Project Ara: Google's Modular Smartphones (Phonebloks, anyone?)

Fancy HTC's amazing Boomsound speakers on your iPhone? Is your old Galaxy S3 too slow for gaming? Well, Google plans to make a free, open hardware platform codenamed Project Ara where you can add any feature or specifications that you want. In simpler terms, you can customize your phone. Remember the Phonebloks concept that surfaced half a year ago?

If Project Ara sounds very similar to Phonebloks, it is because it is. When Google sold Motorola to Lenovo, Google kept some of it for itself. It still holds Motorola's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group where Project Ara is being co-developed by Phonebloks.

Project Ara: It looks like completing a puzzle.

Time explains that Google plans to create a "grayphone", which is a customizable exoskeleton that only comes with a screen, a frame and WiFi connectivity. From there, users can add anything they want, and the exoskeleton would only cost $50.

iPhone 6 to use Quantum Dots Display Technology

While Apple is widely rumored to introduce larger iPhones later this year, more good news are waiting in the wings for consumers. According to a new report, it could feature a superior display technology.

Business Insider reported that Apple could use Quantum Dots technology, which could display colors at an amazing accuracy. Quantum Dots are nanocrystals made of semiconductors, which can produce very specific light frequencies. Its color accuracy is higher than LCD and LED displays.

Quantum Dots: Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX has incredible color accuracy.

While Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX tablet uses Quantum Dots technology, it suffered a "light-bleed issue." Apple has reportedly found a fix while researching on that technology. This was backed up by Patently Apple, which described 4 patent applications by Apple to improve Retina Display using Quantum Dots.

It is still unclear which device will Apple use the technology on, but the iPad Mini with Retina Display was widely criticized for being less accurate than its rivals, notably Kindle Fire HDX. Tim Cook admitted it in an interview with Wall Street Journal:

Blackphone: A Phone For Paranoids

SGP Technologies, a joint venture based in Switzerland announced a rather novel smartphone. It was formed between Silent Circle, an American company which provides secure communications apps, and a Spanish smartphone startup called Geeksphone. Their main aim is to create a phone that emphasizes on privacy and security. After the revelation of NSA's spying, the Blackphone could not have been announced at a more appropriate time.

PrivatOS: A tweaked version of Android for extra security.

Blackphone runs on a custom Android called PrivatOS. According to Silent Circle CEO Mike Janke, the Blackphone encrypts your calls and messages and protects your wireless transmissions (e.g. Wi-Fi) from being logged. It encrypts the device such that data that lands on 3rd parties or the government are useless.

Users of the Blackphone could also control permissions for every app. It comes pre-loaded with all Silent Circle encrypted communications apps (2-year subscription), 5GB of encrypted cloud storage by SpiderOak, anonymous browsing and Virtual Private Network (VPN) from Disconnect.me.

Unfortunately, the Blackphone is not completely "NSA-proof" for all the technology it packs. Mike Janke said:

HTC Unveils Mid-range Desire 816!

Taiwanese phonemaker HTC has announced a new mid-range phablet, codenamed Desire 816. It will replace the Desire X that was introduced in 2012. Being a phablet, it features a 5.5-inch screen with 720x1280 pixels (267 ppi), sitting between HTC's One and One Max models.

Boomsound: The front-facing stereo speakers makes a return.

It features a 13-megapixel rear camera that can record 1080p (full HD) videos. This is rather impressive considering other mid-range phones like Moto G only has a 5-megapixel rear camera. On the front side, it has a decent 5-megapixel camera that records 720p (HD) videos.

The HTC Desire 816 has a 1.6 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1.5 GB of RAM. It runs Android with HTC's Sense 5.5 user interface. The phone has 8 GB of internal storage and has a microSD slot.

Sony Introduces Xperia Z2!

Although Sony had just introduced the Xperia Z1 during September 2013, it has already announced a successor at MWC today. Sony debuted the new flagship, the Xperia Z2, with the tag line "details make the difference." So, let us take a closer look at it now!

Xperia Z2: Glass front and rear panels with aluminum frame.

The Xperia Z2 looks familiar on the outside, but has significant upgrades inside. Screen size has been increased to 5.2 inches, up from 5.0 inches in the Z1. Screen resolution remains at 1080x1920 (full HD), causing a slight drop in pixel density due to the larger screen. The drop in pixel density is negligible since it still has a respectable 424 ppi. The big deal here is what Sony called "Live Color LED" that widens color gamut, thus giving more color saturation.

