Google: Android activations to total 900 million this year

Google, which is hosting its developers conference, also says Google Play has passed 48 billion app installations.

Google expects Android activations to total 900 million this year.

(Credit: James Martin)

 

Google expects users to activate about 900 million Android devices this year, more than doubling the number activated in 2012, an executive said Wednesday.

Sundar Pichai, head of Google's Android and Chrome operations, said at the company's developers conference that users activated 400 million Android devices in 2012 and 100 million in 2011. "The momentum has been breathtaking since then," Pichai said.
And Hugo Barra, vice president of product management, said Google Play has just passed 48 billion app installations, with 2.5 billion installations in the last month alone.
Google is hosting Google I/O, its annual developers conference, Wednesday in San Francisco. The online giant has been expected to announce a host of new products and provide more details about other recently announced technology such as Google Glass.
Google's Android software has become the most-used mobile operating system in the world. Canalys last week said Android ran about 60 percent of all smart devices -- phones, tablets, and notebooks -- shipped in the first quarter, while iOS came in second with 19 percent share. While Android still lags iOS in tablets, it's starting to pick up steam, much as it did before dominating smartphones.
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt in April predicted that 1 billion people will be using Android smartphones within the next six to nine months. He also said there will be nearly 2 billion Android phones within a year or two. As of April, there were more than 750 million Android phones in use across 320 carriers and 160 countries, Schmidt said, and there are 1.5 million sales or activations of Android every day.

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Samsung grabs 95 percent of Android smartphone profits

The Korean handset maker earned $5.1 billion of the $5.3 billion in global profits last quarter, says research firm Strategy Analytics.

 

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

 

Samsung took home almost all of the profits generated in the Android smartphone world last quarter, according to a report today from Strategy Analytics.
For the first quarter, global Android smartphone profits totaled $5.3 billion. Samsung captured a hefty 95 percent, or $5.1 billion, of that amount. Strategy Analytics senior analyst Woody Oh pinned Samsung's success on an "efficient supply chain, sleek products, and crisp marketing."

(Credit: Strategy Analytics) 

 

Second place LG Electronics snagged 2.5 percent of Android's global earnings and is far behind Samsung in the volume of its smartphone devices. Samsung could even use its dominance to gain an edge over LG and other rival Android vendors.
"We believe Samsung generates more revenue and profit from the Android platform than Google does," Strategy Analytics Executive Director Neil Mawston said in a statement. "Samsung has strong market power, and it may use this position to influence the future direction of the Android ecosystem. For example, Samsung could request first or exclusive updates of new software from Android before rival hardware vendors."
Looking at the entire smartphone industry last quarter, the Android platform carved out a 43 percent slice of $12.5 billion in operating profits, according to the report.

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Microsoft building touch-screen feature into Chrome

To spread its flexible Pointer Events interface beyond Windows 8 and IE10, Microsoft programmers are trying to build support into Google's browser.

 

 

Through the peculiar dynamics of Web standard politics and the open-source programming cooperation, Microsoft is helping Google with support for a feature to let browsers flexibly handle input from touch screens, mice, and pens.
Monday, the Redmond-based company announced on the Blink mailing list that it's planning to write a version of its Pointer Events technology for Blink, the open-source browser engine project at the heart of Google's Chrome browser. The move came on the eve of Google I/O, the developer show where Chrome and Chrome OS share the developer spotlight with Android, Google+, Glass, and other technologies.
The interface, which uses the same approach as in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, already is built into Internet Explorer 10. The World Wide Web Consortium last week promoted the Pointer Events specification to "candidate recommendation" status, an important step on the path to standardization.
Scott Blomquist, senior development lead for the Microsoft Open Technologies subsidiary, explained Microsoft's motivation for adding the support to Chrome:

Pointer Events elegantly unifies the interface for different input technologies (mouse, touch, pen) thereby simplifying developer workload and code complexity. Furthermore, it automatically addresses common coding challenges for increasingly ubiquitous device types that allow multiple types of input at the same time. It provides a future-proof abstraction that will allow Pointer Events-enabled web pages to leverage any new input technologies with little if any modifications at all. The API is already supported by Internet Explorer.

Microsoft already had built a test version of Pointer Events support for WebKit, the browser engine project from which Blink diverged earlier this year.

Just announcing the intention to implement a specification on the Blink mailing list doesn't mean it will be accepted into Chrome, but the response seemed generally favorable.
And in a blog post, Microsoft said the standardization work shows plenty of cooperation around creation of the specification.
"This progression from Last Call Working Draft to Candidate Recommendation is a mark of the effective collaboration among Microsoft Corp., Google, Mozilla, Opera, Nokia, jQuery, and others to help sites take advantage of new interactive devices for the Web," said Asir Vedamuthu Selvasingh and Adalberto Foresti, both principal program managers for Microsoft Open Technologies, in a blog post.
Dave Methvin, president of the jQuery Foundation, is one supporter. jQuery is widely used software that Web programmers use to build advanced user-interface features into Web sites and Web apps.
"We see Pointer Events as a great way to unify the haphazard models that exist today for mouse, touch, and other pointer devices. Our team looks forward to supporting web developer use of Pointer Events as implementations begin to arrive," Methvin said in an endorsement on Microsoft's blog.

