After much speculation, Samsung Electronics today have finally confirmed that they are ready to introduce the world to the next-generation Galaxy device. The technology world has been discussing the potential aesthetics and technical specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S IV for quite some time, with the South Korean company confirming that a dedicated event will be held on March 14th to announce the device.
If you've spent any amount of time flashing ROMs or modding elements of your Android device, you'll know how enjoyable and rewarding a process it can be. However, when flashing firmware, wiping your data is always a prerequisite, and while there are various means of backing up your smartphone or tablet, such as a full ROM back up in recovery (known as a nandroid backup), it is something we sometimes wish we didn't have to go through. It's an inconvenient, but necessary predicament, XDA-Developers member Goddchen has sought to make the process of backing up information a great deal easier by creating a sort of all-in-one utility with Easy App Toolbox.
A recent study carried out by the parent company of tech problem-solvers FixYa has found that Apple's iPhone is far and away the most reliable on the market, and compared with arch-rival Samsung, is a full 300% more reliable. Earlier this week, we learned the Cupertino handset was the best-selling smartphone in the world based on Q4 sales figures, but while that is a seasonal affair which often swings in favor of the company which has most recently dropped a flagship, the depth of the FixYa study makes the outcome even more damning. It took into account a total 722,558 combined problem reports, along with market share data from StatCounter, in order to obtain reliability scores; and in short, Apple excelled while competitors faltered.
With March 14th looking increasingly likely to play host to the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S IV, the anticipation level is approaching fever pitch. That day, incidentally, is the day before rival HTC launches its new, impressive 'One' handset to market, which makes the prospect of the fourth Galaxy S device landing on the 14th to bag some thunder even more likely. According to reports surfacing today, the Samsung device may follow in the Taiwanese company's footsteps by placing significant emphasis on the camera, with some reading into Android 4.2's Photosphere feature as a sure sign Samsung wishes to implement its 'Orb' technology to the forthcoming smartphone.
Whenever a significant new mobile device is set to hit the market, the case makers are never far behind - frantically trying to outdo each other on those all-important dimensions and get that crucial step ahead of the game. With the Samsung Galaxy S IV set to be announced in less than a month if recent reports are to be believed, and UK mobile accessory pusher MobileFun has gathered some purported cases sourced from a “trusted” Chinese accessory manufacturer which supposedly offers an insight into the handset's design.
Canonical had promised the availability of its fabled (and much anticipated) Linux operating system for mobile devices, christened Ubuntu Touch, for Android-based Nexus devices starting February 21, and they have made good on their commitment. The developer preview of Ubuntu Touch was made available for download a few hours earlier, and when we reported that for you, we, too, made a promise for a guide on how to install the preview on your Android powered Nexus device. Well, without further ado, here we go. This article will lay down the steps for getting Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview up and running on your Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, 7 or 10.
As promised, Canonical has delivered its Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview to a bunch of Nexus smartphones and tablets. In the same week that also saw the announcement of a version tailored specifically for tablets, Canonical really seems intent on driving its easy-to-use Linux flavor to both of the mobile realms, and if you've a spare Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 lying around (plus, a little know-how), then you can now get started with the Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview.
As smartphones have gotten better and more powerful, this has naturally had a knock-on effect with regards to battery life. The designers of the high-end handsets have had to think long and hard about how to keep the increasingly demanding feature set as juiced-up as possible, and although there have been some improvements from the early days of iOS and Android, devices seldom hold up beyond a day of moderate to high use. Chip maker Qualcomm, which develops processors for a fleet of Android and Windows Phone devices, has developed an app by the name of BatteryGuru which, it claims, will extend battery performance. As well as better battery retention, the app, which is still in beta, also purports to "improve overall user experience by intelligently making changes that optimize Snapdragon device functionality."
Today, I headed over to the official launch of the HTC One down in London's Oxford Street, and got a hands-on look at the Taiwanese company's latest and greatest smartphone device. There's no debating that, on paper, the device is a monster, but what's it like to hold? Is the build quality up to scratch? And does the "Boom" factor in the speaker or the "UltraPixel" element of the camera make any notable difference, or is it marketing jargon? I'll be answering all of these questions, and offering my initial reaction to the device after the break.
Mozilla has just released Firefox 19 for users of the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, and among a plethora of new features comes an in-built PDF viewer. Since increasing its release schedule, Mozilla has stuck almost religiously to its six-week cycles, and although it's rare - in software terms - to see a whole number update pertaining to only a few minor changes, it helps Mozilla keep up with Google's rampant Chrome browser.