The new flagship from Sony is now faster as well, thanks to a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core chip which clocks at 2.3 GHz. RAM has also been increased to 3GB. Internal Storage stays at 16GB with a MicroSD slot.

Stereo speakers have been moved to the front, with the new S Force Surround Sound. It also features digital noise cancellation. The headphones provided by Sony will have microphones to detect ambient noise, which the phone will cancel out.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S5!

With much anticipation, Samsung has finally took the wraps off from its heavily-rumored flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone. It offers some minor upgrades to its predecessor, the Galaxy S4, as well as some interesting additions. The upgrades aren't huge but they make a difference, and the device is still instantly recognizable as Samsung.

Recognizable: It still looks like a Samsung.

From the front, the Galaxy S5 looks rather similar to its predecessor, but the display is slightly increased from 5 inches to 5.1 inches. Does 0.1 inches make any difference? The Super AMOLED screen display stays at 1080x1920 pixels (full HD). The bottom part looks familiar as always, except that the home button is now integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

Dont get too agitated on the fingerprint scanner first though, as there are room for improvements. As The Verge put it:

"Samsung’s version requires a vertical swipe over the home button to activate the scanner, and we found it to be quite unreliable and virtually impossible to activate when holding the phone in one hand. It can store up to three different digits, but it was very particular about the speed and orientation of the swiping motion used — if we weren’t doing a perfectly straight swipe down, it would refuse to unlock the phone."

Fingerprint Scanner: An interesting addition but needs refinement.

The Galaxy S5 now features USB 3.0 for faster charging and data transfer, and has an integrated port cover. Why, you ask? The device is certified for IP67 water and dust resistance. The S5 is able to withstand up to 30 minutes when submerged in 3 feet of water, although I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to test the claims.

Nokia X: Ditches Windows Phone for Android!

Nokia was reportedly working on an Android phone before it was acquired by Microsoft. It had little success with Windows Phone, and now it's going back for Android! Nokia is launching not 1, not 2, but 3 Android handsets at once: X, X+ and XL.

The X and X+ models have 4-inch displays with 800x480 pixels while the XL has a 5-inch display (thank Nokia for the pun) with the same resolution. All 3 models will share a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, microSD slot, dual-sim slot and 1500mAh of battery.

The base model, X, has 512MB of RAM and a 3-megapixel camera. The X+ is similar but has slightly more RAM at 768MB, and includes a 4GB MicroSD card. The larger variant, the XL comes with 768MB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera. Do note that all cameras on these phones do not have flash.

Although it runs Android, it is heavily tweaked and will include Microsoft and Nokia apps pre-installed. Skype will be pre-installed and includes 1 month of free calls to landlines and mobiles. Nokia's navigation apps are also included.

Mobile World Congress 2014: Day Zero Summary

The show was supposed to start on Monday, but some people spilled the beans early. Here are all the important news in a nutshell of day 0 at MWC 2014.

Samsung Gear 2 & Gear 2 Neo

(Credit: Samsung)

Ahead of Galaxy S5's launch on Monday, Samsung announced the Gear 2 on Sunday to prevent cannibalizing the grand launch of its flagship smartphone. It comes in 2 variants-- Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the latter without camera. Some changes include moving the camera and microphone to its body such that the wristband could be replaced. Samsung also dropped the "Galaxy" moniker to differentiate it from other Android devices. They now run Samsung's in-house Tizen operating system and has 2-3 days of battery life.

The 2nd-generation Gears also picked up a hear rate sensor, pedometer and music player. Full spec sheet below:

(Click here for full article)

Mozilla pushes for $25 Firefox OS Phones

Hold your horses, the mobile OS wars are not all about iOS vs Android. Android might be popular among mid-to-low end smartphones, but Mozilla plans to compete in the niche of low-budget smartphones. Mozilla's current partners include Alcatel, ZTE and Huawei, who showed off some inexpensive smartphones at MWC. Mozilla aims to drive prices down to just $25.