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Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4

With specs revealed for the Xbox One, we finally have a chance to directly compare it with that other yet-to-be-released gaming console, the PlayStation 4.

Microsoft revealed specs and features for the Xbox One today at an event in Redmond, Wash. This finally gives us a chance to directly compare the new Xbox One with the PlayStation 4.

Hardware
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 house very similar silicon inside their respective bodies, with a few key differences.
According to an exhaustive analysis by Digital Foundry, the biggest difference between the two system's hardware is the type of RAM each uses. The PlayStation 4 uses 8GB GDDR5 RAM, while all signs point to the Xbox One using 8GB of DDR3 RAM. The GDDR5 RAM used in the PlayStation 4 is the same type of RAM used by most PC video cards and is optimized for graphical throughput.

Killzone: Shadow Fall is one impressive-looking game.

(Credit: Sony) 

Richard Leadbetter at Digital Foundry speculates that the PS4's GPU may have as much as 50 percent more raw graphical computational power than the one in the Xbox One. That, coupled with its faster graphics memory, may translate into prettier games on the PS4.
However, we can't say that just yet. We've yet to play any actual games on either system, so until E3 in a few weeks, all we can do is speculate whether the next Halo game will look as good as the next version of Killzone.
Check out the chart below for more details on the consoles' hardware.

	Xbox One	PlayStation 4
Price	TBA	TBA
Availability	2013	Holiday 2013
Blu-ray	Yes	Yes
Hard drive	Built-in (500GB)	Built-in ("very large")
Motion control	New Kinect (bundled)	Move controller
CPU	8-core x86 AMD	8-core x86 AMD
RAM	8GB	8GB GDDR5
USB 3.0	Yes	Yes
Wireless	Yes (802.11n w/Wi-Fi Direct)	Yes (802.11n)
Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes
HDMI	Yes (in and out)	Yes
Suspend/resume game support	Yes	Yes
Background downloading	Yes	Yes
Native gameplay sharing (video)	Yes	Yes

Exclusives
As many hard-core gamers will attest, not much was said about games during the event, but some relevant information trickled out.
Microsoft announced that we'd see at least 15 first-party games on the Xbox One within its first year, 8 of which will be new franchises. It also announced that all DLC for Call of Duty: Ghosts would debut first on the Xbox One.

Forza 5 will be an Xbox One exclusive.

(Credit: Microsoft)

EA also showed up to show off its new sports games engine, Ignite, but I fully expect those same games to appear on Sony's console. Of course, Sony has the aforementioned Killzone franchise, and at its event in February of this year, the company showed off other first-party titles like Infamous: Second Son and Knack.

Most other PlayStation 4 games shown will also be coming to the Xbox One. Right now it's a bit early to be able to get an accurate picture of what the exclusive games war map looks like. Again, E3 should give us a better idea of which pieces are where.

Controllers
We probably won't get any hands-on time with the Xbox One's controller or the DualShock 4 for the PlayStation 4 before E3, but there are a few ways in which we can compare them with each other now.
The DualShock 4 differentiates itself with a clickable touch pad on the front -- giving developers an additional option when designing games, although we've yet to see it in actual application.

(Credit: James Martin) 

 

Also, the light bar includes some Move capability, allowing the PS4 to track the position and identify where the controller is and, if need be, actually adjust the split-screen orientation during multiplayer couch gaming. The Xbox One will accomplish this with assistance from Kinect, as it automatically tracks who's holding which controller.
The DualShock 4 also gets a Share button, a built-in speaker, and a headphone jack. Share allows players to quickly upload game footage to the Internet for others to see, and while the Xbox includes a similar capture-and-upload feature, it's unclear if it will be as simple to use as Sony's ostensibly is.

A mockup PS4 controller from Sony.

(Credit: James Martin) 

The Xbox One uses Wi-Fi Direct to connect its controller, while the PlayStation 4 relies on Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. On paper, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR's theoretical 3Mbps maximum speed is clearly outclassed by Wi-Fi Direct's 250Mbps theoretical throughput. However, whether this will result in any tangible difference remains to be seen.
The problem with comparing the two controllers right now is that we've yet to actually use them for what they're designed for: playing games.

Motion and voice control
Every Xbox One unit will come bundled with a second-generation Kinect. While the PS4 will be compatible with Sony's Move controller and new stereo camera, it has yet to announce any plans to bundle them with the system.
Kinect 2.0 will offer a wider field of view, better tracking of individuals (limited finger tracking is now included), and the ability to track more overall bodies. And (frighteningly!) also determine your current heart rate.

Kinect 2.0 is watching you.

(Credit: James Martin) 

The first Kinect never really made a strong impression with hard-core gamers, and it's too early to tell just how developers will make use of the second generation's upgraded features, but since every Xbox One owner will have one, it will be much more integrated into your overall Xbox experience.
The device will always be on and simply by stating "Xbox on," will power up your entire system and sign you into your account based on facial recognition. Not to be outdone, Sony says its camera will have similar functionality.

