Saturday, March 9, 2013

Sony Xperia Z

he Xperia Z is Sony’s latest, most advanced smartphone to date. However, in a world full of iPhones and Galaxys, does it really offer much to separate it from the competition? Keep reading as we lay it all out for you.

Sony Xperia Z waterproof official
Design

The Sony Xperia Z is a ginormous bit of kit – there’s no getting away from that fact. However, it’s also amazingly slim, measuring just 7.9 millimeters thick and weighing in at a very respectable 146 grams, making it quite comfortable to carry.
Sony Xperia Z front and back official (black)
Height-wise, however, it’s still quite a handful and may feel slightly unwieldy if you have small hands, as your thumb won’t easily reach some of the menu options located at the top.
While looks are subjective, we think the Xperia Z is a very polished and handsome looking device that will surely catch a few admiring glances for its slick, monolith form.
Sony Xperia Z volume rocker side official
What really separates the Xperia Z from the competition, however, is that it’s certified water and dust resistant.
With Ingress Protection ratings IP55 and IP57, the Xperia Z can withstand being submerged in one metre of water for up to thirty minutes and won't easily get clogged up inside too.
The handset also features a Dragontrail glass front and back to keep scratches and scuffmarks to a minimum. We dropped the review unit numerous times for “test purposes” and the front panel received only the smallest of scrapes.
Suffice to say, these are all very impressive credentials for what is essentially a very high-end smartphone. Naturally, this makes the Xperia Z an ideal choice if you’re prone to - or even worried about - dropping your handset a lot – be it on the ground or in a tub of water.

Hardware

Display and processor
The Xperia Z has a five-inch full HD Reality Display with an eye-popping 441 pixels per inch density that’s over a 100 higher than even the iPhone’s Retina Display.
Sony Xperia Z display specs official
Better yet, it uses Sony’s latest Mobile Bravia Engine 2 video processor, offering a silky smooth framerate that really brings movies to life. The touchscreen itself is incredibly responsive, providing an enjoyable experience in every situation we’ve come across.
Sony Xperia Z display movie official
The only thing letting it down is a less-than-stellar viewing angle and a contrast ratio that we wish were higher to take advantage of those extra pixels.
Under the hood, Xperia Z straps a brawny 1.5GHz quad core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor that keeps things ticking over smoothly and handles both multimedia and multitasking with aplomb.
Camera
As with most Sony smartphones, the Xperia Z has a very impressive camera too. At the back it has a 13-megapixel autofocus shooter, equipped with LED flash and the new Exmor RS sensor that takes great snaps in low-light conditions. Basically, it’s perfect if you live in Britain.
Sony Xperia Z camera official
We’re particularly impressed by how fast the autofocus is and how the lens is able to keep with up with fast movements without breaking a sweat.
Of course, like most high-end kits, the Xperia Z records videos in full HD and ups the ante with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video recording as well, which should please any keen videographer.
At the front of the handset is a 2.2-megpaixel webcam, which also offers 1080p HD recording and is great for making video calls too.
Connectivity and extras
In terms of connectivity, the Xperia Z is packed with options. Chief among these is Near Field Communication – aka NFC – which lets you use the handset to pay for low-ticket items – say coffee or travel – by simply swiping the handset over an NFC reader.
Sony Xperia Z screen close-up
Although it’s still early days for NFC, with most major handset makers adopting the technology, it’s bound to become standard eventually.
There’s also Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Wi-Fi Direct for fast wireless data transfer. And there’s DLNA support and Wireless TV out too to let you wirelessly stream video on the handset to a compatible HD television.
In terms of storage, you have 16 gigabytes onboard to play with, plus a microSD slot to expand that further.
Last but certainly not least, the Xperia Z is 4G ready, which means it will work with the high-speed network standard out of the box.