A prototype phone running Firefox OS

(Click here to read full article)

LG brings its flagship phone

LG unveiled its G Pro 2 phone even before the WMC event, but they brought it there to show journalists. It is a quad-core powerhouse with 13-megapixel camera featuring optical image stabilization and 4k video recording capability.

Firefox OS: Mozilla pushes $25 smartphones!

If you are contemplating between buying the Galaxy S5 or waiting for iPhone 6, chances are, you're pretty well-off. In some countries where $50 could be food expenses for the month, citizens don't even know $500 smartphones exist. And that market, is exactly what Mozilla had set its sights on.

The browser-based OS is suitable for low-end smartphones.

In places like India and Indonesia, iOS and Android are vulnerable because only the elites could afford them. Decent smartphones are getting cheaper (e.g. Redmi, Moto G) but they are still not affordable enough for some. That's why Mozilla aims to bring its browser-based operating system to these places, because they could cost as low as $25. At least Mozilla hopes so.

Dirt Cheap: Mozilla's Prototype $25 phone.

At the Mobile World Congress, Mozilla announced a deal with Chinese chipmaker with Spreadtrum Communications. It would enable low-cost Firefox OS smartphones to be made. Mozilla's Chief Technology Officer Brandon Eich told CNET:

How to Watch Zuckerberg's Live Keynote at WMC tonight!

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg caused waves when he announced the $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp just a few days ago. Today, he will be giving a keynote speech at World Mobile Conference!

The 29-year-old CEO will give a keynote speech tonight.

Zuckerberg will appear alongside tech journalist David Kirkpatrick, who will chair the keynote. According to WMC organizer GSMA, they will "explore the importance of extending the benefits of ubiquitous Internet access to the unconnected world,"

Smartwatch Craze: Google is preparing Gear & potential iWatch Competitor

Pebble just launched a new smartwatch; Samsung just announced a new Gear watch and Apple reportedly has one in the oven. Now Google is believed to be working on a smart watch and according to insiders, it's almost finished. TechCrunch is reporting this weekend that the search giant is putting the finishing touches on a watch that runs Android and houses a full-color display. 

Google Smartwatch: Samsung Gear's Rival

According to Sarah Perez and Darrel Etherington's report : 

“The smartwatch prototypes are currently on lockdown in a Google building, under high security, and they’re not able to be taken out for fear that news will leak. (Oops.)

According to people familiar with the matter, an early prototype of the watch had a Pebble Steel-like metal band, square face, and a colorful digital display featuring a gradient background where colors gently fade from one to the next. It also seemed to have a more masculine vibe, also like the Pebble Steel.”

Samsung Galaxy S5: Expected Key Features Ahead of Tomorrow's Launch

When Samsung debuted its Galaxy S3 in 2012, it was a hugely popular. It brought the South Korean company to prominence and moved ahead of Apple as the world's largest phonemaker later that year. In 2013, the Galaxy S4 had mixed responses, mostly due to similar design cues to the S3 and clunky features. The Galaxy S5, to be unveiled tomorrow, would be a crucial device for Samsung.

The Galaxy S4 was rather similar to the Galaxy S3

Here we breakdown the expected features of the Galaxy S5:

Display Size
Android devices have large screens, and they're still growing! Last year's Galaxy S4 had a 5-inch screen, so could we see a 5.2-incher this time round? If it increases to more than 5 inches, it would go into the "phablet" category. The Galaxy Note 3 has a 5.5-inch screen. Therefore, a 5.2-inch Galaxy S5 does not seem too likely, but cannot be ruled out.
Likelihood: 6/10

Screen Resolution
Expect to see at least a 1080x1920 full HD resolution. However, there are reports that it might spot a 2k display, which has 1440x2560 pixels.
Likelihood: 7.5/10

Sony to Reveal PS4 Virtual Reality Headset

Sony will unveil its Playstation 4 Virtual Reality Headset at Gamers Developers Conference 2014, which starts on March 17 in San Francisco, according to TechRadar.

Virtual Reality certainly looks futuristic.

The "insider source" also said:

"The quality and resolution are really, really good. People will definitely be impressed with what Sony's built."

 Sony was rumored to unveil it at Tokyo Game Show last September. That never materialize because "Sony has deliberately taken its time to tweak and polish the headset before revealing it," according to the source.

Unveiled: Samsung announces Gear 2 & Gear 2 Neo, ditches Android!