Sony's PS4 camera will include some of the same functionality as Kinect 2.0, but probably not all.

(Credit: James Martin) 

More than any other next-generation feature, it's the ability to navigate your entire interface simply with the sound of your voice that feels the most futuristic to me. And by "futuristic" I mean, this is the kind of stuff I envisioned we'd see by this time when I was a kid. Interfaces that bring us one step closer to a Holodeck.
Right now it's too early to tell which motion/camera solution will be best, but Kinect may at least be the most ubiquitous.

Non-gaming entertainment
Microsoft's event on Tuesday was clearly focused on communicating that the Xbox One would be much more than simply a box to play video games on, and began its presentation demoing how the system would integrate with your television. Allowing you to switch from game to TV show, to the Web, to a movie, to Skype, easily and smoothly (without switching inputs), with just the sound of your voice. You'll also have the ability to multitask, running games and other apps simultaneously.
The Xbox One will not replace your cable box, but will instead allow you to plug your cable box into it, bypassing your cable company's interface, giving you control of live TV through your Xbox One. You'll even be able to create your own personalized "channel" with the shows and services you want.

Your TV guide: Xboxed!

(Credit: Microsoft) 

Football fans will see deeper integration with NFL on the Xbox One; however, details on how exactly this will work are few. Look for Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and other streaming services to make a return.
The PS4 will not want for services like streaming video, but live TV integration is not currently on the table. I'd love to write more about Sony's nongaming entertainment plans, but frankly, the company has been fairly quiet in this regard as of yet.

Community and social
During the PS4 reveal back in February, Sony was clearly putting out different messaging compared with what had come before. While PSN has seen vast improvements (especially if you're a Plus member) in its offerings as of late, you'd be hard-pressed to compare it favorably with the Xbox Live community experience.
For PS4, Sony is targeting deep integration into its service. It wants you connected all the time. Things like live video chat and Facebook will be natively integrated. When your friends purchase a new game, you'll know and you'll be able to play new games before they've even finished downloading.
However, the biggest change is the addition of the Share button on the PS4's controller.

Sony will double down on social for the PS4.

(Credit: Sarah Tew) 

Through this button, gamers can broadcast live gameplay, take screenshots, or share videos of their latest gaming triumphs. Your friends will post comments to your screen while they watch you play. If a player is stuck in a particularly difficult section of a game, he can call in an online friend to literally take over his controls. Yes frustration successfully circumvented, despite a possible bruised ego on the sharer's part.
That's a feature I'll probably never use (see aforementioned tender ego), but I can easily recognize how incredibly cool and useful this could be for many players out there.
With Remote Play you can stream your PS4 game onto a PlayStation Vita. I'm unsure if this will be available for every game, but it does make the PS Vita much more enticing. To me, at least.
Though Microsoft hasn't gone into as much detail for these types of features on the Xbox One, it's certainly not resting on its social laurels. Xbox One users will be able to access the last few minutes of gameplay, edit it into a video, and share via social networks and Xbox Live.

Just how invasive will the social experience be on the new consoles and can I opt out if I don't want my mom tracking what I'm watching on Netflix?

(Credit: Microsoft) 

Microsoft has also increased its Xbox Live friends list limit from 100 to 1,000, and achievements are getting a big overhaul. It writes on its Xbox One site that the new system will have "richer detail and span across your games and experiences."
Other Xbox One social features include built-in Skype, the ability to track Xbox Live trends, and see what your friends are playing or watching most. With Smart Match you can find multiplayer games while spending your time in other apps. SmartGlass will also be more tightly integrated into the Xbox One.

Admittedly, this all sounds very cool in concept, but is a little difficult to discuss without more details. I just hope that both Microsoft and Sony allow users to easily opt out of sharing so much info if they're not into the whole social network thing.

How much?
By this point (if you've gotten this far) I'm sure you're thinking "wow, he really doesn't know much about these systems and this mostly feels like speculation," and you'd be mostly right. There is a venerable lack of concrete info, but hopefully by E3...well, you know how the rest of that sentence goes.
Pricing is just another one of those details we have zero concrete information on. Some rumors point to a $499 price for the Xbox One base system, with a subsidized $299 price if you sign up for Xbox Live. That honestly feels a bit too expensive to me. Console manufacturers have traditionally sold their hardware at a loss, making it up on software, but with the advent of microtransactions, maybe that model is due for a change. Still, I'm predicting a lower initial price for both it and the PS4, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Sony's PS4 will likely be a black, squarish box, but how much will it cost? This blurry, cryptic message from Sony reveals very little.

(Credit: Sony) 

There are still plenty of unanswered pricing questions for each system's respective services. Will we see a new Xbox Live pricing structure? How much will Sony charge for PSN memberships? How much will new games cost? Will digital versions be discounted? Will Microsoft ditch its points currency system? Ah, questions! Questions that need answering!
There's also the issue of how this coming generation will handle used games. Game publishers have been very vocal about the used games market cutting into their bottom lines. Sony has yet to address how it will handle used games on the PS4, but Microsoft was pointedly asked to address this issue.
Though not ready to fully reveal its used games strategy, group program manager for Xbox Incubation, Jeff Henshaw, says, "Xbox One will support the reselling and used game market for Xbox One games. We have not announced details about exactly how it's going to work, or how licenses are going to be exchanged."