Interface and software

The Xperia Z runs on the latest Jelly Bean version of Google’s Android operating system, which means it has all the newest features and improvements the platform has to offer.
Sony Xperia Z home screen close-up official
It also comes with Sony’s bespoke user interface slathered on top, but a good thing is that this is not as heavily customised as proprietary skins on some other Android handsets and is much closer to what you expect from the vanilla edition of Android.
To unlock the screen you swipe upwards, which has a rather neat blinds-like animation. You also have two shortcuts, which you can tap and swipe sideways to jump straight into an application.
Inside, there are seven home screens, which you can personalise with a host of widgets, apps and themes to really make the handset your own.
Apps can be organized using folders, while many of the widgets can be resized as you see fit. You can also change the appearance of the homescreen using themes and wallpapers.
For the most part, the software on the Xperia Z is pretty much what you expect if you’ve used an Android smartphone before. However, it also packs some great Sony apps such as Music Unlimited, Walkman and PlayMemories – plus all the best Google apps and services like Gmail, YouTube and Maps installed out of the box.
Sony Xperia Z waterproof front and side official
Of course, the real action is at the Google Play store where you’ll find hundreds of thousands of great applications, as well movies and music to download - all of which should run with a real sense of snap on the Xperia Z thanks to its powerful processor and ample memory.

Verdict

The Sony Xperia Z is a brilliant handset. It’s crammed with cutting-edge technologies - not least of which is a gorgeous screen, a brawny processor and a fantastic camera.
xperia z purple back
Of course, the fact that it’s water and dust resistant too also deserves serious consideration when you’re thinking of spending a substantial amount of money on a new handset.
If you’re in the market for a truly high-end smartphone, you can’t go wrong with the Xperia Z.
Thanks to O2 for supplying the handset used in this review.


Sunday, March 3, 2013

Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III

Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
It’s the battle between the flagships! Two handsets enter, only one can leave claiming supremacy in the smartphone landscape. For a good while now, Samsung’s pride and joy in the Galaxy S III has been tearing up the scene, and when the Apple iPhone 5 finally became a reality, Samsung made sure to let everyone know that “the next big thing is already here.” Talking the talk, we’re taking these two hotshot smartphones and pitting them against one another, to unequivocally proclaim which device reigns supreme amongst the two.


Design:

Visibly seeing a huge size disparity between the two, the iPhone 5 is undoubtedly easier to grasp in the hand, seeing that it’s lighter in weight, skinnier in frame, and not as cumbersome to hold in the hand as the Galaxy S III. In addition, it’s quite evident that the iPhone 5 is the more premium looking device between the two, as it sports a brushed aluminum rear casing and a sturdier construction. However, there’s no doubt in our mind that the Samsung Galaxy S III would probably handle a fall a lot better than its rival – mainly because its plastic body wouldn’t be as badly beaten up.

Below their displays, there are physical buttons that get us back to their respective homescreens – though, one is raised while the other is recessed. Nevertheless, there’s not one that’s more advantageous since the necessary tactile responses are there.


The Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Buttons below the displays - The Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Front cameras - The Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Buttons below the displays
Front cameras
The Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right)
Looking around the sides of both handsets, they share many common elements – like their 3.5mm headset jacks, microphones, power buttons, and volume controls. However, the Samsung Galaxy S III employs a more universally favored microUSB port, which offers video-out with the aid of an MHL adapter, while the iPhone 5 sticks to Apple’s newer proprietary Lightning docking port.

Sizing up evenly to one another, these flagships bear the same count 8-megapixel auto-focus cameras with LED flash, both of which can shoot 1080p videos of course. Meanwhile, Apple’s beauty sports a front-facing 1.3-megapixel snapper, while there’s a 1.9-megapixel one on the Galaxy S III. So far, it looks like an even match, but we’ll compare the qualities of the two a bit later on.

Bottom edges - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Left - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Top - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Bottom edges
Left
Top
Right - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Backs - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Rear cameras - The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right) - Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III
Right
Backs
Rear cameras
The sides of the Apple iPhone 5 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S III (right)

Display:


After spending some time meticulously detailing their intricacies, it’s still a difficult call on which device has the better display. With the Samsung Galaxy S III’s 4.7-inch HD 720 x 1280 Super AMOLED display, we love it for its larger size and saturated colors, while the iPhone 5’s 4-inch 640 x 1136 Retina Display wins for its better visibility outdoors and exceptionally accurate colors. Sure, the Retina Display of the iPhone 5 coughs up the higher pixel density of 326 ppi, versus the 306 ppi figure with the SGSIII, but in all honesty, it’s negligible since they’re both soundly detailed. Since they both flaunt great viewing angles, it ultimately comes down to colors for this one. Being an AMOLED panel, the SGSIII exhibits cooler tones that tend to cast a bluish hue to the color white, while the iPhone 5 produces colors that are very natural in tone – so it’s simply a matter of preference.




