Another secret weapon from Samsung’s Galaxy S5 possibly revealed

Shipments of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 may have fallen a bit short of the company's lofty expectations in 2013, but 2014 is shaping up to be an entirely different story. In our review, we said that the Galaxy S4 had a feature spam problem. The phone was all over the place, packed to the gills with bells and whistles that detract from the phone's real strengths. But it looks like Samsung could be turning a corner in 2014 with the Galaxy S5, and a new report may have uncovered yet another secret weapon that Samsung plans to use to rekindle the world's love for high-end Galaxy phones.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, December 30

Microsoft planning $1B ‘bribe’ so Samsung keeps making Windows Phones?

In addition to mentioning several unconfirmed details about upcoming Windows Phone 9 changes, Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin has also revealed an even more interesting note about Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone plans: apparently the Redmond-based giant plans to pay an astounding $1 billion “bribe” to another tech behemoth to ensure that it continues making Windows Phone handsets. “Another 'good' news from Microsoft,” Murtazin wrote on Twitter. “Company negotiates with Samsung and offer $1 billion support if vendor will produce Windows Phone devices.”



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, December 12

A metal Galaxy S5? A plastic Galaxy S5? Guess what -- Samsung might release both

Look at the image above. On the left, you have a gorgeous aluminum smartphone with a premium look and feel. On the right, you have slim plastic smartphone with a removable back cover and a swappable battery. Wouldn't it be nice to choose from both of these great options when purchasing your next handset? It looks like Samsung's "gadget spam" strategy might finally bring us the best of both worlds next year when the hotly anticipated Galaxy S5 finally becomes a reality.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, December 05

Console war heats up: Xbox One dominated PlayStation 4 on Black Friday

Can't we all just get along? Some have issued a call for peace but the next-generation console war is inevitable. PlayStation 4 fans and Xbox One fans have their own war going, and market research firms and other industry watchers will constantly pit the two consoles against each other as they fight for sales. While the PS4 undoubtedly took an early lead since it launched a week ahead of Microsoft's new console, it looks like the Xbox One gained some ground and dominated Black Friday sales at two of the biggest retailers in the country.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, December 02

Google redesigns Glass, makes it look even more geeky than before

Google on Monday evening unveiled a redesigned new version of its Google Glass connected eyewear... and it doesn't help. In fact, if anything, the new version probably looks even geekier than it did before. Google recently announced a new run of its $1,500 Explorer Edition Glass, and now we finally get to see what the new build looks like. For those hoping it might offer some key design changes that make it less geektastic, no such luck. Instead, Glass gets a bit bulkier and an added earbud that is sure to make any wearer the belle of the ball.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, October 30

Here's a simple trick that lets you start using BBM for iPhone and Android without waiting in line!

BlackBerry's BBM for Android and BBM for iPhone apps are finally here! Well, sort of. BlackBerry finally released the highly anticipated messaging apps on Monday, bringing an end to the painful saga that was the buildup leading to BBM's cross-platform debut. But as one wait came to an end, another began. Despite the delays, BlackBerry apparently couldn't find a way to ready its servers for the rush of BBM activations it correctly anticipated would occur following the new app's launch on Android and iOS. As such, the company created a queue system for BBM where users download the app, register their emails and then wait in line for their accounts to be activated.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, October 22

Why a Lenovo BlackBerry buy looks like a nonstarter

BlackBerry's shares got a slight boost on Thursday when rumors circulated for the 12,497th time that Chinese hardware manufacturer Lenovo was interested in buying the firm. But as The Globe and Mail points out, a deal to let Lenovo buy BlackBerry is probably a nonstarter since it's highly unlikely that the Canadian and American governments would be comfortable letting a Chinese firm buy a company that is responsible for so much security infrastructure. The Globe and Mail notes that the Canadian government "has killed several foreign takeovers under the Investment Canada Act," including a recent deal that would have sold a Winnipeg-based telecom company to an Egyptian-led group.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, October 19

Here’s the best evidence yet that Apple’s iPad 5 will include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner

Reports on whether or not Apple's fifth-generation iPad will include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner have conflicted thus far. Some seem to suggest Apple's full-size tablet will not feature an integrated print scanner until next year, while other reports have said that Apple's iPad 5 and Retina iPad mini will both include Touch ID when they are unveiled later this month. It's still too soon to call it one way or the other, but the most solid piece of evidence to date that suggests Apple's new iPad will include a fingerprint scanner may have just surfaced.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, October 07

FEATURED -- How the iPhone killed BlackBerry

It's not just about the second-quarter earnings which showed a near $1 billion write-down for unsold BlackBerry Z10 phones. It's not about the fact that the BlackBerry PlayBook, the company's first and only tablet offering, failed. It's not about the fact that CEO Thorsten Heins, who took over Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, was stiff and never resonated with consumers, the media or investors. BlackBerry's downfall stems from much more than that, going back six years.



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Posted in 2013 at 03:15PM, September 30