, but it seems to be a function that is worth using only in private, coming in most handy when you drive and need to concentrate on the road.


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Skype For Android 4.5 Rolls Out

Just the other day, we read about how Microsoft rolled out a Skype for Windows Phone 8 update to the masses, and this time around, we have a little bit of something for Android device owners who cannot help but sneak in some Skype goodness into their everyday routine. We are looking at Skype for Android version 4.5 now, where there will be a couple of totally new features which will cater for Android tablet owners, in addition to general improvements across the board. Skype happens to be the first Android application that will be able to deliver a picture in picture window, letting you check out your video call never mind the fact that you have already switched away to other applications. I guess some might say that this is an experience which would not be too different from Windows 8′s Snap View, albeit it comes with a touch of Android this time around, letting you multitask even when you are attending to a Skype video call. While this feature is available only on tablets, those using Skype 4.5 on your Android smartphone will still be able to catch out a message that performs a permission request to draw on top of other apps. Other bug fixes and quality improvements in Skype 4.5 would include better Video Instant Messaging functionality, compatibility for the Hudl tablet, crash issues on the Nexus 5 would be no more, as well as persistent drop down filter selections on the people tab.


source-ubergizmo.com

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Galaxy S4 Review

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has arrived to America, and if you have been eagerly waiting to know how it feels to use the Galaxy S4 in the real world, the wait is over. Since its predecessor sold more than 50M units worldwide, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has to live up to rather high anticipation and expectations. You may have followed our first hands-on review of the S4, so you may know a fair amount about this smartphone. for this complete review, we have had more time to use the Galaxy S4 as a primary smartphone, and needless to say that on paper, it improves upon all aspects of the Galaxy S3 with which you may have seen or played with. If not, don’t worry, we’ll provide a good picture of what the S4 is. Now, the question is: how does it actually behave in the real world, and is it a smartphone for you? Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs (powerful) First of all, let’s go over some critical specifications of this new smartphone (a Sprint unit), just to have a frame of reference: Galaxy S3 iPhone 5 Galaxy S4 HTC One Weight 133 112 130 143 Display Size 4.8 4 4.99 4.7 Resolution 1280×720 1136×640 1920×1080 1920×1080 Pixel Density 306 326 441 468 microSD 64GB max No 64GB max No OS Android 4.1 iOS 6 Android 4.2 Android 4.1 Battery mAh 2100 1440 2600 2300 Battery removable Yes No Yes No Infrared blaster No No Yes Yes Camera (F) MP 1.9 1.2 2 2.1 Camera (B) MP 8 8 13 4 Thickness (inches) 0.34 0.3 0.31 0.37 Note that there are a few variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4: this one is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor at 1.9GHz, but the two others feature a Samsung Exynos Octa 5 4+4 cores that I have described at length in my Exynos Octa 5 post. The Samsung chip may embed 8 cores, but it should be considered to be a quad-core chip (in code execution terms) since only 4 can run at any given time. Samsung used the big.LITTLE architecture from ARM, and if you are curious, check what I think of big.LITTLE, it’s pretty neat. Update: experts say that the GS4 is also “easy” to repair. Many of you have asked “why” Samsung comes up with these hardware variations, and although none of the companies involved would usually comment on this hot topic, my guess is that carrier certifications end up being what’s driving those choices. Since the Qualcomm communications software stack works obviously much better with their own processor/modem combo, and given that US carriers (AT&T in particular) have tested and approved Qualcomm, it’s likely that Samsung has chosen Qualcomm to have a faster time to market (Samsung may not have time to qualify their own chips) in order to hit a worldwide market at launch. Although you may hear a lot of noise about the hardware differences, the user experience of both platforms is largely comparable. That’s my opinion after playing with an “Exynos version” of the S4 recently. Context We all use our phones differently, so it’s important that I tell you what I do with my smartphone(s): I typically check email often with the built-in email app (via Microsoft Exchange), and reply moderately because typing on the virtual keyboard is tedious. I browse the web several times a day to check on news sites, but rarely watch movies or play music. I don’t call much – maybe 10mn a day, if at all. On the “apps” side, I have a couple of social networks (FB, G+), a receipts manager and random apps (<20), but I rarely play games or do something super-intensive like video editing. This usage pattern will affect battery life and the perception of what features are useful. Now you know where we’re coming from…

source-ubergizmo.com

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Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One Google Edition