Although the first Samsung Gear was released just 5 months ago, Samsung announced its replacements today, a day ahead of Galaxy S5's release. It makes sense, since the first Gear was half-baked and did not sell well.

Left: Gear 2 Neo.    Right: Gear 2
(Photo by: Samsung)

As speculated earlier, Samsung unveiled 2 models-- Gear 2 and the camera-less Gear 2 Neo. Samsung had also thrown away the "Galaxy" moniker to differentiate them from other Android devices. The new Gear will run on Tizen OS, a linux-based operating system built by Samsung and Intel.

According to Samsung, the new Gears will have 2-3 days battery life (up from 1 day), albeit having a smaller, 300 mAH battery (down from 315 mAH). Samsung also claimed that it will have an "enriched application ecosystem" and changes to its external design. Here are some photos:

Redmi sold out in 8 minutes, to launch in Malaysia by April!

If you have not heard of Xiaomi, it is a reputable Chinese smartphone maker endorsed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Its phones are currently sold in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Xiaomi launched its Redmi in Singapore yesterday and Mi-3 will be available on 7th March.

Exploding Popularity: Sold out within 8 minutes.

During Redmi's release in Singapore yesterday, it was sold out in a lightning-fast 8 minutes! With a 4.7-inch IPS display with 720p resolution (312ppi), 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1Gb RAM and a 8-megapixel camera, it is a mid-range smartphone. The catch? It is priced at only S$169 (~RM440).

Samsung Galaxy S5 Video Hints at Waterproof Phone!

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S5 and multiple Galaxy Gear smartwatches at its "Unpacked 5" event at WMC on Monday. A full list of devices to be unveiled on WMC can be found here.

Today, Samsung released a trailer video for the event:

What does the video imply?

Social5 and Moment5 probably points to an improved camera. It was reported earlier that it will spot improved LED flash, but Samsung would not stop there. Could Focus5 be a feature which lets you refocus a blur picture later on? Could Selfie5 point to an improved front camera?

What do Ride5, Play5 and Flip5 have in common? High-speed action. Could the Galaxy S5 be made rugged with an aluminum construction? Time to ditch the cheap plastics, Samsung!

Find Out If Your Sent Email Was Read!

Have you ever wondered if the recipient read your email? You no longer have to guess!

Streak's Homepage.

A startup called Streak developed an extension for Gmail in Google Chrome and Safari. Senders will be notified when the recipient opened the email. Best of all? The recipient does not have to install Streak to make it work!

Google Launches 3D Sensors & Computer Vision (Project Tango)

Google announced Project Tango, an experiment with 3D sensors on a prototype 5-inch Android smartphone. It is the latest announcement among projects coming out from its Advanced Technology And Projects (ATAP) department.

You can scan your own room and play a game in it.

Google's Chase Cobb said:

"Imagine that you scan a small section of your living room, and then are able to generate a little game world in it."

Yes, the phone can build a visual map of rooms using 3D scanning. The 3D sensors will have more than a quarter million measurements every second. Google believes that advanced computer vision
technologies, coupled with sensors will enable indoor navigation and immersive gaming.

Mind Blown: The 3D sensors measures more than 250,000 parameters every second.

ATAP's technical program leader, Johnny Lee said:

“Project Tango strives to give mobile devices a human-like understanding of space and motion through advanced sensor fusion and computer vision, enabling new and enhanced types of user experiences – including 3D scanning,

Leaked: Photos of Nokia's First Android (Normandy)

It was reported earlier that Nokia will probably switch to Android for its "X" phone, or known internally as the Normandy project. How would it look like after ditching Windows Phone?

These are the few leaked images from Coolaxap.com :

Explained: Why paying $19 billion for WhatsApp is SMART!

When news broke that Facebook paid a massive $16 billion and offered $3 billion in restricted stock to acquire WhatsApp, many thought the move was foolish. It was a bold move afterall, since Facebook paid a huge slice of its own worth to acquire a messaging app that only has 55 employees.

The Harvard dropout sees far into the future with this acquisition.

Keyboard warriors even took to Twitter and Facebook to lash out on the move. Why would Facebook pay such a staggering sum to acquire WhatsApp, who received a revenue of only $20 million in 2013?