Saturday, March 2, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S3 grabs-Best smartphone award at MWC 2013

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has been named the best smartphone of the last 12 months, as Samsung’s virtual mantelpiece becomes more and more crowded with trophies.
The tech giant picked up the award for the year’s finest high-end handset at the Global Mobile Awards, held this week at the Mobile World Congress gadget expo in Barcelona.
samsung galaxy s3 official
According to the GSM Association, which sponsors the award, the 40 million-selling S3 merited its win for the “world beating smartphone experience” if offers, as well as its “uncompromised performance”.
The S3 also scooped the prize for best smartphone at uSwitch Tech’s 2012 mobile awards while T3 magazine garlanded the handset with the title of ‘Phone of the Year’ at the tail end of 2012.
JK Shin, Head of IT and Mobile Communications at Samsung, said: “2012 was a defining year for Samsung that saw us set new records in the mobile industry.
“The judges have recognised Samsung’s innovation across multiple categories. At Samsung we are committed to changing the way customers around the world experience mobile technology, in all categories and markets.”
Next month is set to see the launch of the S3’s successor at a press event in New York. Informally dubbed the Galaxy S4, the handset is expected to feature a larger, five-inch Super AMOLED fHD display and eye motion-sensitive controls.
It’s also rumoured to sport an eight-core processor - in select territories at least. That’s double the core count of its predecessor and would make the S4 the world's most powerful smartphone by some distance.

LG Optimus F5 and F7 4G phones - announced ahead of MWC 2013

LG has raised the curtain on two mid-range 4G smartphones – the Optimus F5 and the Optimus F7 – as it bids to bring the superfast network technology to the masses.
LG F Series smartphones live photos
Unveiled rather unceremoniously in a press release mere days before this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) kicks off in Barcelona, the handsets are billed as increasing "LG’s 4G LTE footprint”, as it looks to fill an apparent gap in the market for keenly priced 4G phones.
Featuring some very modest specs, the smartphones are clearly intended for the scores of new and entry-level buyers who’ll be looking to get on board with the 4G revolution that’s finally kicking into gear in the UK.
Highlights of the Optimus F5 include a 4.3-inch IPS display, a 1.2GHz dual core processor and a none-too-shabby five-megapixel shooter, while the Optimus F7 rocks a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual core chip and an eight-megapixel primary snapper.
Both kits offer 8GB of onboard storage (expandable by a further 32GB via microSD), the latest Jelly Bean (4.1.2) version of Android preinstalled and a host of UI features, upgraded versions of exclusive LG apps and Live Zooming, which lets users zoom into a specific area while watching a video.
“LG continues to lead the industry with 4G LTE innovation and the Optimus F Series, a well-balanced an well-equipped 4G LTE smartphone for the mass market, embodies the best of our broad LTE patent portfolio and innovative UX features,” said CEO Dr. Jong-seok Park.
“With adoption of LTE expected to explode in 2013, we are sending a clear message to con-sumers with the Optimus F Series that LTE isn’t just for heavy content users and techies anymore. It’s for everyone.”
LG is expected to officially showcase the Optimus F5 and the Optimus F7 at its press conference at MWC, where it’s also likely to reveal pricing and availability details. So stay tuned.

Samsung unveils 8-inch tablet with phone capability 2013

SEOUL: Samsung on Sunday unveiled an eight-inch tablet with phonecall capability to rival

A handout photo released on February 24, 2013 shows a Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 8.0, the latest version of its oversized smartphone lineup. (AFP PHOTO/Samsung Electronics)
Apple's recently launched iPad mini and to cement its market dominance by offering devices in

a variety of sizes.



The Galaxy Note 8.0 features an eight-inch screen and, where it may steal a march on its rival

which measures 7.9-inches, the ability to make phone calls.

