Sony Xperia Z4 Shows Up for Benchmark

LG's G4 has passed through benchmarking software and surprised us; now it is the turn of Sony's next flagship, but the Xperia Z4 is exactly what we expected. The handset made its way through GFXBench's suite as the Sony E6553. While that is not the Xperia Z4 by name, the listed specs certainly point to this handset being the upcoming flagship.
Read the full story here.

Blip: This iPad selfie stick makes us sick

Blip: This iPad selfie stick makes us sick

Today is a sad day for the TechRadar office, and by extension the world. Someone has created an iPad selfie stick, rolling two terrible ideas - selfie sticks and people who take pictures with tablets - into one easy-to-hate device.

For the narcissistic amongst us, you can now use your Apple tablet's front-facing camera to take photos from up to three feet away. Apparently it's allowed to use these in everyday situations too, not just posing with weapons, sitting at funerals or while rubbernecking at accident sites.

We haven't had the joyous opportunity of trying one of these things out yet but we suspect you're going to be needing arms to rival Popeye just to hold an iPad up at that distance for more than a couple of seconds – especially if it isn't the ultra-light iPad Air 2.

If you really want one, head over to Accessory Geeks. Just don't tell us if you do. We'd rather not know.

More blips

Are you done with planet Earth now? Most of our blips will help you love the planet we love on, whilst some others won't.








Apple is finally getting serious about the iPhone’s battery life

Apple is finally getting serious about the iPhone's battery life

One challenge faced by all smartphone and tablet makers is how to keep their high-spec creations running for any length of time between charges, and it's a problem that Apple has particularly struggled with, especially on its phones.

However the next generation of iOS devices could see improvements, as the company is going on a hiring spree for new battery experts.

The job listings, spotted by AppleInsider, are for the likes of an 'iOS Battery Life Software Engineer', an 'iOS Power Analytics Manager' and an 'iOS Software Power Systems Engineer', alongside other roles which don't specifically mention iOS, such as a 'Battery Firmware Development Manager'.

A much-needed boost

That last one and others like it could feasibly be for improvements to MacBook batteries, but that still leaves at least three positions specifically focused on iOS and the job summaries all talk about improving battery life.

Of course hiring people to come up with battery life solutions isn't quite the same as already having a solution, but it's a step in the right direction and one which could be much-needed. While the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus improved on the life of the iPhone 5S, a large part of that was likely down to their increased size that allowed for larger batteries.

We're not expecting the iPhone 6S/7 to get any bigger, but it's bound to get more powerful and that could give battery life a hit. With it not likely launching until September, hopefully these hires have come in time to prevent that.








I just called my buddy using WhatsApp – and you can too

I just called my buddy using WhatsApp - and you can too

Don't you hate it when you're using WhatsApp and have to exit just to call someone? Well hate no more, as the messaging firm has just released its new in-app calling feature.

The update is rolling out to Android smartphones in select markets, but if you can't wait for the app update to appear in Google Play then head to whatsapp.com/android and download version 2.12.19.

We downloaded the update from the website and the new-look WhatsApp now has a tab imaginatively called "Calls" - which is where you'll need to head it you want to get on the phone with a friend.

You can also start a call from within a chat with a contact - just hit the phone icon at the top of the screen - making it easier to get on the phone and tell them just how much you love their new haircut, or whatever it is you talk about with your friends.

WhatsApp Calling

If someone calls you via WhatsApp you get a familiar looking call screen on your phone where you can choose to answer, decline, or decline with an automated message that gets sent to them in a, yep you guessed it, WhatsApp chat.

Bonus calls

The bonus of using WhatsApp to call someone is you can do it over a WiFi network, allowing you to make and receive phone calls in areas devoid of mobile signal.

WhatsApp isn't the first service to offer this as Facebook Messenger has given you this option for a while - but seeing as the social network now owns both services it's no surprise they're beginning to mirror functionality.

During our tests in the office audio was loud and clear, but a little delayed - no more than a second, but it was noticeable.

For those of you rocking iPhones you'll have to wait for the call functionality to hit your platform, while there's currently no word on a potential release for Windows Phone or BlackBerry 10.


LG teases worldwide launch event for its next flagship phone

LG teases worldwide launch event for its next flagship phone

As if to say "hold up on your next phone purchase," LG sent out launch event invites the same day we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

That's clever timing. The April 28 reveal is expected to give us our first official glimpse of the LG G4, the South Korean company's next flagship smartphone.

In certain regions, this means the worldwide event is taking place on April 29.

When is LG G4 release date?

The simplistic invite doesn't hint at the actual LG G4 release date, however, so it could be a few weeks to a month and a half out from the launch event in the US and UK.