Would you pay $499 (rumored Xbox One price) for a console in 2013?

(Credit: James Martin) 

Henshaw went on to say, "What we have announced is that a used game ecosystem will be supported, so people can breathe easy. They will be able to get used games." Interesting, but without actual details, maybe not wholly satisfying for many gamers who only buy games used. We expect to know more later this year.

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Microsoft's Xbox One: The details

Microsoft has unveiled the new Xbox, and it's called Xbox One. It's Microsoft's first new console in more than seven years. Yes, we've had many expectations for this console, especially since Sony and Nintendo have already taken their first steps in the next-gen landscape. Here's what you need to know that was announced at Microsoft's event in Redmond, Wash.

The Xbox One

(Credit: James Martin)

The Xbox 360 debuted in the fall of 2005, which feels like a million years ago...even if it's only seven and a half. It's high time for a new console, even if some tech pundits are questioning the value of gaming hardware platforms in the current age.

Design
The Xbox One is large, sleek, and black, and looks like a piece of AV equipment. The controller and Kinect unit are redesigned, too: the Kinect and Xbox One, in particular, sport sharp-angled, glossy-black boxy looks. As a set, the Xbox One really does feel like some elaborate piece of home theater gear...and considering its mission to knit entertainment together into a modern all-in-one package, that's clearly intentional. It also looks awfully big, compared with current-gen consoles and how they've slimmed down.
The name "Xbox One" suggests a reboot, a fresh start. Maybe from this day forward, Microsoft's connected living-room PC strategies will spring from the Xbox One. Or, it'll just a be a very good gaming console.

Home entertainment
Microsoft promises that this is a better-connected way of linking TV, games, and entertainment in one unit -- something the Xbox 360 already does, but will do more via commands like "Xbox, on." As was said during the initial presser, you're "going to have a relationship with your TV." The elevator pitch: take on a living room that has become "too complex," and make a system that knits games, TV, and entertainment.
So, how will that happen?
There are universal gestures such as grab-and-pan and swipe up; watching live TV will involve maximizing and minimizing the screen in a top corner. Live TV will be part of the Xbox One experience, via HDMI-in. Yes, cable TV looks like part of the package.

 

But we haven't seen, other than some picture-in-picture overlays, how exactly TV is piped in and more deeply interacted with...and who the partners are. Comcast was mentioned, but what other companies will contribute to letting the Xbox One hook in and become a true TV accessory? That was the challenge that daunted Google TV and the Wii U. Right now, it doesn't look like the Xbox One replaces your cable box or your DVR, even though it's large enough to be both.
The Xbox One does knit together new voice commands to do some PC-like stuff: you can order movie tickets, for instance, engage in Skype, or pull up fantasy sports stats while watching a game. The conversational, Siri-meets-Google Now-like voice commands hopefully will have clear menu representation on the console, as otherwise it could get confusing.
"It's an all-in-one entertainment console" is a pitch we've heard before, dating back to the PlayStation 3 and before that -- really, going back all the way to the 3DO. It hasn't always worked, but the Xbox One is better positioned because the Xbox 360's already pretty successful at being an excellent streaming-video device

(Credit: Microsoft)

 

Specs
Under the hood, details so far include an eight-core processor and graphics made by AMD, 8GB of RAM, Blu-ray, USB 3.0, HDMI in/out, and a 500GB hard drive. Besides all of this, Microsoft is promising a new operating system fusing Xbox and Windows.
Xbox One architecture has "three operating systems in one": Xbox, a kernel of Windows (perhaps like Windows RT), and a multitasking interface. The idea seems to be that this console will be a multitasker at heart. Check out a head-to-head comparison with the PlayStation 4 specs known so far, however, and you can see that the distance between Sony and Microsoft, in terms of hardware, will be shorter than ever.

The Xbox One's Kinect.

(Credit: James Martin)

 

New Kinect
A new Kinect comes with the Xbox One, complete with improved accuracy. It has a 1080p camera, Skype connectivity, and understanding of rotational movement in a structure like a skeleton. Microsoft even claims the new Kinect can read your heartbeat. It can also recognize your controller, not just your hands -- suggesting uses that sound a little like the ones for PlayStation Move's wand.

The Xbox One controller

(Credit: James Martin)

New controller
The Xbox controller's gotten a revamp with an integrated battery, improved ergonomics, a better D-pad, and improved response triggers. It looks similar but has gotten a bunch of gamer-oriented tweaks.

SmartGlass
The tablet-based SmartGlass experience will center on Xbox One, and will work as before with a variety of phones and tablets. Baked-in Wi-Fi Direct on the Xbox One will allow Bluetooth-like direct communication between external devices, which could come in handy for other future peripherals, too. Second screens will be a major method of interacting with the Xbox One, but details were scarce at the Xbox event -- how will it be better than, and more profound than, SmartGlass as it currently exists?

