Back when the device was announced in March, we were quite disappointed to hear that HTC One was coming with android 4.1 Jellybean on board. Android 4.1 Jellybean is a pretty old OS (was released back in July) and even the latest OS 4.2.2 Jellybean is almost 6 months old. So, users obviously expect the company to release the 4.2.2 update as soon as possible. This news would finally cheer them up.

A user tweeted to the HTC developer saying,

@LlabTooFeR I’ll be getting my new HTC One later today. I’m moving for the first time from iPhone 4. When will 4.2.2 be available

And luckily LlabTooFer replied,

@GidiyorsunPro 2-3 weeks I think

Although it’s not the official source, LlabTooFeR is known to reveal correct information about the company so we can hope that the update will be available at least by June 1^st week.

The 4.2.2 update would bring in some cool features to the device like lock screen widgets, quick settings, gesture enhanced keyboard etc. Although this might not be a huge upgrade like the 4.1 Jellybean, we are sure users would be waiting impatiently to get their hands on the latest android version.

Source: [1], [2]

The Nexus Q was a short lived project, revealed at Google I/O, it was abandoned a year later due to poor sales. Questions were raised on the price of the media streamer and what the user would get for their money.

It appears Google has dropped the name and is going for a new media streamer, codenamed the H840, which just arrived at the FCC a few days ago.

Google decided to keep everything closed in the FCC filing, apart from the fact it is capable of streaming media. The filing did not contain an image, so we cannot even tell if it is going to be a huge redesign.

We did not see any hardware at Google I/O, with Google sticking to developers, software and services. We may see this new streaming device and the missing phones and tablets at another conference in a few months.

Source: Android Community

Assassins Creed may finally become a professional movie, with New Regency Films and Ubisoft preparing a collaboration set for cinema around May 2015.

New Regency Films are one of the biggest producers, creating movies such as In Time, Fight Club, Big Momma and Alvin an the Chipmunks, we can expect Assassins Creed: The Movie to be a big move for Ubisoft.

Even though this has not been officially announced, the plot was detailed a year ago: “a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after he is kidnapped by a secret org with ties to the Knights Templar, and sent back in time to retrieve historical artifacts,”

Michael Fassbender is said to be play the lead role, although we have no idea who will be directing, writing the script or producing the movie. Assassins Creed does have a loyal audience and if the lore behind the game is quite rich, which would make sense for a movie.

This is not the first time we have heard of a video game turning into a movie, Bioshock was meant to have a movie but it was stopped mid-development because problems with maturity ratings.

Source: Box Office Mojo

It seems there is a lot of interest in Hulu the second time around, with Yahoo, Amazon, Apple and Google all possible bidders for the media streaming service.

DirecTV is the newest bidder, after previously failing to capture Hulu, they have reportedly put in a second bid in the hopes of claiming the giant, currently owned by Comcast, News Corp and Disney.

The Hulu acquisition could help DirecTV TV Everywhere service, which allows members to watch content on the web and on mobile devices.

Some agencies are saying Yahoo and Amazon are close to the deal, with big bids and the three owners ready to settle. Hulu may have lost a lot to Netflix, but it is still a valuable service, if the content providers still keep on the deal.

Source: Mashable

The benchmark results show that the device with the model name, Samsung SGH-I537, will feature a MSM8960 processor which means that Samsung has ditched the traditional octa core and the quad core processors found on the original galaxy s4. If you remember correctly, this was the same processor used in the Galaxy S3 devices (US Version). So, it’s a dual core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz. A bit disappointing we would say, especially when the S4 features octa core and quad core processors while the S4 Active, a device from the same family going for a less powerful processor.

We also know that the device is set to release in the country via at&t and that the device would run on the latest android version (4.2.2) featuring a display resolution of 1920×1080.

The S4 active would be dust proof and water proof as mentioned a few weeks back but other than the specs are just disappointing. Earlier, rumors suggested that it would feature the same specifications as the S4. Now, seeing these specs, I think it’s safe to assume that S4 active would be a mid range device. As a result, users who want a dust proof and water proof phone will have to settle for a less snappier version of the S4. We just hope that the other features like the camera, connectivity and the software features are just like the ones found on the original Galaxy S4.

If earlier rumors were to be believed then we would see the device pretty soon. Samsung will most likely release the S4 Active, S4 Mini and the S4 zoom next month. 

Source: [1], [2]

Existing Sprint customers can upgrade to the Galaxy S4 for $199.99, which would be priced comparably to the other service providers.

For users prefer not to be tied down to a contract, the unlocked Sprint version of the Galaxy S4 can be had for $599.99.  At this low price, this unlocked version would be less than the great deal offered at Google I/O.

Amazon is cutting the price on the Galaxy S4 for Sprint relatively early considering that Big Red has not even officially released the phone.  Verizon Wireless is planning for a May 23rd release date for the Galaxy S4.

Source: Amazon

According to Jeff McNaught, executive director of cloud client computing at Dell, Project Ophelia will turn any screen or display into a PC, gaming machine or even a TC set-top box. The device will allow downloading of apps, movies and TV shows straight from Google Play. Playing games and watching movie streaming from Hulu or Netflix is possible.