The new device, now being marketed by Samsung as a "tablet", is powered by Google's

Android software and will be showcased at the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

beginning on February 25, the company said in a statement.

Like previous incarnations of the Galaxy Note, the device comes with a stylus pen allowing the

user to write or draw on the screen, which can be split in two to run various programs at the same time.

Global sales will begin in the second quarter, the firm said.

Samsung is the world's top maker of smartphones and mobile phones in general.

The latest device -- the first from the company to feature an eight-inch screen -- is set to fill a

gap in the firm's wide product lineup, which ranges from the flagship smartphone Galaxy S to

the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 and the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab tablet PC.

The firm has recently shifted its focus to its Galaxy Note, which turned out to be far more

popular than the larger Galaxy Tab, offering the Note in various sizes in a move that blurred the

lines between smartphones and tablet PCs.

Samsung said the launch of the Galaxy Note 8.0 will "reignite the mid-size tablet category" -- a

segment increasingly crowded by rival products including the iPad mini that launched last

November and Google's seven-inch Nexus 7.

Samsung and Apple accounted for more than half of all smartphone sales in the final quarter of

2012 -- 29.0 percent for Samsung and 22.1 percent for Apple -- according to research firm

Strategy Analytics.

The new prototype Android, model E-Ink

During the week, respectively, at the Mobile World Congress the company Onyx International has introduced a new model of Android phone, the prototype E-Ink, which should be filled only once during the week.
Onyx International is now known as the company that produces technology equipment black and white E-Ink, and among its most popular models is electronic reader called Boox.

While its smart phone in Android, E-Ink is under development, and is currently in the concept stage, rather than at the final launch

Google challenges Apple with high-end laptop PC 2013

SAN FRANCISCO: Google on Thursday unveiled a touch-screen notebook computer designed

for high-end PC users, throwing down a gauntlet for Apple and its MacBooks.

A man uses the Google Chromebook Pixel laptop computer after an announcement in San Francisco, February 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Google said its Chromebook Pixel computers blending tablet and laptop technology, boasting

heavyweight Intel chips and screens tailored for rich graphics were released in the United States and Britain, starting at $1,299.

"People will give up a MacBook Air for this," Chrome senior vice president Sundar Pichai said

while showing off the premium end of what, to now, were low-priced notebook computers that

serve as windows to Internet-based services.

A Pixel model featuring built-in connectivity to Verizon mobile Internet service will hit the market

in April at a price of $1,449, according to Google.

The version available Thursday allowed connections to the Internet with wireless hot-spot technology or cables.

"It's a great looking product," Om Malik of technology news website GigaOm said at the Pixel debut in San Francisco.

"But Google is facing a selling problem, they have to compete on price originally and build a

developer base for a high-end product."

Google hoped people look beyond comparing Pixel prices with competitors such as

MacBooks or laptops built on Windows 8 software to see the value the touch-screen and the

massive terabyte of Google Drive online data storage included.

"It is clear that touch is here to stay and that it is the future," Pichai said. "I am sure every laptop

will have touch in the future."

He described the Pixel screen resolution as superior to that on any laptop being shipped today, including Apple's premium MacBook models.

Google also set out to remedy a complaint by Chrome notebook users frustrated when trying to

work with documents or spreadsheets made with Microsoft's widely-used Word or Excel software.

Within three months, Google will release Quickoffice software for handling those types of files, according to Pichai.

Samsung Galaxy S4 - release date, specs and everything else you need to know 2013

The Next Galaxy from Samsung is almost here and it’s already shaping up to be the year’s most highly anticipated smartphone launch. In this comprehensive run down we’ll be detailing all the nitty-gritty to prepare you for the fourth flagship kit’s imminent debut. So grab some popcorn, sit back and read on…
Samsung Galaxy concept phone

Samsung has sent out press invites to one of its Unpacked events in New York on March 14th where it’s certain to officially raise the curtain on the Galaxy S4.
The actual release date is still a tightly guarded secret. However, a reliable source close to a major UK retailer has revealed that it should go on sale sometime between April 15th and April 22nd.
Pre-orders for the handset should begin at least two weeks before it hits shop shelves. So you should be able to reserve your unit as early as late March or early April.
If months and months of insider leaks and industry forecasts are to be trusted, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be crammed with some of the most cutting-edge technology ever to grace a smartphone.
Here, we’ll discuss some of the best features and specs expected to be on board.
Samsung Galaxy S4 placeholder
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is tipped to feature a 13-megapixel camera that you can expect to take stunning photos and record videos in full high-definition at a silky smooth framerate that would give even digital SLRs a run for their money.
Also expected on board is a two-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls and self-portraits in HD, and numerous features on the camera application itself, including the ability to take 360-degree panoramic shots of your surroundings and share them instantly on Facebook.

