We've become increasingly aware of how important it is to protect privacy and personal data in this modern digital age, and whenever there's a risk of said information falling into the wrong hands, it's only natural that we pay attention.
We finally saw an end to the long drawn out affair that was Microsoft's courtship of Nokia a few days back when it was announced that the Redmond firm would be buying Nokia, or at least the interesting parts of it. Microsoft's biggest Windows Phone partner, Nokia, has arguably been the one OEM that has thrown all its weight behind the Windows Phone platform, and with good reason. Microsoft famously paid a small - or not so small - fortune to get Nokia to make Windows Phone handsets exclusively and it was perhaps only a matter of time before a purchase was made.
Although Sony's unannounced Honami smartphone is rumored to offer 4K recording, prominent computer manufacturer Acer has come through and confirmed a handset offering the capture of ultra-HD video. Named the Liquid S2, the device is set to be fully unveiled at this year's IFA trade show in Berlin, but with 4K video recording and a Snapdragon 800 processor from Qualcomm, we're already pretty excited about it.
If the smartphone was the biggest growth market in technology over the last five years, then wearable technology is quite possibly going to be in the same boat from this point forward, especially if all the rumored devices do actually see the light of day.
Android is a fantastic mobile operating system, and continues to become one of the biggest forces in mobile software out on the market. As is the nature of Android, everybody seems to want a slice. Whilst this means that we, as consumers, have a large product base to choose from, it also means we get lumbered with a huge amount of manufacturer bloatware. Without a doubt the worst feature of the Samsung Galaxy S4, in my opinion at least, happens to be the user experience that Samsung TouchWiz provides. HTC Sense 5 isn't any better either, and don't even get me started on Motorola's MOTOBLUR from some years back.
In breaking news, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has just delivered its verdict on a long-running case between Apple and Samsung, ruling in favor of Apple in a decision that will see certain Samsung devices banned from import to the US. The case has been running for a number of years, and this particular ordeal began when Apple counter-sued Samsung in 2011 after the Galaxy maker claimed that a handful of the Cupertino-based company's devices were infringing on its patents.
Finding a misplaced smartphone can often be a losing battle, but with technology being what it is in this Digital Age, there are all manner of tools available out there to help you track it down. Most of these apps offer some sort of alarm, vibration, tracking system, and even security features like screenshotting the faces of those typing failed password entries or remote wipe. Yet while Apple has offered this feature to its customers for a long time now with Find My iPhone, the same cannot be said of Android - until now.
Whenever a big company announces an impromptu special event, chins begin wagging as to what products or services said company will be bringing to the table. With the incessant talk of a follow up to the ASUS-manufactured Nexus 7 arriving soon, it's more than likely the Android community will begin talking and speculating about its possible announcement this time next week.
Google not only vends the Android operating system, but also a lot of quality apps for smartphones and tablets running the said OS. Time to time, Google keeps bringing a much-anticipated and completely radical update to one of its apps that usually prove to be a game changer in most cases. This time around, the app to receive such an update is the famous Google Maps, pushing the version number to 7.0 and gradually rolling out globally for Android (iOS update still to follow).
Dual booting operating systems on mobile devices can be an exciting experience, and although Windows 8 usually restricted to tablets vetted officially by Microsoft, it doesn't always have to be this way. The folks of XDA-Developers have found a way to dual boot Android and Windows 8 on the Acer Iconia W700, and although it's by no means a seamless experience, it does offer a little variation to those of a very tech-orientated nature.