You knew that those devices were coming: the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition (GPE) was announced at Google I/O and the HTC One Google Play Edition followed shortly after that. There are even unconfirmed rumors of an XPERIA Z Google Edition (loaded with the stock Android OS, without modifications), but so far only two have finally landed in our offices: The S4 and the HTC One. You may wonder why Google does sell those devices, and the reason is quite simple: Google wants the general public to be able to experience Android as it was originally developed, on the best possible hardware. In this review, we will focus on the Android aspect, and if you are not yet familiar with the industrial design, performance and other critical aspects of those phones, I recommend reading our in-depth Galaxy S4 Review and HTC One Review articles since they will provide a lot of details.

source-ubergizmo.com

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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Release At Google I/O Reportedly Delayed

A lot has already been rumored about Google’s I/O conference. It is believed that the company will announce a revamped Nexus 7 and a 32GB LTE Nexus 4 instead of a next generation Nexus 5 smartphone. Google was also expected to announce the next major Android platform update, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Its release has now reportedly been delayed by as much as four months to give ample time to OEMs so that they can keep up with the new Android version. Another reason for this delay could be the launch of Motorola X smartphone. The company’s top executives have sung its praises, perhaps they’ll merge both announcements together? At the moment 29.3% of Android devices are powered by Ice Cream Sandwich, in second place comes Jelly Bean which powers some 23% devices. Pushing back the Key Lime Pie release will aid both OEMs and Google itself. Despite being announced at last year’s I/O, many manufacturers and carriers are still rolling it out to Jelly Bean deprived customers. Launching a new version would further increase the fragmentation, and if this rumor is anything to go by, Google looks intent on avoiding that.

source-http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/04/android-5-0-key-lime-pie-release-at-google-io-reportedly-delayed/

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Launching April With S Pen

We caught a glimpse of a Samsung Galaxy S4 concept video earlier this morning, but let’s return from the land of make-believe for a minute to take care of some real Samsung business, shall we? We know many of you, like us, are highly anticipating the reveal and release of the next Samsung Galaxy S device, which may be coming in nearly four months from now and may pack a little surprise if a recent rumor turns out to be true.

According to Korean website Enuri, Samsung plans to launch its Galaxy S4 in April 2013 that sports a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a quad-core Exynos 5440 chip, 13-megapixel rear auto-focus camera and an S Pen, which previously was only made available for Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of smartphones and tablet.

Seeing how Samsung is going to be a total buzzkill and not announce the Galaxy S4 at CES next week, we’ll just need to sit back and wait until they decide to officially unveil their next Galaxy S phone, which if it’s launching in April, may be sometime next Spring.

Source-ubergizmo.com

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Facebook For Android 2.0 Aims For Speed

Facebook has just announced its Facebook for Android 2.0 app which is landing in Google Play later today. The new app is now using native code, just like it does on the iOS version which brought a huge speed boost, especially on the new iPhone 5 hardware. This is the same kind of performance increase that we expect for Android devices this afternoon when the update cycle starts.

Although the app should look the same on the surface, there was a lot of coding work and performance analysis that led to this new version 2.0 (more info on that). This is the biggest change in Facebook for Android since it was first released, and the good news is that Facebook should be able to rely on this foundation for a while, so expect the next release to be more about functionality than performance.

This is great news for Android users who may have grown frustrated by the slow performance of the Facebook app for Android. This was the #1 issue with this app from what I can tell. We’ll see if the release lives up to the expectations, but I’m pretty optimistic, and we’ll know for sure in a few hours. My Galaxy Note 2 cannot wait one more second to get this one.

