As more and more of our lives revolve around our smartphones, we really do need their batteries to last as long as possible. With those phones receiving more beefy CPUs and larger screens with more pixels, they're starting to use more juice than ever before. Unfortunately batteries aren't seeing huge improvements in technology, which as a result has left manufacturers with only one option: put larger batteries into their handsets.
Google Glass has been at the forefront of tech coverage over the past year or so, with fans completely fascinated by its progress from concept to current beta state. But the Explorer Edition that the search giant began rolling out last year wasn't the first version modeled, rather the result of a painstaking process of running through numerous prototypes before coming up with a form factor fit for the public eye. Via Google+, the Big G has shown a timeline of Glass' evolution over the course of two years, including images, and the change, when contextualized in this way, is quite stark.
The new HTC One M8, which was announced on Tuesday by its Taiwanese manufacturer in both New York and London, looks a solid improvement upon its predecessor, the HTC One M7. Released last year, the M7 was subject to much critical acclaim, and while significantly improving upon it looked a rather difficult task, it's fair to say that the M8 enhances the feature-set with relative aplomb. The build quality is the most immediately obvious improvement with the new handset, and thanks to a new drop test, we get to see just how much stronger this year's flagship is when challenged by its older brother.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is still a couple of weeks away from making its long-awaited retail début, and if you're looking forward to its release, you'll no doubt have been following the recent coverage very closely indeed. Following on from different leaks of the device pre-release, we now have our first proper look at the interior hardware of the forthcoming handset thanks to a teardown by Russian blog Ferra, so if you've been eager to see what's under the hood, your wait is finally over.
Comic book-based movies are currently in vogue, and in the run-up to each new theatrical release, we tend now to see an accompanying title for mobile devices. With Captain America: The Winter Soldier soon to hit the box office, the customary mobile edition has just hit the iOS App Store, as well as Google's Play Store for those on Android. We've got all of the details, as well as those all-important download links, coming up after the fold!
The Philips Hue range of smart bulbs is seen by many as a great gateway into the world of home automation. We really wouldn't argue against that, and with plenty of geeky types telling us at every turn that we should join the home automation revolution, it seems that turning our lights on and off using our smartphones or with the help of a schedule is something we really are going to have to get used to.
In what has to be one of the most leaked phone releases of all time, two days ago HTC set to the stage to officially announce their newest flagship smartphone, the 'all new' HTC One M8. The previous iteration of the HTC One line, the M7, happens to be one of my favorite smartphones of all time, so I was extremely excited to get this one into my hands. As the original HTC One was such a success with the general public, and technology community as a whole, HTC aimed to build on its success and take the methodology that ‘if it ain't broke, don't fix it.’ I'm extremely glad they did.
As expected, Microsoft finally unveiled its famed Office app for the Apple iPad earlier on today at a special keynote, and while this is an addition that will doubtlessly be welcomed by scores of iPad users far and wide, there's also some good news for smartphone-based Office users. As of now, the app is not only free to download, but those using Office Mobile for iPhone and Office Mobile for Android can create, edit and save Office documents on their handsets for free - no Office 365 subscription required.
The wait is almost over for Samsung's next flagship smartphone, with the highly anticipated Galaxy S5 going on sale worldwide next month. The Galaxy S line of smartphones is almost a home run when it comes to sales, but the handsets aren't always universally well reviewed by those who like to dig a little deeper than simple screen size or fancy software features. This year Samsung hopes to right that.
Luxottica Group, the parent company of prestigious eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, has signed a deal with Google that will bring an element of style to the search giant's wearable Glass technology. In a fashion-conscious society, Glass has been trolled by anyone and everyone for its geeky connotations, but with these two decidedly cool brands bringing out their own ranges, perhaps there is some consumer-market potential here after all.
