Friday, February 28, 2014

SIM unlocking may soon be legal again thanks to bill passed by House of Representatives

htc-one-x-sim-tray

Last year, it was made illegal to unlock your device for use on other carriers unless you got permission from your operator to do so. Unfortunately, this meant that you were no longer allowerd to unlock your device before your 2-year contract is up. This was a terrible change for consumers, only benefitting the carriers that want to make sure that your phone is useless on other carriers until they’re obsolete. But that might all change very soon.Yesterday a bill passed through the House of Representatives that would allow SIM unlocking to be legal again. The bill passed with a vote of 295 to 114, which is fantastic news for consumers. However, this bill won’t repeal everything about SIM unlocking that was previously made illegal. The companies that buy devices, unlock them and then resell them may still be banned, though that is  still up for debate.It’s good to see that someone has common sense and is fighting for the rights of the consumer. Have you needed to unlock your device recently but have been unable to? Or have you found workarounds? Leave a comment telling us your experiences!

ASUS names several PadFone models that’ll be updated to Android 4.4

Asus Padfone Infinity
t seems as though the rollout of Android 4.4 to existing hardware is finally getting into full swing, with devices like the Moto X, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 all getting their updates in recent months. Now another manufacturer has announced that it, too, is getting in on the Android 4.4 update action.ASUS recently confirmed that several of its PadFone devices will soon receive updates to Android 4.4. The lucky PadFones that will definitely be sinking their teeth into KitKat in the coming months are the PadFone 2PadFone Infinity, PadFone A80 and New PadFone Infinity. Here’s what ASUS’s rollout schedule looks like:
  • PadFone 2: All models to be updated by the end of Q2 2014
  • PadFone Infinity: Update to hit units in Asia and Russia by end of Q2 2014
  • PadFone A80: European rollout to begin by end of Q2 2014
  • New PadFone Infinity: Rollout planned for for Q3 2014ASUS notes that, in addition to a bump up to Android 4.4, these updates will also include the ZenUI that we saw on its new ZenFone hardware back at CES. There’s no word yet on what other changes might be included, but the combination of KitKat and ASUS’s ZenUI ought to give owners of these PadFone models quite a few new goodies to play with.The news of these impending updates is pretty exciting for PadFone users, especially those folks that are rocking the PadFone 2, which was originally introduced way back in late 2012. Now we just have to wait for these rollouts to get underway. ASUS says that it’ll share more information regarding the timing of these updates at a later date, so stay tuned and I’ll update you with those details as soon as I get ‘em.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Sony Xperia Z2




GENERAL2G NetworkGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - D6502, D6503, D6543
3G NetworkHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - D6502, D6503, D6543
4G NetworkLTE 700/800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 - D6503
 LTE 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600 - D6543
SIMMicro-SIM
Announced2014, February
StatusComing soon. Exp. release 2014, March
BODYDimensions146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm (5.78 x 2.89 x 0.32 in)
Weight163 g (5.75 oz)
 - IP58 certified - dust proof and water resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutes
DISPLAYTypeIPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.2 inches (~424 ppi pixel density)
MultitouchYes, up to 10 fingers
ProtectionShatter proof and scratch-resistant glass
 - Triluminos display
- X-Reality Engine
SOUNDAlert typesVibration; MP3 ringtones
LoudspeakerYes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jackYes
MEMORYCard slotmicroSD, up to 64 GB
Internal16 GB, 3 GB RAM
DATAGPRSUp to 107 kbps
EDGEUp to 296 kbps
SpeedHSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
BluetoothYes, v4.0 with A2DP
NFCYes
USBYes, microUSB v2.0 (MHL 3), USB On-the-go, USB Host
CAMERAPrimary20.7 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Features1/2.3'' sensor size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, image stabilization, HDR, panorama
VideoYes, 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, video stabilization, HDR
SecondaryYes, 2.2 MP, 1080p@30fps
FEATURESOSAndroid OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
ChipsetQualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801
CPUQuad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400
GPUAdreno 330
SensorsAccelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
MessagingSMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
BrowserHTML5
RadioFM radio with RDS
GPSYes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
JavaYes, via Java MIDP emulator
ColorsBlack, White, Purple (D6502, D6503) / Black, White (D6543)
 - ANT+ support
- SNS integration
- TV-out (via MHL 3 A/V link)
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Xvid/MP4/H.263/H.264 player
- MP3/eAAC+/WAV/Flac player
- Document viewer
- Photo viewer/editor
- Voice memo/dial
- Predictive text input
BATTERY Non-removable Li-Ion 3200 mAh battery
Stand-byUp to 690 h (2G) / Up to 740 h (3G)
Talk timeUp to 15 h (2G) / Up to 19 h (3G)
Music playUp to 120 h
MISCPrice groupundefined

Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Fit hands-on

Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo hands-on

Tizen OS was thrown into the fray at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona right away as Samsungannounced the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches.
The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are pretty similar devices but the Neo omits the 2MP camera, for a reduced weight of 55g. The Gear 2 will weigh 68g.
The two Tizen-powered smartwatches were unveiled at a pretty classy presentation. The Gear 2 will come in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange, while the Neo will skip the Gold Brown for Mocha Grey.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
Samsung Gear 2

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo come with exchangeable straps in varying colors - both Samsung-made wrist straps and third-party options will be available. The smartwatch bodies themselves available in a number of paint jobs, there's plenty of potential for mixing and matching. The straps have a nice rubber texture feel to them, while the watch itself fits nicely on the wrist. The wrist strap has been stripped of controls - the camera on the Gear 2 has been moved to the body, as have the IR blaster and the microphone.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
Different straps • Gear 2 Neo

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have a 300mAh battery (as opposed to the 315mAh unit on the Galaxy Gear) and promise 2 - 3 days of standby time with regular usage, up to 6 days of if used sparingly. The touchscreen is the same 1.63" AMOLED unit while the dual-core processor has seen a slight bump in clockspeed from 800MHz to 1GHz. There's 512MB of RAM and 4 gigs of internal storage.
Both watches are IP67-certified for dust and water resistance.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
Wrist strap sans the 2 MP camera

This year's Gear lineup will feature a heart-rate monitor and a fitness app, while the IR port will allow remote control of various appliances. There will also be a music player on board.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
Samsung Gear 2 Neo on hand

The smartwatches are less dependent on their smartphone counterparts. With things like a built-in music player and a stand-alone fitness app, users can go about their exercise routine without carrying a smartphone.

Samsung Gear Fit

In addition to the Galaxy Gear 2 duo of smartwatches, Samsung also unveiled a strictly fitness oriented wristband, called simply the Gear Fit.
The Samsung Gear Fit features a 1.84" curved Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 432 x 128 pixels. It may not sound like much, but the pixel density is quite high at 244 pixels per inch. The colors really pop, as you'd expect from a Super AMOLED display and the contrast is great. We're also happy to report that the viewing angles are also great.
One of the Gear Fit's cornerstone features is its heart rate monitor. It is mounted on the back of the wristband and after a short adjusting displays your heart rate. It works seamlessly and will be helpful for those who want to keep an eye on their vitals.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
The Samsung Fit live photos

The Galaxy Fit packs a 210mAh battery, which may not sound like much, but it's capable of a maximum usage time of 7 days. With a standard usage, Samsung says the Fit's battery will manage 3-4 days, and that's not too bad.
Inside the Fit also reside an accelerometer and a gyroscope, which will undoubtedly enable developers to come up with some really nifty apps. Bluetooth 4.0 LE handles the connection with your smartphone.
Next to the heart rate monitor at the bottom of the Fit sit the pin connectors used for charging the battery.
Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit Samsung Gear Fit
The Fit is quite comfortable

The weight of the wristband is just 27 grams and it measures 23.4 x 57.4 x 11.95mm. It's also water- and dust-resistant as it is IP67 certified. The straps are changeable and Samsung offers a variety of others for you to choose from.
Running Tizen, the Fit can display notifications from your smartphones such as calls, emails, SMS messages and notifications from apps. It's also capable of controlling your music and can help you schedule new appointments. Additionally, it packs a timer and a stopwatch.

Samsung Tizen prototype hands-on

Tizen did have a presence at the MWC as promised, but that was in the form of the new Galaxy Gear watches. The only Tizen-running phone we saw was a prototype device that looks a lot like a Galaxy S4. Samsung made it clear it's not an S4 and is for development purposes only, it won't be selling it.
Never mind the actual device, this is our first look of Tizen OS on a phone (odd, considering the OS is on version 3.0 already). The interface looks very much like Samsung's latest iteration of TouchWiz running on Android 4.4 KitKat, but simplified. We found it very comfortable to use.
There are some differences - for example, widgets on the homescreen feel more like Windows Phone live tiles than Android widgets. Also, the homescreen itself has two modes - Basic and Office. Both options have two separate sets of homescreen panes for good work/personal life separation.
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Tizen feels similar to TouchWizzified Android • Basic and Office home screens

Some familiar TouchWiz features like the floating mini apps are available here too. There are widgets on the homescreen, but they felt more like live tiles than Android widgets. Most of them were 1x1 though, bigger widgets were rare.
Mini apps

As for the device Tizen was running on, it's clear the hardware was based on the Galaxy S4. Unfortunately for Bada fans, or is it Maemo and MeeGo fans (those branches merged to form Tizen), Samsung won't be selling this device. There are no official plans to sell any Tizen phone yet.
  
  
The prototype was probably based on Galaxy S4