Source-ubergizmo.com

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Apple drops Galaxy S III mini from patent case

More news today from the ongoing legal tussle between Apple and Samsung. Reuters reports that 1 Infinite Loop's lawyers have withdrawn the Galaxy S III mini handset from the company's ongoing patent infringement case against Samsung. The device was added to the lawsuitjust last month.

The decision stemmed from the fact that the Galaxy S III mini isn't available in the US and isn't likely to be sold here. Samsung had previously argued as much in asking that the phone be kept out of the lawsuit. It was initially added along with the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet and Android Jelly Bean OS. Although it wasn't officially available in the US, Apple's lawyers argued that the Galaxy S III mini should be included because they were able to purchase one through Amazon and have it delivered here.

source-TUAW

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Production lines running through Chinese New Year to meet iPad mini demand

As you celebrate this holiday season with a game of Angry Birds Star Wars on that new iPad mini, take a moment to consider the workers in China who are about to forego their traditional two-week Chinese New Year break. According to United Daily, at least two of Apple's suppliers in the country are planning to run their production lines right through the holiday to meet Chinese demand for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. will run at least some of its lines, while Flexium Interconnect, which makes Apple's printed circuit boards, is keeping its factory in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province open with the help of students.

While it appears that iPhone 5 supply has finally met demand in the US, the iPad mini continues to be hard to find here despite ship times from Apple's online store shrinking to one week earlier this month.

Source-TUAW

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iPhone 5 16 GB Factory Unlocked to cost $649

If you have been waiting for the factory unlocked iPhone 5 to come to the market, your wait seems to be coming to an end soon. This is because a new report on Apple Insider has a screenshot from the official US Apple online store which lists the factory unlocked iPhone 5. Apple Insider reports that over the weekend, when the online publication tried the search string “iPhone 5 factory unlocked” on the US Apple online store, and got the prices for the respective models.

The prices for these factory unlocked iPhone 5 smart phones remain the same as the prices for the factory unlocked iPhone 4S smart phones. You can get the 16 GB model for $649, the 32 GB model for $749, and the 64 GB model for $849. In some countries, the Cupertino tech giant releases the factory unlocked version of the iPhones soon after the release of the wireless carrier locked version of the smart phone. But in the United States, that is not the case. In the United States, there will be a delay of at least 6 weeks between the release of the carrier locked iPhone and the factory unlocked iPhone.

For example, the wireless carrier locked iPhone 4S was launched in early October. The pre orders for the factory unlocked version of the iPhone 4S started in early November. And the shipping of these factory unlocked iPhone 4S smart phones did not start until the third week of November, which is exactly 6 weeks after the launch of the carrier locked iPhone 4S.

Now, we are well into 6 weeks after the release of the wireless carrier locked iPhone 5. So we can expect the Cupertino tech giant to start taking pre orders for the factory unlocked version of the iPhone 5

source-tuaw

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LTE iPhone 5 coming to EE and Three in UK, but not O2 and Vodafone

Brits ready to stake their preorder claim this Friday might have a harder time deciding between the myriad of networks offering the device. While all of the major UK carriers will be ready to offer you the iPhone 5, that LTE radio will only be working on the newly-christened EE from the start, with Three likely to use that purchased spectrum (after getting the okay from Ofcom) to similar effect in the near-future. Unfortunately for Vodafone and O2, the forthcoming Ofcom spectrum auction is gearing up to sell off the 800MHz (Band 20) and 2.6GHz (Band 7) frequencies -- neither of which are found on Apple's multiple iPhone 5 models, and the latter being a bigger problem in Europe and Asia, where LTE networks already make use of the 2.6GHz frequency. However, Apple have followed up an initial phone launch with additional network-specific models before -- so there's a slim chance we could see another model at a later date. All the UK carriers are keeping their contract prices a tightly-guarded secret at the moment, but we'll update as soon as we hear more. Meanwhile, those on that little European isle can expect to pay £529 for the entry-level iPhone 5 from the source when pre-orders start this Friday.