Here are my top 5 reasons:

• WhatsApp could potentially be Facebook's largest competitor. Offense is the best defense here. With WhatsApp's incredible growth rate (1 million new users a day), it could eventually gobble Facebook's business. Yahoo once made this mistake by passing on the opportunity to acquire Google for $5 billion in 2002. Today, Google is worth

Oral-B to launch Smartphone Toothbrush!

In 2007, Oral-B launched a toothbrush that has 3 brushing modes-- polishing, massaging and cleaning. It connects wirelessly to a LCD display to let you know if you have brushed enough.

Oral-B will compete with this toothbrush from Kolibree.

Oral-B is bringing the technology to a whole new level for 2014. Its new toothbrush will connect to your smartphone via bluetooth 4.0. The toothbrush can be programmed by a dentist to offer "personalized advice" to enhance your brushing techniques.

21 billionaires' stock of choice. Who is it?

The iOS app and website iBillionaire offers investors a portfolio of 30 stocks. These stocks are selected to show the investment strategies of 21 billionaire investors. Among them are Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffet, hedge fund legend George Soros and investor Carl Icahn.

Wall Street: Money never sleeps.

iBillionaire stated:

"We analyze more than 250 billion dollars in assets held and managed by a pool of over 20 billionaires. Each quarter, we look at roughly 1,500 investments, 93% in equities and 7% belonging to other asset classes. Our software has processed over a decade of SEC filings to ensure that the iBillionaire Index is a diversified portfolio of high-quality companies. "

So what's their favorite stock? The table below shows the top 10 stocks and their relative share in the S&P 500.

Apple & Tesla: Secret Meeting Revealed

As Apple's Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) chief Adrian Perica met with Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk, rumors flew around that Apple might acquire Tesla, the extremely successful electric vehicle maker based in Silicon Valley.

Elon Musk is regarded as one of the best CEOs in America.

Wall Street analysts speculated that Apple are trying to diversify its business and explore new ventures. Berenberg bank analyst Adnaan Ahmad even wrote an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, urging him to put Apple's mountain of cash ($160 billion) to good use by acquiring Tesla.

Battery Prowess: Model S has an incredible range of 265 miles (426 km) in one charge.

However, it now seems that the high-profile meeting is about a battery 'gigafactory'. Apple are interested

Xiaomi to launch in Singapore, with Malaysia next

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is finally going global, expanding out of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. CNET Asia reports that Xiaomi will launch in Singapore and Malaysia soon.

If there is an idiom to describe Xiaomi, it would be "bang for the buck."

Xiaomi's midrange Android smartphone, Redmi will sell in Singapore for S$169 (US $134) starting this Friday, 21st February. It includes a 4.7-inch IPS display with 720p resolution (312ppi), a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 8-megapixel camera, making it a great bargain. Redmi will run on MIUI v5, a modified version of Android. It can be purchased at Xiaomi's website.

Xiaomi's flagship Mi-3 has a slick look.

However, its flagship Mi-3 smartphone will launch in Singapore on 7th March, with a pricetag of

Bombshell: Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $16 billion!

As the old saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them." Facebook purchased Whatsapp messaging service today for a whopping $16 billion. The massive acquisition is confirmed by a filing from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Zuckerberg says the entire Whatsapp team will join Facebook.

The deal includes $4 billion in cash and $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. Whatsapp staff would

Champagne Gold HTC One successor

Recently leaked photos suggest that the HTC One 2 (or known as M8) might be available in a champagne-gold metal unibody frame, following the footsteps of Apple's iPhone 5s. Other color options are probably silver and gray.

Gold is the trend.

With a typical HTC 3-view arrangement, the leaked photo seems legitimate.

HTC are focused on improving camera quality, with the photo suggesting that the HTC One 2 will house dual cameras and a twin flash module. The dual-camera, dual-sensor setup will likely bring 2

World Mobile Congress 2014: What To Expect

World Mobile Congress (WMC) 2014 is around the corner, but what does it signify? What will it bring? Here is what to expect on the Monday, 24th February event.

The Big-timers

• Samsung Galaxy S5. It's time for an annual refresh of Samsung's flagship device. The South Korean tech giant announced an event called "Unpacked 5", which points to the new Galaxy S5. It is reported to have a fingerprint sensor and improved LED flash.

LG's recently unveiled G Pro 2.