Xbox Live
Built on the existing service and usernames, the new Xbox Live promises 300,000 servers for Xbox One, a whopping number. Matchmaking services will work while you're doing other tasks like watching movies or Web browsing, and bigger, more quickly connecting matches are promised, too. Microsoft has discussed some cloud services on the Xbox One that seem promising: user-based cloud game saves, uploaded game recording, and even the potential for cloud-processing-enhanced games. How that will play out isn't clear.

Games
Microsoft plans eight new franchises for the Xbox One in the first year, a hopeful sign for a platform that's become too sequel-dependent. Of course, Forza 5 was shown off, but a new game called Quantum Break from the developers of Alan Wake looks like the sort of game we're more used to seeing from PlayStation, with a big-studio design and cinematic feel. But there is some bad news: like the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One isn't backward-compatible with Xbox 360 games. For more, read what we know about Xbox One's games so far.

TV on Xbox
"Xbox is going to be the next water cooler." That was said during the event to suggest the Xbox One's role as a social-TV platform. To that end, it sounds like Microsoft is developing TV shows and original programming for the Xbox One, making a greater leap into Netflix-like original programming. Steven Spielberg announced a new TV series based on Halo, and the NFL demonstrated some level of interaction with fantasy stats and Skyping with NFL broadcasts.

 

Availability
The Xbox One will be available "later this year," so that means 2013 after all. Price and a specific date will have to wait...after all, E3 is just weeks away. In short, there are still several things about the Xbox One we don't know...and would like to.

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Peek at the best-looking PlayStation 4 mockup yet

Sony has yet to reveal the PS4, so one gamer took matters into his own hands and created a concept rendering based on existing footage.

A mockup of the PS4.

(Credit: Andy Gilleand) 

When Sony has a secret up its sleeve, the company loves to tease. If you missed last week's video enigma, Sony revealed very brief pictures of the mysterious PlayStation 4 hardware, leaving gamers in the dark about what the highly anticipated gaming console will look like.

Luckily, graphics guru Andy Gilleand has the imagination (and skills) to piece together Sony's puzzle, and created a general conceptual rendering of the PlayStation 4.
While Gilleand's interpretation will have most Sony purists crying foul, the render does align with the general shape and accents seen in the official teaser videos. It's widely expected that Sony will finally show off the PlayStation 4 during a company press event at E3 2013 on June 10.

Another angle showing what the front of the PS4 could look like.

(Credit: Andy Gilleand) 

A rear angle.

(Credit: Andy Gilleand) 

Based on what's been shown so far, Gilleand believes the top of the console contains three different shades -- a monochromatic spectrum ranging from black to gray -- while the lower portion appears dark gray. A ventilation strip wraps around most of the console, while the front contains a disc slot front and center with rows of ventilation ports nearby. A previous PS4 mockup drawing emits a similar vibe.
Gilleand added the circular fan based on what was shown in the video, but even he notes that it may have been part of an accessory and not the actual hardware. Gilleand added the buttons, LEDs, and USB ports in logical areas as those items weren't shown in the video.
What do you think about this conceptual mockup of the PlayStation 4?

A rear shot. Circular exhaust likely to change, says Gilleand.

(Credit: Andy Gilleand)

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Android rumor roundup

The HTC M4, Nexus 5, and Motorola X Phone are three of the biggest rumors making the rounds this week.

(Credit: Google)

This column gathers the top rumors in the Android space. It was originally published December 14, 2012, and is updated weekly.

Remember when HTC CEO Peter Chou was caught on video screaming about the HTC M7? Well, it's sibling, the M4, is back. And so are rumors of Google's Nexus 5, and the much whispered-about Motorola X Phone.

April 27 - May 3, 2013

The HTC "M4" looks to be a lower-powered and smaller take on the HTC One.

(Credit: Phone Arena)

HTC M4 (May 1, 2013)
HTC will reportedly debut a smaller version of the flagship HTC One smartphone, according to Phone Arena. Operating under the codename of "M4," the handset is rumored to feature a 4.3-inch 720p display, an "UltraPixel" camera, a dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and LTE connectivity. These reports confirm early chatter of a lesser-powered M7 (HTC One) would soon be announced. Presumably, the M4 will also run the latest version of HTC's custom Sense UI.


Motorola X Phone (May 2, 2013)
A trio of new images appear to suggest Ma Bell is in line to carry the so-called, and still unconfirmed, Motorola X Phone. The three photos, which come from oft-reliable Twitter source @evleaks, show a smartphone (or smartphones) that somewhat resembles previously leaked photos. Bearing the name "Blackboxed Motorola for AT&T," it appears to be the same handset found in a batch of images that have since been removed from a Vietnamese site.
New benchmarks surfacing this week show a potential X Phone running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. These new numbers conflict with scores from last week that tipped tipped Android 5.0.1. The scores, which can be easily rigged, showed a "Google X" with a 1.5GHz processor and a score of 15,479.

Could we be looking at one (or three) of AT&T's future X Phones?