Apple UK

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Samsung will update US Galaxy S III devices to Jelly Bean 'in the coming months'

Samsung Mobile to Begin Jelly Bean Update with TouchWiz® Enhancements for Galaxy S® III Smartphones in the U.S.

Available in the coming months, the Galaxy S III update offers the latest Android™ platform; new camera, video and customization enhancements; and access to ESPN's ScoreCenter app with custom AllShare® integration

DALLAS - October 17, 2012 - Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) – the No.1 mobile phone provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide1 – continues its commitment to bringing the latest innovation to market with the rollout of Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, the latest version of the world's most popular smartphone operating system, to all Galaxy S III smartphones in the U.S. in the coming months.

The update will be made available both over the air and as a download via Kies, Samsung's content sync and software update solution. The specific timing and update method will be announced by each carrier partner, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular.

Galaxy S III owners will receive the Jelly Bean update as well as a host of new and enhanced TouchWiz features, making it a faster, richer and more responsive device experience. Samsung's best-selling flagship smartphone just got even better.

Samsung refined and enhanced the Galaxy S III experience by adding new capabilities to the camera, video and user interface, including:
· Camera Enhancements:
o New live camera and camcorder filters offer a range of new ways to spark your creativity. Warm vintage, cold vintage, black and white, sepia, color highlights (blue, green, red/yellow), and many more are selectable from the main camera screen.
o Pause and resume while recording video allows users to string together multiple captured video clips from a party, birthday or sporting event into a single file with no post editing required.
o Low light photo mode takes advantage of Galaxy S III's best-in-class High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities and offers an optimized mode for low light and indoor photos.
· Pop Up Play Update: Users can now easily resize or pause the Pop Up Play picture-in-picture video window, taking full advantage of the Galaxy S III's powerful processor and large 4.8-inch screen.
· Easy Mode: Easy Mode is a simplified user experience option for first-time smartphone owners, providing large home screen widgets that focus on the device essentials. The Easy widgets include both 4x2 and 4x4 arrangements of favorite contacts, favorite apps, favorite settings, clock and alarm.
· Blocking Mode: Galaxy S III owners can disable incoming calls, notifications, alarms and LED indicators for a designated period of time.
· Improved Usability: Users now have multiple keyboard options with the addition of the Swype® keyboard.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean offers users a smoother, faster and more fluid experience with expanded feature functionality, including:

· Google Now™: Google Now gives users the right information at the right time, like how much traffic to expect before leaving work, when the next train is scheduled to arrive at the subway station or the score of a favorite team's current game – conveniently delivered as notifications. Additionally, Google Now provides powerful voice assistant functionality across a range of domains, including weather, maps, navigation, search, image search, flight status and more. Google Now can conveniently be launched from the lock screen shortcut or by a long press on the menu button from any screen.
· Rich Notifications: Notifications can now expand and shrink with a pinch to show the right amount of information a user needs. Notifications have been enhanced so action can be taken without having to launch the app first – like sharing a screenshot directly from the notification.
· Automatic Widget Adjustment: Customizing the home screen is easier than ever before. Users can simply place a new icon or widget on the screen, and existing icons will move out of the way to make space. When widgets are too big, they automatically resize to fit on the screen.

In addition to the operating system update, Samsung and ESPN worked together to integrate AllShare® technology into ESPN's popular ScoreCenter® application. This means Galaxy S III owners will now be able to wirelessly push on-demand ESPN global sports coverage and highlights from the ESPN ScoreCenter app to their Samsung SMART TV™. When on the same Wi-Fi network as a Samsung SMART TV, a sharing icon will appear within the ScoreCenter video player which allows users to seamlessly push what they are watching to the TV. The ScoreCenter app with AllShare integration is available today for download through S Suggest™ on all U.S. Galaxy S III devices.