•  LG G Pro 2. Although it has already been unveiled, LG will bring it to the WMC. With a quad-core processor and front camera flash, will it steal some shine off the Galaxy S5?
• Android Nokia. After Windows Phone fails to gain market share, Nokia is reportedly

IPO: Candy Crush Saga goes public

King Digital Entertainment has filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to this statement.

The game's success is mainly due do its gorgeous graphics.

King Digital Entertainment shares will be traded on New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KING". It is still unclear on how many shares King would be offering to the public, out of an outstanding 120 million shares.

Gaming provides lucrative income for developers, as witnessed by Flappy Bird's Dong Nguyen. King Digital Entertainment generated a massive $1.9 billion revenue in 2013, out of which $567.6 million are profit.

Among the 180 games that King owns, Candy Crush Saga generated the most traffic. According to the company, Candy Crush Saga has more than 1 billion daily game plays from 93 million daily users.



Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Nokia's "X" Phone: Switching to Android?

Before Nokia was acquired by Microsoft in September 2013, it was reportedly working on an Android smartphone. Nokia's "X" smartphone might just be that.

Nokia teases the "X"

Specs are somewhat low end, as tweeted by evleaks:

"Nokia X: Snapdragon (1GHz x2), 4" WVGA, 512MB/4GB (+microSD), 5MP, 1500mAh, Android apps from Nokia Store + 3rd-party stores. Six colors.— 
@evleaks (@evleaks)"

As Windows Phone struggles with market share, could Nokia finally give up and switch over to Android?



Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Samsung to unveil multiple Galaxy Gear 2 models, might run Tizen OS

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 24th will unveil the new Galaxy S5 smartphone, which includes a fingerprint sensor and improved LED flash. What else?

Samsung will unveil multiple Gear models

USA Today reported that Samsung will also reveal multiple Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatches. Incredibly, it is reported that the new Gear will run Tizen operating system, not Google's Android. This will prevent Google from tightening its grip on wearable technology, or giving them "too much power".

The Tizen OS is built off a new HTML5, thus prolonging battery life, according to people familiar with the situation. Since its first version failed miserably, expect a massive overhaul of the Galaxy Gear in this 2nd iteration.



Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Confirmed: Samsung's Galaxy S5 to have improved LED Flash

We all know what Samsung's "Unpacked5" event in Barcelona is all about-- Galaxy S5. Previously it was confirmed that the S5 will house a fingerprint sensor, but today, Samsung announced in a blog post that it will use new LED components:

Hottest Battle of 2014: iPhone vs Galaxy S5

"Because high-quality smartphone cameras require a wider FOV (Field of View) angle for better picture quality, Samsung’s new reflector-integrated flash LEDs are designed to enable a great deal of flexibility by providing a wide FOV within a small space through the integration of a light source,  a lead frame, and a reflector with its own optics and diffusion features."

The event will be held on February 24th (Monday). Livestream is available at Samsung Mobile's Youtube Channel.


Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Icis: A fashionista's version of Google Glass

We all know what Google Glass is--glasses that can take pictures, videos, search, find directions and many more. The avant-garde Glass may be groundbreaking, but having a prism on top of your right eye makes you look like a cyborg. Well, Icis glasses may just be the perfect solution.

A fashionable alternative to Glass.

Icis glasses are designed to look like normal glasses, but houses a computer and display. Laforge Optical, the firm behind Icis, told Cnet why Icis is made:

"Style is a subjective thing and currently the bar is set pretty low."

Amanda Rosenberg coined the "Okay, Glass," command.

Using your phone's sensors, the system knows if you're sitting, running or in a car, thus automatically switches modes between Normal, Active and Drive.

Information displayed will not block field of vision.

Laforge Optical's aim is to make wearable eyewear that looks good and has a user friendly interface. Relevant information are displayed around the outside of the field of vision.

Your vision when using Icis

The company launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise more money. The Icis glasses will sell for $420.



Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Coming this April: Watch_Dogs by Ubisoft

In the Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 2013, a game stole the limelight-- Watch Dogs (stylized as Watch_Dogs) by Ubisoft. This Open World, Action-Adventure game caught mass attention. All right, you might think that Open World Action-Adventure games are like Grand Theft Auto (GTA), but Ubisoft came out with something special-- hacking. Yeah, HACKING! You play as an Irish-American vigilante, hacking electronic systems via your phone. Awesome, isn't it?