This device will be offered first to developers giving them a chance to write Android apps for it. It will then be available to television or cable companies who may want to offer it to their customers. Individual customers will be able to buy the device directly from Dell after that.

Project Ophelia comes bundled with Dell’s Wyse PocketCloud that allows you to remotely access another computer. It comes with MHL support and will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

As of this writing it is still not know what Android version it will use, its processor type and the amount of RAM it will have.

Some of the benefits of using Project Ophelia are

• Enables instant and secure access to your personal cloud, entertainment, work content and applications wherever there is an available capable display (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse), including a wide variety of Dell flat-panel displays.
• Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth facilitates access and communication.
• Built on the Android 4 OS to support Web browsing, social networking, media playback and Android Apps with a possibility to extend to other services.
• Securely connects to Windows desktops and applications running on back-end systems from all leading
• infrastructure providers including Citrix, Microsoft and VMware.
• Flexibly powered zero-battery device gets power from the attached display monitor via its MHL interface to the monitor’s MHL port, or separately via its own USB interface. No batteries to charge or change.
• Remembers settings for each individual to enhance usability.
• Compatible with many existing Dell Wyse thin clients and software products.
• Managed by Dell Wyse Cloud Client Manager software-as-a-service (SaaS) which can ensure the device is being used by the appropriate person with the right permissions and access to apps and content based on role, department, and location.

via pcworld

The letter states that “As members of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, we are curious whether this new technology could infringe on the privacy of average Americans. Because Google Glass has not yet been released and we are uncertain of Google’s plans to incorporate privacy protections into the device, there are still a number of answered questions that we share.”

Some of the questions being raised are

• Will Glass collect users’ data without their consent?
• What steps are being taken to protect non-users’ privacy?
• Will Glass offer facial recognition to identify non-users and display information about them?
• What restrictions is Google placing on Glass and Glass apps?
• Will Google Glass cause Google to change its privacy policy?
• Will Glass store data on the device, and will it offer user authentication?

The concern of the committee is the possible use of facial recognition technology that will “unveil personal information about whomever … the user is viewing.” When Google Glasses will become available commercially it will only be a matter of time before someone will develop a program where you will only have to look at a person’s face to get their personal information such as their address, work history, marital status and measurements.

Google’s initial response stated that “We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues. Our Glass Explorer program, which reaches people from all walks of life, will ensure that our users become active participants in shaping the future of this technology.”

The search giant has until June 14 to reply to the letter sent by the lawmakers.

via zdnet

The price may be a little bit on the high side for those used to getting their smartphones from popular network carriers but it’s really cheap considering that you won’t be getting any two year contracts and this model can be used on any network you prefer.

Sony Xperia L Technical Specifications

• General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri/quad-band UMTS/HSPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 128.7 x 65 x 9.7 mm, 137 g
• Display: 4.3″ 16M-color FWVGA (480 x 854 pixels ) capacitive touchscreen TFT
• CPU: Dual-core 1 GHz Krait
• GPU: Adreno 305
• RAM: 1GB
• OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Memory: 8GB storage, microSD card slot
• Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with face detection; 720p video recording at 30fps, LED flash, VGA front facing camera
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port, microHDMI, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
• Battery: 1750 mAh Li-ion

The Sony Xperia L comes with decent specifications which although can’t compete with the higher end Android smartphones it’s a competitive device at the entry to mid-range market.

In terms of build quality this model uses a plastic body with a thin metal frame. It does not use the all glass body of higher end Xperia devices however it’s plastic is definitely of high quality and is pleasant to touch.

One feature that’s immediately recognizable is that of the illumination effect LED located at the bottom end of the device. The LED matches the color of the image you are browsing in the gallery and also the album art of the current music you are playing. One thing that would have made this feature great is that if you could let it flash to a specific color when you receive a notification from someone.

The display of this device is relatively good for its price point. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio that video enthusiasts will love. Unfortunately though, the viewing angle of the screen isn’t that good.

via sony

But looks like HTC has finally solved their component shortage issue as today, Jack Tong, the president of HTC North Asia stated that the production volume of the device is all set to increase in the coming months. According to Mr. Tong, the production volumes will double this month as compared to last month and it will further increase in June to meet the strong demand for their device.

 ”Our capacity is expected to rise significantly starting from mid-May. We are optimistic about our high-end sales during April and June,” Tong said in the report.

The demand for HTC One has been high from the start but the shortage meant that its end user sales were disappointing. This year’s first quarterly reports have not been impressive either with the sales dropping by almost 50% as compared to last year.

Well, after AT&T planning to drop the recently launched HTC First, HTC will have high hopes on this device. And why won’t they, as for the first time in years, they have been able to create a device which can potentially beat the South Korean flagship device.

But if we were to compare the sales, HTC is not even close to Samsung as the company is all set to reach the 10 million mark next week. We just hope that at least starting now the company does things the right way and maybe we’ll see a steady rise in the sales of the device in the coming months.

Source: [1], [2]