That's what happened with the LG G Flex 2 when it made its debut in the more carrier-friendly South Korea one month before traversing to the west.

Before that, the wait time was even longer. LG announced the LG G3 at a May 27 event last year and it didn't make its debut until a month and a half later in mid-July.

The good news it may be worth the wait. We got a taste of the powerful specs of the curved LG G Flex 2, and there's word of a more stable CPU and an even better camera in the new phone.

With HTC One M9 and two Samsung Galaxy S6 variants crowding the April calendar, LG needs to stand out. We'll see how it'll do just that on April 28.








Telstra tops up: Telco moves away from excess data usage with automatic top-ups

Telstra tops up: Telco moves away from excess data usage with automatic top-ups

Telstra's been orchestrating a major shake up in how it doles out data as of late, with last week's doubling of data limits for fixed broadband customers and yesterday's announcement of new data-happy mobile plans coming as welcome surprises.

Now, Telstra's looking to switch its customers over from its exorbitant and outdated excess data charges, to automatic data top ups that will help people freely continue to download from their phones, without worrying about how much it will cost them.

The new Telstra Extra Data initiative will launch on May 12, and will invite Telstra customers to receive extra data in 1GB blocks for $10 a pop via the Telstra 24x7 App or via the Telstra website.

Telstra customers will be sent an SMS alerting them of when an automatic data top up has occurred.

Catch you on the download

The announcement of Telstra's Extra Data feature comes shortly after the announcement of an almost identical Optus initiative, which gives Optus My Plan Plus customers additional gigabytes of mobile data at $10 per GB.

Optus' changes to its data approach were spearheaded by the arrival of Netflix to Australian shores, with a range of Netflix starter packs allowing people to continue streaming when they're out and about with the added data.

With Telstra officially supporting Foxtel's Presto streaming service with new Presto-inclusive mobile plans, it's clear that the proper arrival of streaming media services to Australia has forced our telcos to pick up their game when it comes to their data limits.








Android App of the Week: Phound!

Smartphones aren’t easily replaceable, considering the vast amounts of data we carry around inside of them. Two or three handy swipes through the average smartphone are likely to reveal a cache of sensitive information, from expansive address books to gigabytes of personal photos. Naturally, this makes losing your phone a frightening, and potentially expensive, proposition. Fortunately, Phound!, a new app from security software company Kaspersky Lab, has your back.

Phound! by Kaspersky Lab

Phound! by Kaspersky Lab

Newly available on Google Play, Phound! is an anti-theft/phone finder/remote wiper built for just about any scenario that unwittingly separates you from your mobile device. Think of it as a slightly deeper alternative to Google’s own Android Device Manager. Through the app, you can perform a combination of actions to help you find your phone – or clear out your data to minimize the potential damage.

After installing the app, you have to register for a Kaspersky account to make use of it. Thankfully, everything here is free, and the company’s marketing department doesn’t seem too eager to barrage you with pitches for additional software or services. Your Kaspersky account is also your portal for logging in online and activating controls on your lost or stolen smartphone.

After signing in to said account on any web browser, you can access your smartphone remotely. The first function is Lock & Locate, which–you guessed it–locks up your phone and finds it using GPS. The only drawback to this is that you need to have location services already enabled on your phone for the function to work, which doesn’t exactly help if you can’t access your phone to turn the GPS on in the first place.

Prior to firing off the locate signal from your desktop, you can use the portal to type in a message that appears on the phone’s lock screen. The default is “I’m lost,” but you can personalize it to say whatever you want. Next, the website provides you with a map view of the phone’s location including latitude and longitude coordinates. From this point, your smartphone can’t be unlocked until you key in a website-provided PIN.

If you still can’t locate your phone and could use a bit of sonic assistance, the Alarm option takes things up a notch by locking the phone and having it emit an incredibly annoying noise that can’t be shut off until the aforementioned PIN is keyed in. This feature also lets you key in a personalized message that you can use to contact (or threaten) the holder of your device. In testing, we discovered that this feature doesn’t require GPS to be enabled.

Phound! by Kaspersky Lab

Phound! by Kaspersky Lab

Your next option is called Mugshot. This feature locks your phone, finds it with GPS (again, if you’ve got it turned on), and activates the on-board camera to take a candid shot of whoever’s claimed custody of your property. This is also useful in helping you identify any landmarks or nearby objects that may aid the search for your device if you’ve only misplaced it. The results of the snapshot are delivered to the website portal, which you can blow up to get a better look or plaster across social media to enlist the help of others.