Smart Phone Hacking, great concept.

Most of you have probably watched the game's demo. In case you haven't, here are the videos:

UK Game Demo 

14 mins Gameplay

Introduction to the game

Throughout the videos, we can see that the actual gameplay is not so much on aggression,  but more on stealth. The game feels very different from GTA or SaintsRow. To me, it brings a different dimension and perspective to games, overriding other typical open world action-adventure games where you sort of go out like Rambo! 

The release date is rumoured to be around April-June 2014. Of course, it is expected to be a huge hit.

Here are some further information:

Engine : Disrupt  ,  Havok Physics

Platforms : Microsoft Windows, Microsoft XBOX 360 & XBOX ONE, Sony PS 3 & PS 4, Nintendo Wii U

Developers :  Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher :  Ubisoft

PreOrder here


Written by: Ying Hsian Ng

Confirmed: Fingerprint Sensor on Samsung's Galaxy S5

With the Samsung Galaxy S5 expected to be launched on 24th February in Barcelona, SamMobile reported that it will spot a fingerprint sensor.

The report claims that the fingerprint sensor will be implemented in the home button, dismissing earlier rumors that the sensor might be built into the display.

SamMobile explains the technology:

"The sensor itself works in a swipe manner, which means that you would need to swipe the entire pad of your finger, from base to tip, across the home key to register your fingerprint properly. Also, you would need to keep your finger flat against the home key and swipe at a moderate speed or else it won’t recognize your fingerprint. The fingerprint sensor is sensitive to moisture, as well."

Samsung's fingerprint technology is different from Apple's Touch ID.

As Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner could only be used to unlock and purchase apps, it is interesting to see what Samsung plans to do with its fingerprint sensor. SamMobile also added that the Galaxy S5 will show a real-time image of your fingerprint while you swipe it across the sensor.

Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

iPhone 6 rumors: All the specs and features you need to know!

Apple's annual iPhone refresh cycle points to a release date around September, at best. Although we are half a year away from its release, nothing could stop the churning rumor mill!

Screen Size
Many users are moving away from iPhones to Androids in search of a bigger screen. The 4-inch screens on current iPhones are deemed small, and Apple finally seems to be acknowledging that! Rumors point to a 4.7 or 4.8 inch display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. There are also reports on a 5.5 inch phablet (iPhone Pro?) with a 2K QHD resolution of 2272x1280 pixels.

Could the next iPhone go bezel-less?

Internal Storage
As with the usual 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variant, there are also reports of a 128GB variant.
NOTE: The 128GB rumor has been on the rumor mill for years, but never materialized. Will we finally see it on iPhone 6?

Camera
The 8-megapixel back camera will remain. Apple are likely to improve its optics rather than increasing megapixels. There are talks of a bigger, f/1.8 aperture, up from f/2.2 in iPhone 5s.
Front camera could be improved up to a 3.2-megapixel setup. There are reports that Sony will supply Apple with the front camera, but maybe not so soon.

Processor
It will likely be an A8 20 nanometer chip with 2GB RAM. One report claims that it will integrate DRAM into the chipset, thus bringing it closer to being "system-on-a-chip" (SoC).
Accelerometer, gyroscope and compass processing will likely be dealt with a new M8 motion coprocessor.

Sapphire Crystal Displays
Apple has been using sapphire glass on its iPhone 5s, albeit only for lens cover and home button. Apple recently partnered with GT Advanced to build a plant in Arizona, reportedly to manufacture sapphire crystal. Will it make it in time for iPhone 6 remains to be seen.

Biometrics
Touch ID fingerprint scanner will be included in iPhone 6, but what else? Apple has secured a patent for facial recognition, so things could get even more interesting.

LG G Flex vs Samsung Galaxy Round

Curved Displays
With LG and Samsung already making curved display phones, will Apple follow suit? Unlikely, in my opinion. With the iPhone business alone being larger than the whole of Microsoft, the generally conservative Apple will not take such huge risks.

Although speculation and patent filings are interesting, no concrete conclusions can be drawn just yet. Still a long wait, it seems.


Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

No More Codes: Google acquires SlickLogin

Sick of forgetting your passwords? You're in luck!