With the Jelly Bean update, the Galaxy S III will also add support for some exciting new accessory experiences.
· AllShare® Cast Wireless Hub: The AllShare Cast Wireless Hub accessory allows users to wirelessly mirror their phone screen to any HDTV or HDMI® display. Whether it's sharing pictures, browsing the Web, playing games, streaming music, watching videos or projecting business presentations, users can control the action on the big screen wirelessly from their smartphone. AllShare Cast Wireless Hub even supports licensed content playback of premium TV and movies.
· NFC One Touch Pairing Support: Galaxy S III can now pair with supporting NFC Bluetooth® accessories in a single touch. The Samsung Galaxy HM3300 Bluetooth headset will be the first Samsung portfolio accessory to support this functionality (available in the near future), allowing users to pair their headset by touching it to the back of their device.

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iPhone Thefts: ‘Apple Picking’ on the Rise

Cities across the country are on alert as officials warn of an uptick in stolen Apple products, dubbed “Apple picking.”

According to the Federal Communications Commission, 30-40 percent of robberies in several major cities involve cell phones, including 38 percent in Washington, D.C. and 40 percent in New York City.

Las Vegas police broke up two rings of cell phone thieves on September 6.

“What this started with, we had a normal report of a theft. Somebody stole someone’s cell phone,” said Bill Cassell of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. “Our officers started investigating and realized there were a lot of other similar instances.”

The LVMPD connected these robberies because they all seemed to target similar victims.

“They were all targeting people in fast food restaurants, coffee shops, people walking on street,” Cassell said. “The victims all had a similar profile too. They were all focused on their cells phones, inattentive of their surroundings and looked like they wouldn’t put up a fight.”

The thieves, many of them juveniles, would either ask to borrow the victim’s cell phone and run off with it or simply grab it from their unsuspecting victims.

“We tracked down some of the individuals involved and in doing this, realized there were two groups of people doing the same crime the same way. But they weren’t associated,” said Cassell.

One of the groups was charged with 14 cell phone thefts. The other has been charged with seven thefts, but according to Officer Cassell, the investigation of 20-30 thefts is still on-going.

The recent increase in cell phone thefts has prompted action from both the government and major wireless carriers.

In April, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, along with Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced new initiatives to combat the thefts.

Genachowski announced the creation and implementation of a database to prevent the use of stolen smartphones. With this new system, which is expected to launch in the coming months, a cell phone user can report their device stolen and their carrier will block the device from being used.

Officials believe that the registry will cut cell phone thefts. Even more dangerous is the threat of stolen personal information stored on smartphones.

“That’s what we’re most worried about, the tremendous amount of information these people are stealing,” Cassell said.

Beyond monetary consequences, many people are injured or even killed during robberies.

Hwangbum Yang, 26, a chef at a restaurant in Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art, was shot and killed during a cell phone robbery on his way home from work in April.

In 2011, 17-year-old Prince Watson was charged with the murder of Sally Katona-King, 68, when he shoved her down the stairs in an attempt to steal her iPhone, according to ABC Chicago affiliate WLS.

And device thefts are not limited to the street or coffee shops.

Last week, a California man was accused of driving his SUV through an Apple store in Temecula and stealing thousands of dollars worth of display items. The investigation is still on-going

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App of the Week: YouTube for iOS Runs on iPhone, iPod

App Name: YouTube

Price: Free

Available Platforms: iOS (new iPhone App), iPod Touch, and Android

What does this app do? With this week’s announcement of Apple’s iPhone 5 and iOS 6, it’s fitting that Google should follow suit with something new too. It released YouTube in app form for the iPhone and iPod touch. (If you hadn’t heard, Apple will stop pre-loading Google Maps and YouTube in iOS 6.)

Developed by YouTube engineers, the latest app comes with thousands of more videos, according to a blog post by Andrey Doronichev, head of YouTube mobile.

Log in with your email account, and use a tab at in the upper left hand corner to toggle between the YouTube home feed and your own collection of channels. With one swipe to the left, you can view channels you subscribe to, or, if you are a newcomer, peruse the home feed, which you can adjust to show highlights or uploads only.