(Credit: evleaks)

Sources indicate that users might be able to customize multiple facets of the rumored device, including the outer materials and colors. Internally, reports suggest that the X-Phone is actually part of a larger brand and an approach that could feature user-defined configurations for memory and processor options as well as carrier selection.
It likely won't be called the X-Phone when the project hits prime time, but the project is at least very much real. A job posting on LinkedIn advertised for an "X-Phone" product manager.
Plenty of other rumors swirl around the suspected device, including one that the X-Phone may offer hardware choices that resemble the Droid Razr Maxx HD, according to one PhoneArena source.

Nexus 5 (May 1, 2013)
Google may again tap LG as the handset maker of choice for the next generation of Nexus smartphones, according to the Korea Times. No hardware details or time frames were given; however, we might anticipate something in the fall. Given the trend as of late is to release the Nexus experience in the fall so we might expect specs and rumors to come in short order.

Toshiba's next Android tablet could feature a keyboard dock.

(Credit: Techblog)

Toshiba AT10LE-A (May 2, 2013)
Toshiba is rumored to be testing a new high-end Android tablet capable of connecting to an external keyboard, reports Techblog. Hardware specifications are said to include Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 1.8GHz processor, 10.1-inch display, microSD, Mini-HDMI output, and stereo speakers. There are no indications yet as to which markets may carry the Toshiba AT10LE-A, nor are pricing details clear.
The Toshiba AT10LE-A seems to run the Android 4.2.1 version, and according to benchmarks that appeared recently Tegra 4 processor, will be clocked at 1.8GHz.

Might the NEC Terrain be a rugged take on the "business" form factor?

(Credit: evleaks)

NEC Terrain (April 29, 2013)
AT&T looks to be readying another portrait QWERTY Android, this time in the form of an NEC. Known as the NEC Terrain, the phone should run Android 4.1+ and feature a display in the realm of 2.8-inches to 3.0-inches. No additional details are known however the rubber coating and moniker lead us to believe a rugged experience could be in order.

April 20 - April 26, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (April 26, 2013)
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Samsung expects to release a waterproof and dust-proof version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Known for now as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the smartphone is rumored to touch down in July.

Samsung Galaxy Core (April 26, 2013)
Samsung could also be readying yet another member of the Galaxy family as word of a Samsung Galaxy Core trickles online (translate). Details for the smartphone point to a trimmed-down experience with specs such as a 4.3-inch (800x480) display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 768MB RAM, 8GB internal storage (with microSD expansion), a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a 1,800mAh battery. Resembling pretty much every other Samsung handset as of late, the Galaxy Core figures to run Android 4.1 with TouchWiz UI.

The so-called Samsung Galaxy Core offers entry-level hardware specifications.

(Credit: hi-tech.mail.ru)

Sony Xperia ZR (April 26, 2013)
Sony may introduce a 4.6-inch variation of the Xperia Z in the near term, reports Xperiablog. Previously rumored under the moniker "Dogo", the C550X looks to feature a 720p HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, a 13-megapixel (Exmor RS) rear camera, and 2,300mAH battery. While the processor is listed as a Qualcomm design, it is unclear whether it will be a Snapdragon S4 Pro or Snapdragon 600 series. Like the Xperia Z, the so-called Xperia ZR is also rumored to be water-resistant.
Previous rumors for the handset line up closely with the Xperia ZR specs; however it's not an exact match. Details uncovered in March suggested the Dogo would feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, though it was listed with 32GB internal storage. For what it's worth, this handset was also tied to the name "Xperia A" and was said to feature an IR blaster and NFC support.

April 13 - April 19, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (April 19, 2013)
Samsung looks to have delayed the release of the Galaxy S4 Mini by eight weeks, reports SamMobile. Rumored to come in two colors (Black Mist and White Frost), Samsung may offer the handset in both single-SIM and dual-SIM flavors.
Dovetailing with previous rumors, the Galaxy S4 Mini could feature a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, AGPS, and provide 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB storage options.

LG Optimus G2 (April 18, 2013)
The LG Optimus G2 could prove to be too thin for a conventional form factor, or so says tech site MyDrivers (translate). Word on the street is that the volume and power buttons will be moved to the rear, as they do not fit properly on the sides. First discovered by its model number, the LG D801 has been found to score considerably high on benchmark tests; all sources indicate LG may be readying one of the most powerful devices to date.
Rumored as the LG Optimus G2, details include Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2GB RAM, and an Adreno 330 GPU. Expected to offer a full-HD 1,920x1,080-pixel display, it's possible that the D801 will boast a screen size of 5 inches or larger.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 (April 18, 2013)
The first details for what is expected to be the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 have arrived, suggesting that another midrange experience is on the horizon. Preliminary specifications are reported to include a dual-core 1GHz Broadcom processor, a display resolution of 480x800 pixels, 4GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel camera. As often has been the case with European models of this kind, the Galaxy Ace 3 is rumored to come in a variety of colors and single-SIM and dual-SIM editions.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (April 17, 2013)
Samsung may take a page out of the HTC playbook with the upcoming Galaxy Note 3, SamMobile suggests. Reportedly "worried" about the design of the next big thing, Samsung could change things up for the massive handset and forgo the familiar plastic materials.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to feature a 6.3-inch display, according to details found on Samsung's Galaxy S4 microsite. A Samsung Game Pad accessory lists support for 4-inch to 6.3-inch screen sizes, leading many to believe this will be size of the next phablet experience. Lining up with a previous Korean Times report, Samsung could give its next Note an eight-core processor.