Samsung Galaxy S4 processor

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is mooted to debut the tech giant’s latest, most powerful system-on-chip yet, the Exynos 5 Octa.
This is a state-of-the-art eight-core processor that comprises four high performance cores and four power-saving cores to handle multitasking with real sense of snap, while conserving battery life when carrying out everyday tasks.
Based on ARM’s ‘big.LITTLE’ architecture, the Exynos 5 Octa ensures a perfect balance of power versus power efficiency and consumes up to 70 per cent less energy compared to the current chip designs.

Samsung Galaxy S4 screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is rumoured to feature a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display with an eye-popping full HD (1080p) resolution and 441 pixels per inch density that’s over a 100 pixels higher than even the iPhone’s Retina display.
Naturally, as the world’s leading panel-maker, Samsung is sure to squeeze all its expertise and high-tech display technology into making this truly stand out from rivals.

Samsung Galaxy S4 design

Although details remain thin on the ground, supply-chain chatter suggests the Samsung Galaxy S4 could debut an aluminium unibody design to make it sturdier than its predecessors, while building on the much-loved ‘nature-inspired’ form factor of the Galaxy S3.
Samsung Galaxy S4 mock-up placeholder (small)

Samsung Galaxy S4 connectivity

As with most high-end smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be loaded with a host of connectivity options. At the very least it’s expected to offer 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Near Field Communication (NFC), Assisted GPS and a microUSB port.
Reports also suggest the Galaxy S4 could boast the latest, fifth-generation (5G) chips for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, offering even faster and more reliable data transfers than before.

Samsung Galaxy S4 wireless charging

Based on patent filings and an FCC certification, it’s believed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be capable of wireless charging, making fiddly charger cables truly a thing of the past.
samsung wireless charger
While wireless charging is not new to smartphones, Samsung’s take reportedly uses a more advanced method enabled by resonant magnetic coupling technology that would allow the Galaxy S4 to be charged from up to two metres away.

Android Jelly Bean and Nature UX user interface

Samsung Galaxy S4 will run on Google’s superb Android operating system – most likely the latest Jelly Bean edition.
Along with features such as Google Now, a personal voice-guided assistant that sorts and displays all kinds of information in a nifty card-based interface, Android Jelly Bean is also home to all of Google’s best apps and services installed out of the box, plus offers hundreds of thousands more to download from Google Play.
Android Jelly Bean
Of course, because this is a Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S4 will feature the latest iteration of the Nature UX user interface, as well as upgraded versions of all the ‘smart’ features that are exclusive to Samsung devices.
Better still, if Samsung’s recent patent filings are anything to go by, this will bring intuitive touch-free gestures and eye-tracking technology to enable you to control the handset with minimum physical contact and possibly even pause videos and scroll pages using your eye movements alone.

Memory and Colours

Based on reliable intel, the Galaxy S4 will be available in three storage variants of 16, 32 and 64GB.
A microSD slot should be included to expand that by a further 32GB, plus free cloud storage from Dropbox to easily access your files on a host of other devices.
Initilally, the Galaxy S4 is likely to land in two colour options: black and white. However, down the line we expect Samsung to release more colourways, along the lines of the nature-inspired pebble blue and marble white hues of the Galaxy S3.

YouTube Updates iOS App, Adds Send-to-TV Feature

YouTube updated its iOS app Thursday, adding the Send-to-TV feature it introduced for Android in November of last year.
With the update you can use your iOS device to send YouTube clips to Google TV, Xbox or PlayStation 3 and watch them on the big screen.
In January, we spoke to YouTube reps about the company's plans for TV, a future it feels will be smartphone-oriented, with your phone replacing your television remote.