Finally, if all else fails, Phound! also includes controls to Wipe All Data and Wipe Personal Data, which do what their names would suggest. The former draws a clean slate on all application and device management capability, while the latter takes care of the rest. Another bonus: GPS doesn’t have to be turned on for either of these to work.

Phound! performed well in testing and the application itself (in combination with the Kaspersky website) is easy to figure out, requiring little to no instruction. The fact that location services have to be enabled in order for the locate function to work is understandable, but the inclusion of a remote “turn on GPS button” would be a smart inclusion in future updates. Fortunately, the Alarm, Mugshot and Data Wipe features can all still work without it. The app is also a bit of a pain to uninstall, as it takes device administrator privileges and can potentially lock you out of your own device if you don’t follow Kaspersky’s unnecessarily obtuse instructions.

Nevertheless, Phound! is a functional and worthwhile solution to an all-too-common problem. It can be downloaded for free from Google Play right now, and requires Android 3.0 and up.

The post Android App of the Week: Phound! appeared first on Brighthand.com.

LG G4 Spotted for Benchmark Packing Snapdragon 808

Most of LG's rivals have already launched their 2015 flagship smartphones (Sony excluded), but the Korean company is playing a patient game before launching the G4. Like last year, LG knows where its opponents in the market are and what they offer, the company will be hoping to strike gold again like it did with the G3. The LG G4 is expected in April and its launch seems a lot more probable now that it is showing up for benchmarks.
Read the full story here.

HTC Announces One E9+ for Asia, More Flagship than One M9?

A month after announcing its latest flagship, and even before it has hit stores, HTC has launched a superior smartphone. Sure, the One M9 landed last month at MWC and was much of the same, which meant a very stellar smartphone indeed, if a little disappointing for some. The Taiwanese company has now unveiled the One E9+, a handset that matches the One M9 in hardware and even betters it in some cases.
Read the full story here.

Oh Snapdragon! LG G4 may turn its back on Qualcomm’s new chip

Oh Snapdragon! LG G4 may turn its back on Qualcomm's new chip

December 2014 rumors that this year's major flagships would shun Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 have, so far, turned out to be mostly true.

The Samsung Galaxy S6, for example, sports an Exynos chip instead of Qualcomm's latest, and now there's more evidence that the LG G4 is in the same boat.

Well, almost the same - instead of opting for a non-Snapdragon processor altogether, it looks like LG will simply use the older Snapdragon 808 in its next flagship.

That's judging by the benchmark test results for a phone called the "F500x" - likely the G4, based on LG's naming conventions - that have appeared on GFXBench.

Doubt of the benefits

According to these results the LG G4 packs a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 display, 3GB of memory, 15- and 7-megapixel cameras, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and, of course, the Snapdragon 808 processor.

The older chip may not be as powerful as the Snapdragon 810, but it's at least free of the newer processor's long-rumored overheating issues.

Given all the reports that have preceded this one, the news isn't exactly surprising - though it is slightly more intriguing given how quickly LG jumped to Qualcomm's defense in January.

Maybe the situation with the latest Snapdragon chip was slightly worse than the company thought? We've asked Qualcomm to expand on the situation, and we'll update if we learn anything.








iPad Game Review: Kingdom Tales 2 Review

Kingdom Tales 2 is an excellent builder/time management game that will not only entertain, it will also challenge you exactly as much as you want it to.Kingdom Tales 2 is G5's latest entry in the builder/time management genre. Spread across 40 levels, your task is to reunite Finn with Princess Dahla by proving his worth to her father, The ...
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Moshi VersaKeyboard for iPad Air 2 Review

The Moshi VersaKeyboard is their VersaCover case with a portable keyboard attached to the back. The Moshi VersaKeyboard case fits the iPad Air 2 and you can slide the keyboard in and out of the holder tracks on the back of the case easily. Like the VersaCover, the keyboard case has origami style front cover that doubles as a ...
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ZAGG Releases Pocket Keyboard for Smartphones

ZAGG has released the ZAGG Pocket Keyboard, a mobile keyboard designed specifically for smartphones and phablet mobile devices. The ZAGG Pocket wireless Bluetooth keyboard, is the easiest on-the-go solution to phablet and smartphone typing. Here's more info: Delivering over 85 percent of the size of a desktop keyboard, the Pocket maintains fast, natural typing and then folds ...
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LG G Flex 2 Review- a Much Improved Curved Smartphone

Let's face it, the original LG G Flex wasn't a huge sucess-- the specs were lacking and the phone was too big for most. The LG G Flex 2 remedies these issues, and it's actually a fine phone that might charm you with its attractive and comfortable curve. The LG G Flex 2 runs on the new 2 GHz ...
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