Huawei Edge (April 11, 2013)
Huawei may dial up the Edge as the handset maker's flagship device for summer 2013. Recently leaked (translate) details suggest the smartphone will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and feature a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, a 4.9-inch 1080p HD display, and 2,600mAh battery. Reportedly, the Huawei Edge will come in 16GB and 32GB models and could come in a svelte 6.3mm chassis.

April 3 - April 12, 2013

Android-powered notebooks (April 2, 2013)
Rumors out of Digitimes suggest that Google is building an Android-powered notebook PC that could arrive as soon as the third quarter. Reportedly, the "Androidbook" is one of Sundar Pichai's projects and could help accelerate Google's foray into the PC market.

Nexus 7 refresh (April 3, 2013)
The next generation of Nexus 7 could arrive in July, according to Reuters. Reportedly, Google will again employ Asus for the devices however Qualcomm may have replaced NVIDIA as the chipmaker of choice. It remains unclear what will happen with the current series of Nexus 7 models; rumors suggest Google could be pushing for a lower price for the 7-inch lineup.
Previous rumors suggest that the new Nexus 7 could feature an HD display. DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza recently told CNET that the next model may reach 323 pixels per inch, which could mean up to 1,900 x 1,200 pixel resolution.

Casio C881 Gz'One Commando (April 1, 2013)
A Casio C881 Gz'One Commando has been recently spotted in FCC documents, tipping Verizon's hand for an upcoming military-spec device. Presumably a successor to last year's C771 Gz'One Commando, the details look to include CDMA and LTE support, as well as NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

Other rumors we're tracking

Amazon Kindle Phone (March 27, 2013)
Amazon may have scrapped plans for 4.3-inch screen on the rumored Kindle phone in favor of a larger 4.7-inch display, reports DigiTimes. Said to be arriving as soon as the second quarter, Amazon's Android handset will presumably run a forked version of the platform, similar to the one that runs the Kindle Fire tablets. Allegedly, Amazon has tasked Foxconn with building the Kindle Phone, Taiwan Economic News reports.

Sony Togari (March 27, 2013)
Sony may introduce the largest smartphone experience to date, if the rumored "Togari" proves to be real. A photo of the alleged full HD panel surfaced back in January, showing a massive 6.44-inch display size.
Larger than the Huawei Ascend Mate, it is also expected to be faster and more powerful in nearly every aspect. Components are reported to include 3GB RAM, a 2.3GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, 32GB of internal storage, and 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera. Powered by a 3,500mAh battery, the Togari should also feature a stylus, NFC, LTE, and an IR blaster.

HTC Droid DNA/Butterfly successor (March 27, 2013)
A follow-up to HTC's Droid DNA phone is being planned, says HTC Chief Marketing Officer Ben Ho. Talking with reporters earlier in the week, Ho said that HTC would soon launch a second-generation Butterfly aimed at those looking for the large-screen experience.

Google's Android smartwatch (March 21, 2013)
Google looks to be joining Apple in the development of a rumored smartwatch, according to a recent Financial Times report. Details are light, however, the watch is said to be designed by the "Android unit" at Google. An unnamed source said that the watch will "act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system." According to a 2011 patent application, the watch will have dual-screened display and a interactive user interface.

Samsung smartwatch (March 18, 2013)
Samsung has confirmed plans to release a smartwatch, but details like pricing and availability are unknown. "We've been preparing the watch product for so long," Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, recently said during an interview with Bloomberg. "We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them."

LG smartwatch (March 22, 2013)
LG could be cooking up both a smartwatch and a wearable computing device along the lines of Google Glass, reports the Korea Times. It remains unclear whether the LG watch will run Android or Firefox; both are likely candidates for the hardware maker.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Plus (March 21, 2013)
Samsung could introduce a Galaxy Tab 3 Plus later this year, according to a SamMobile insider. Reportedly, the high-end Samsung tablet will feature a Super AMOLED FULL HD Display and may come in either a 10.1-inch or 11.6-inch display size. Early rumors pegged pegged the device with a 2,560x1,600 pixel resolution and possibly a quad-core Exynos processor and at least 2GB RAM.

ZTE Quantum (March 19, 2013)
Sprint is rumored to be testing a 4G LTE smartphone from ZTE, reports AndroidPolice. Carrying an N8910 model number, the Quantum is said to run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and feature a 5-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB internal storage. Flanked by a 13.0-megapixel rear camera and front-facing 0.9-megapixel camera, the Quantum could be another lower-cost alternative for Sprint customers
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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie
Leaked slides from a Qualcomm presentation give credence to rumors and expectations of a spring release for Android's 5.0 Key Lime Pie mobile OS. The name and time frame are not exactly new, though Qualcomm's insistence that the slides be removed is telling. Perhaps the chipmaker's Octa 8-core processor is included in the first handset or tablet? It is worth noting, however, that the "K" release of Android could ultimately end up as v4.3 or something similar.