We're trying to build this infrastructure that scales everywhere, from watching 1080p HD-quality video on your TV all the way down to using a dial-up modem in a developing country," YouTube's director of product management Shiva Rajaraman told Mashable in January. "We'd like to be all things video, and that means getting video into all places," he added.
Thursday’s iOS update also adds improved streaming over slow Wi-Fi connections, stability improvements, and the ability to record and upload video via YouTube Capture.
Curious how it works? Check out the video below for a quick demo of the Android version of the app.




A Password You Wear on Your Wrist






A mobile security startup called PassBan thinks the best way to keep mobile devices secure is to allow people to choose from a bevy of different authentication options—including one that you wear on your wrist.
“We didn’t want to be in the business of forcing one factor or another on the user,” says cofounder and CEO Kayvan Alikhani.
Most of us have to remember countless passwords for different online services, and we are often asked to choose complicated strings of characters to make them harder to guess. A growing number of companies offer alternatives to conventional passwords, including various forms of biometrics.

More than half of cell phone users in the U.S. also own smartphones, and many apps keep users perpetually logged in, thereby bypassing the usual security controls. People also use smartphones and tablets to store and access an increasing amount of personal data, making them ever-more valuable if they’re lost or stolen. And yet, while there are plenty of companies focusing on securing desktop and laptop computers, the market for mobile security is still in its infancy.
PassBan released a free Android app in February called Passboard that allows you to secure individual apps on a smartphone with any of more than a dozen verification techniques, including identifying your voice, face, location, or a specific gesture. Initially available in private beta, the company says, anyone will be able to use the app starting Friday.
And at a developer event at the company’s San Francisco office on Wednesday, the company showed off a wristband that can unlock a phone or tablet when the wearer makes a simple gesture in the air. It also showed off tools that will let third-party developers incorporate PassBan’s technology into their apps.
The wristband will be available in a couple of weeks, Alikhani says, and the company hopes to sell it for less than $20. He expects such sensors to ultimately be embedded in watches or other things we carry with us.
PassBoard works by intercepting the launch of any app that a user has secured it with. Once you’ve secured your Facebook app, for example, when you tap on it, a PassBoard popup commands you to verify your identity with whatever method you’ve chosen.
For those with a wristband, it can be set up to authenticate you with a shake or tap on the wristband, or with just your proximity to your smartphone. Whichever method you choose, it must be registered and transmitted via Bluetooth to your handset to unlock an app.
Alikhani says it is possible for someone who has the wristband and your smartphone to access data on the handset, assuming they know your signature gesture. But if you secure a phone with a wristband gesture and also require another factor—like choosing a sequence of colors—that could make it trickier to access.
Dan Wagner, a professor of computer science at UC Berkeley, doesn’t think PassBoard offers anything particularly unique or useful, saying that his research suggests that only a minority of users employ even a simple passcode to lock their phones. He expects this is because there isn’t much of a security risk for most people—someone who steals your phone probably just wants to wipe the data and resell it.
He is intrigued by the idea of wearable authentication, however, though PassBan will have to convince users it’s worth spending the money to get it.
PassBan isn’t the only company that thinks wearable authentication may be the next big thing in security. Google is apparently exploring the idea of using items a user is likely to have on them anyway—such as jewelry—to log in to a computer.




Spotify vs. Pandora: Which Is Better?

With so many ways to listen to music these days, how do you choose the best option?
Here's a look at how two of the most popular music streaming services, Spotify and Pandora, compare to each other. Spotify may have a chance to gain a larger share of the market, since Pandora announced Wednesday that they were going to cap mobile streaming at 40 hours per week.

Although the two competitors are both music providers, the services they offer are quite different. While Spotify is available is 23 countries, Pandora is only available in three. However, Pandora boasts 65.6 million active users, while Spotify has only 20 million.
Check out the infographic below courtesy of The Music Bed to get a breakdown of Pandora and Spotify's services. Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.