Tapping on a video will reveal a few familiar icons on the screen allowing you to like or dislike a video, and view it in full screen mode. You can also comment on or share your selection using Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or email.

Some additional functions allow you to add all of those “cute-cat-doing-funny-things” videos to playlists or favorites, and flag it to watch later.

Is it easy to set up? Yes. Although the app will not come built into iOS 6 as it did with previous versions of Apple’s operating software, the standalone version downloads in seconds. Log in with your email account and go!

Should I try it? When you think of online video sharing sites, likely you think of YouTube before anything else. The app’s channel guides, sharing capability and full screen mode make viewing videos on your mobile device effortless.

One drawback? Google now allows ads to appear on the screen. That aside, this is a very clean and easy-to-navigate app.

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You Can Now Pre-Order the iPhone 5

If it is 3:01 a.m. ET or past that time, you can now pre-order the iPhone 5 from Apple, Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint’s websites. No matter where you shop, the 16GB model will start at $199 with a two-year contract. Apple will offer an unlocked version of the phone — one that isn’t tied to a carrier — for more money but it isn’t expected to go on sale today.

While it will be late at night for many, lots of people are expected to get up in the wee hours of the morning, fork over their credit card numbers and order the phones. The iPhone will actually ship to those who order in one week, on Friday, Sept. 21st.

The new phone, which was announced earlier this week, has a number of new features, including a larger 4-inch display, LTE, a faster processor, improved camera and a new design. You can check out our guide to the top new features here.

Even before the phone was announced, iPhone owners began to sell their phones on sites like Gazelle and Glyde. According to those sites, iPhone sales have been at an all-time high over the last few weeks as people prepared to buy the new phone. Analysts predict that Apple could sell as many as six to 10 million iPhone 5s before the end of September.

Apple and the cellular carriers will begin selling the phone in stores on Sept. 21st at 8 a.m. ET. And in typical Apple product launch fashion, lines are expected.

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Apple sets September 12 event, latest iPhone expected

(Reuters) - Apple Inc distributed invitations to an event in San Francisco on September 12, setting the stage for what is widely expected to be the release of the iPhone 5.

The typically cryptic invitation said "It's almost here", sported a number 12 - corresponding to the date of the event - and cast a large shadow of the number 5, a clue that the fifth version of the popular smartphone could be in the pipeline.

Apple's iPhone launches are among the most-watched events on the tech industry calendar. The latest version of the company's main product -- generating more than half its revenue -- may sport a larger, higher-end screen, sources have said.

The new screen could measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one source has said, an increase from the 3.5-inch display that has been held constant since the smartphone began selling in 2007 and revolutionized the mobile industry.

Some analysts say the larger screen may be a response to rival Samsung Electronics, whose larger, Google Android phones have helped it become the world's biggest smartphone maker.

Speculation had also arisen in past months that the company might offer details about a smaller version of its iPad, but the emailed invitation offered no hint of that on Tuesday.

The event will take place at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the preferred venue for the unveiling of past products such as the iPad.

The new iPhone will hit store shelves in time for the crucial holiday season. Shares in the company edged 0.6 percent higher to $669.44.

(Reporting By Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

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Sony Xperia Tablet S Touts Remote-Control Functionality, Trim Dimensions