Sony Xperia L (March 6, 2013)
A Sony Xperia L could soon be introduced as a mid-tier Android device, reports Xperia Blog. Details for the handset are reported to include a 4.3-inch, 854x480-pixel display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB internal storage, microSD slot, and an 8-megapixel camera. Said to run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the Xperia L is also known by its C210X model number.

T-Mobile Prism II (March 3, 2013)
T-Mobile may offer the Huawei U8686 as the T-Mobile Prism, indicates oft-reliable @evleaks. Specifications are reported to include Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, a 1GHz single-core processor, and a display with 320x240-pixel resolution. Typically, a QVGA display falls at around 3.5 inches.

HTC G2 (February 1, 2013)
Not to be confused with the another HTC smartphone of the same name, a low-end Android model is also rumored for a spring 2013 release date. Details obtained by Unwired View include a 1GHz processor, a 2.5-inch HVGA display, 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and 5-megapixel camera. Presumably aimed at first-time smartphone users, the G2 could run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Pantech Perception (February 22, 2013)
The Pantech Perception recently passed through the FCC, hinting at a basic touch smartphone with an 8-megapixel rear camera. Details confirmed in the filing include NFC, 4G LTE, as well as CDMA and GSM roaming. Chances are good that this is merely Verizon's take on the Pantech Discover announced at CES. Should that prove true, we could also anticipate a dual-core processor and 4.8-inch display.

Samsung Godiva (February 25, 2013)
The Samsung Godiva, spied indicates Verizon may offer another member in the Stratosphere family. Details are rumored to include CDMA and LTE bands, GSM roaming, NFC, and support for future AWS networks. While the model number indicates a direct successor to the Stratosphere is in order, a photo obtained by Engadget suggests otherwise; note the lack of a physical keyboard.

Asus ME371MG tablet (February 7, 2013)
Asus will allegedly debut an "ultra-budget" 7-inch Android tablet in the second quarter, reports Bulgarian tech site Tablet.bg (translate). The tablet could have an Intel Atom Z2420 dual-core processor, a microSD expansion slot, 1GB RAM, and a 3-megapixel rear camera. Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the ME371MG is listed with a 7-inch 1,280x800-pixel IPS screen, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 4,270 mAh battery.

LG VS870 (January 23, 2013)
Verizon may introduce a version of the LG Escape, according to FCC documents. Hardware details are unknown but are likely to include the same 4.3-inch display, 1GB RAM, and 5-megapixel camera.

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Apple extends lead over Samsung in U.S. smartphones

Apple's iOS also took market share away from Google's Android in the first quarter, according to ComScore.

(Credit: Josh Miller)

Maybe it's time to hold off on the Apple negativity.
The iPhone franchise captured 39 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in the first quarter, extending its lead over Samsung, which garnered 21.7 percent of the market, according to research firm ComScore.
Interestingly, Apple's iOS took market share away from Google's Android, which traditionally has seen more rapid growth.


Apple saw its smartphone market share rise by nearly 3 percentage points in the quarter, while Samsung's share inched up slightly. The next three largest handset vendor, HTC, Motorola, and LG, all lost market share in the period.
The first quarter was fairly quiet when it came to new smartphones hitting the market, with heavy hitters such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One not debuting in the U.S. until early in the second quarter.
As a result, it appears the incumbents continued to flourish, giving the edge to the iPhone 5 and its older models, as well as the Galaxy S3.
The numbers come as Apple continues to get hit with concern that the company has lost its edge, and that it won't be able to continue the torrid pace of growth it has enjoyed for the last several years. In addition, there's an increasing view that the competition, particularly Samsung, has caught up.
But the first-quarter results show Apple still has some mojo left, although it may fade in the second quarter as several high-profile phones go on sale.
Google's Android remains the largest platform, with 52 percent of the market, although it lost more than 1 percentage point of market share. Microsoft's Windows Phone was the only other gainer, inching up to 2.9 percent. 

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No more points for Xbox players, report says

Microsoft may do away with point system, favoring gift cards for Xbox purchases, according to a report.

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney)

 

Xbox users may be able to use gift cards and credit cards, instead of points, to purchase games and other content.
"Sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans" told tech news site The Verge that Microsoft will replace its Xbox Points system with gift cards. The gift cards will let Xbox owners buy currency to purchase games and other content. Users also will be able to use credit and debit cards to buy Xbox items online.
The gift cards would work in the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store, The Verge added. Microsoft may announce the new system during the E3 event, starting June 11, and launch it later this year when the next Xbox debuts, The Verge reported.
Last year, Microsoft switched from points to credit cards and debit cards for purchasing music and videos in Windows 8.
Asked for a response on the potential new system, a Microsoft representative told CNET that "we don't comment on rumors or speculation."

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Plant vs. Zombies Adventures BETA ... Facebook Game

Now taking root on Facebook! 

Go beyond your yard and discover more plants, more zombies, and new challenges. Battle zombies in town or on a road trip — but beware: now zombies will take any path possible to get your brains. Challenge your friends by sending zombies to invade their towns, and see where your stack of zombies ranks on the leader board. And with constant updates, you’ll find surprises around every corner. It’s a thrilling new way to live, grow and zap zombies on Facebook.

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