SlickLogin, a startup offering sound-based password alternatives, confirmed the acquisition by Google, joining them to "make the internet safer for everyone."

As TechCrunch put it:

"To verify a user’s identity and log them in, a website would play a uniquely generated, nearly-silent sound through your computer’s speakers. An app running on your phone would pick up the sound, analyze it, and send the signal back to the site’s server confirming that you are who you say you are — or, at least, someone who has that person’s phone."

SlickLogin debuting at TechCrunch

 The approach can be used as a password replacement or a two-factor authentication. The founders of SlickLogin also squashed any potential worries by saying:

"Everything is very heavily encrypted, so man in the middle attacks are out. You can’t record the audio signal and just play it back later, as the audio is uniquely tied to that moment. You can’t just hold your phone up to someone else’s audio signal (or grab it from across the room with a directional mic) in hopes of getting logged in to their account before they do; your phone wouldn’t have their login credentials stored on it, and that crucial bit isn’t wrapped into the sound."

The product is still in a small, closed Beta.


Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Ming-Chi Kuo: New iPad Air (A8+Touch ID) & iPad 4 in, iPad 2 out

Why is Apple still selling the iPad 2 in 2014?

Thankfully, KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a fairly strong record for predicting future Apple products, thinks that the iPad 2 will finally be thrown out of Apple Stores and go into the abyss of obsolete products.

No Retina Display? No, thank you.

Here are his expectations for 2014:

• iPad 2 will be discontinued in Q1. Introduced in early 2011, the iPad 2 still features a non-Retina screen and 30-pin dock connector. It remained on the market for years as a cheaper alternative for newer iPads, mainly used for educational purposes.
• iPad 4 will likely return to the market. With a gorgeous Retina display, lightning connector and A6X chip, the iPad 4 will probably replace iPad 2 to serve as alternative for the up-and-coming 6th-gen iPad.
• iPad Air will be updated in Q3. It will likely feature the A8 processor and Touch ID, currently found exclusively on iPhone 5s.
• New iPad Mini unlikely. With the much anticipated iPhone 6, new iPad Air, and rumored iWatch due to be released, Apple looks to be too busy in 2014 for a new iPad Mini.
• 12.9 inch iPad unlikely. Kuo seems certain that Apple are developing a 12.9 iPad, but it is unlikely to be released in 2014. Why? Apple's software team are focusing on the iWatch, which is a priority.

Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Stop The Flappy Bird Clones! (App Store & Play Store)

Since Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen took down the simple yet addictive game Flappy Bird, a plethora of clones have surfaced on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Search for the word "flappy" on Play Store and it returns more than 250 results, including "Flappy Troll" and "Flappy Pig."

So long Flappy Bird!

Dong, who reportedly received $50,000 per day in ad revenue, took down the game because he intended it to be played leisurely, rather than being addicted. Developers who are eager to emulate Dong's success are likely the reason behind the number of Flappy Bird clones.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), Apple and Google are cracking down on this craze. According to Apple, the clones are rejected for "attempt to leverage a popular app." So that's it, guys. No more Flappy Bird clones!


Written by: Kheng Wei Ang

Fitness Watchmaker Basis Selling Itself?

TechCrunch reports that Basis Science, a company that makes health-centric smartwatches, is looking for potential suitors.

Unable to secure enough funding, Basis is looking to be acquired. Rumor has it that they are in talks with Apple, Google, possibly Microsoft and Samsung about the sale. Although Basis' market share is unclear, the smartwatch market is regarded as future of mobile computing, thus attracting interests from bigger companies.

Google, who recently bought Nest for $3.2 billion, is looking to enter the consumer hardware market. It is worth nothing that Google currently has Google Glass Explorer Edition in the wearable tech sector, and is unclear about making a smartwatch.

Could this lead to Apple iWatch?

On the other hand, Apple looks more likely to make a smartwatch, after Tim Cook said that there will be new product categories in 2014. Previously, Apple has acquired companies to implement new technology directly. Siri was acquired and became the star attraction of iPhone 4S; Touch ID became selling point for iPhone 5S (besides gold color, of course). Could Apple acquire Basis to work on an iWatch?

Samsung could also acquire Basis, after having a lukewarm reception to its Galaxy Gear smartwatch.


Written by: Kheng Wei Ang