FTC Settlement: HTC Must Patch Security Vulnerabilities


HTC America has been ordered to develop and release software patches to address widespread security vulnerabilities that have potentially affected millions of HTC devices as part of a settlement deal announced by the Federal Trade Commission Friday.
As included in the terms of the settlement, the phone manufacturer will be subject to independent security assessments every other year for the next 20 years. HTC is additionally required to start a program that will address security risks during the hardware development process.
HTC said in a statement that it has addressed several of the security flaws noted by the FTC in its complaint and is working on fixes for those that remain unaddressed.
"Privacy and security are important, and we are committed to improving practices that help safeguard our customers' devices and data," said HTC spokesperson Sally Julien in a statement about the settlement. "Working with our carrier partners, we have addressed the identified security vulnerabilities on the majority of devices in the US released after December 2010. We're working to rollout the remaining software updates now and recommend customers download them once available."
The FTC's decision can be interpreted as a signal to other phone manufacturers that the commission expects them to pay careful attention to consumer security and patch flaws as close to immediately upon their discovery as possible.

SEE ALSO: FTC Says You Should Be Able to Block Smartphone Tracking

Several issues were at the heart of the FTC's complaint against HTC: Permission re-delegation, the use of unsecured manufacturer-provided application markets and vulnerabilities in communication mechanisms used by HTC phones.
Permission re-delegation occurs when a user grants one application access to certain information, then another application uses that first application's approval to access data without the user's direct consent. The FTC found that HTC failed to address this problem in custom-built preinstalled applications on several devices, giving third-party apps the ability to record audio, access geolocation data and send text messages without users' permission.
The FTC also found that HTC included on its devices a pre-installed custom app store that allowed users to download apps outside of the Android Market/Google Play ecosystem. The custom HTC app, however, "failed to include appropriate permission check code to protect this pre-installed application from exploitation," per the FTC. Thus, third-party apps downloaded via HTC's custom app could sneak other software onto users' phones unbeknownst to the user.
Two "insecure communications mechanisms," as the FTC calls them, are also involved with the settlement: HTC Loggers and Carrier IQ.
HTC Loggers, discovered by researchers in October of 2011, was a security flaw that allowed third-party app developers to intercept users' sensitive data transmissions, including text messages, financial account passwords or geolocation data, from users' phones without their knowledge or consent. HTC quickly admitted the flaw and got to work on a fix.
Carrier IQ, meanwhile, was software embedded on some HTC phones at the behest of wireless providers, who used it to monitor potential problems on their networks. However, researchers discovered in December of 2011 that data picked up by Carrier IQ could be intercepted by third-party apps and that vulnerabilities in Carrier IQ could be manipulated to cause a phone to send text messages without users' permission. Several unofficial solutions for blocking or removing it from customers' phones were discovered soon after Carrier IQ came to light.


50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed



It has been another action-packed week here at Mashable. We've been covering the newest gadgets coming out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Pope's last Tweet and the fate of Groupon CEO Andrew Mason.
We know you've been busy with your own lives, so we rounded up the most important updates in tech and social media to keep you informed. So read below for tons of digital media resources, new innovative apps and much more.

Judge Cuts $450 Million From Apple's Jury Award in Samsung Case


Apple's $1.05 billion victory against Samsung in its patent infringement lawsuit is now $450 million smaller.
Judge Lucy Koh, the judge in the Apple v. Samsung lawsuits found on Friday that the jury improperly calculated damages on 14 different Samsung products, and vacated $450 million from the jury's finding as a result.
A new trial will will take place that focuses solely on the damages for the 14 products, which include the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Captivate, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Galaxy Tab and the Nexus S 4G.
While this doesn't necessarily mean Apple will permanently lose $450 million in damages (the new trial could find damages higher or lower), it does prolong the case as a whole.
In other patent lawsuit theater news, Samsung and Apple are moving forward in a separate case covering Samsung's newer smartphones and allegations that they copy Apple's Siri voice and search function. As The Mercury News notes, the trial is supposed to start in spring 2014 but Judge Koh is trying to persuade both companies to put it on hold until this case is resolved in appeals courts.
In other words, this whole protracted legal battle won't be settled any time soon.
What do you think of the Judge's decision? Are you looking forward to yet another damages trial? Let us know in the comments.