While Sony experimented with its dual-screen Tablet P last year, it seems to be playing things a bit more conservatively this year. At the IFA technology trade show in Berlin today, Sony announced its new Xperia Tablet S, a 9.4-inch Android 4.0 tablet.
The new version of the tablet has been improved in a few key ways: It is now thinner than the previous version (0.35 inches at its thinnest point), faster with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor from Nvidia, and has some new functionality, including an improved remote app.
And it’s the latter piece – the remote functionality – on which Sony’s  really focusing. The tablet has an IR blaster so it can control your TV. But while you can use the tablet as a universal remote, you can also load up the Watch Now app that provides a visual program guide alongside social media feeds.
Additionally, Sony has made some adjustments to Android 4.0, including a new Guest Mode that lets you set up different accounts with parental controls, if you choose.
The 1.26-pound tablet has a 9.4-inch 1280 x 800-resolution display, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting.
Sony is also releasing some unique accessories to enhance the tablet experience, including a cover with a keyboard similar to the one Microsoft has shown for its Surface tablet. The $99.99 keyboard uses touch sensors rather than physical keys. Sony says that this keyboard was in production before Microsoft’s Surface announcement in June. It also will release a $99.99 docking stand that lets you rotate the screen; one with a built in speaker will be out in November for $ 129.99.
The tablet itself starts at $399 for the 16GB version and will be available Sept. 7 online and at stores.
Sony Mobile Communications announced last week that it planned to lay off 15 percent of its workforce, about 1,000 employees, by 2014.

source-abcnews

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Want Security and Privacy? Turn Off Your Mobile Devices' GPS

People with smartphones and tablets may be giving Apple and Android apps they download the permission to capture their geolocation data to know where they are, but security experts are making the strong argument to just say no instead -- and turn off that GPS function unless really needed.

"There's the privacy concern, maybe you don't want billions of people to know where you live," says Alan Brill, senior managing director, Kroll Advisory Solutions, who points out that smartphones with GPS chips today will embed geotagging information into the photo you upload to social-networking sites. It's fairly simple to use EXIF interpreter software that's freely available online to cull that geolocation data out of your photo, Brill says. In fact, this is happening today in military situations where adversaries watch for photos posted by the other side, he adds.

[Smartphone Spying Reality Check | Is Your Android Phone Spying On You?]

There are implications about GPS for businesses, too, according to Kroll, which recently sent out an advisory to its clientele on the topic. Regulatory agencies around the world, especially in Europe, are starting to consider whether geolocation information should be considered sensitive data. And that means that businesses that collect and store geolocation data as part of marketing campaigns will need to start regarding it as something that they one day may find carries a huge legal burden in the event of a data breach.

Brill says he's especially concerned about geotagging in photos when it comes to children and teens who frequently post photos online, not knowing that it likely is possible for strangers to figure out where they are. The device GPS function can be turned off, and in most cases, it probably should be, Brill recommends. GPS can help with getting road directions, but there are so many unexpected ways that personal GPS information is being collected today.

GFI Software this week came out with a report that described how apps created by the Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigns as outreach to potential voters are designed to be able to capture GPS information related to the user's device, among other personal information.

These Google Android and Apple iOS apps -- one is called "Mitt's VP" and the other "Obama for America" -- are both available through the official Apple and Android app stores and are intended to give the presidential campaigns a closer connection to potential voters. But according to Dodi Glenn, GFI's product manager for the VIPRE anti-malware consumer product line, both the Obama and Romney apps extend the ability to monitor and control the user's tablet or smartphone a little too far.

The Romney app is designed to give that campaign the ability to activate the device camera and turn on the audio like an open mike, Glenn points out. Both the Romney and Obama apps can read the user's contacts and upload them. And both can exploit GPS functions in devices with GPS chips. "Both have the ability to capture GPS data," he says.


The "Obama for America" app takes geolocation data to the greater extreme, he points out. The Obama app allows for the presentation of a U.S. map where Democrat-registered voters are displayed as blue flags in the neighborhood where they live. The Obama app encourages supporters to canvas neighbors to get them to vote, says Glenn. He says he finds it all a "little creepy."

"They want you to go to the neighbors, it's how to volunteer for the campaign," Glenn surmises. The nation's political-party voter registration information is readily available to political campaigns and his long been widely used for targeted political advertising via telephone calls and regular mail asking for donations, for example. But even though personal names aren't being displayed on the Obama for America app map, Glenn says he finds it disconcerting to see GPS data used in a modern political campaign in this way on user smartphones and tablets.

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