iPhone 6 release date, news and rumours 2014: When will Apple's new iPhone 6 be launched?

iPhone 6 release dates and new features

Welcome to our New iPhone 6 release date, news and rumours article , here we plan to do everything that the title suggests. We are going to bring you everything we know about the new iPhone 6 release date so you can know exactly when the new iPhone 6 is coming out. Also we are going to bring you a few of the juiciest features rumours that are flying round the web too. Here's our iPhone 6 release date, and new features rumour round-up.

Minecraft Pickaxe Touchscreen Stylus

Minecraft has definitely been a success on many unprecedented levels for sure, which is a good thing, as it shows that the world is still not short on creativity when it comes to churning out new gaming titles for the masses. Well, as with any self-respecting game, there will be addicts at the scene as well, and Minecraft is no different. In fact, you might be classified as hardcore should you decide to actually play Minecraft Pocket Edition on your touchscreen-capable mobile device using the $19.99 Minecraft Pickaxe Touchscreen Stylus.

HTC announces HTC One

There is a new flagship smartphone in the Android side of town, and it will bear the HTC name this time around. Simply known as the HTC One, do not mistake this for its previous HTC One series that came with suffixes of alphabets such as the HTC One S, the HTC One X, and the HTC One X+. This is simply called the HTC One,

Nokia Lumia 720 announced

Nokia has certainly gotten into its stride where the Windows Phone 8 operating system platform is concerned, where the Finnish smartphone company has churned out yet another two models, making an official announcement over at the Mobile World Congress event that is current happening in Barcelona, Spain. The first of two new Lumia models to be introduced would be the Nokia Lumia 720,

Huawei Ascend P2 announced

So, you are in the market for a new Android-powered smartphone, but with so many makes and models to choose from, just which model would you want to settle for? Well, here is another that will not make your choice easier, but rather, add to your selection headache as Huawei has just announced the Huawei Ascend P2 officially at Mobile World Congress which is currently happening in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei is so bold as to claim the Huawei Ascend P2 to be the “world’s fastest smartphone”, with the basis of that claim being a quad-core 1.5GHz processor.

Nokia Lumia 520 delivers more bang for your buck

Now here is another smartphone from Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia that runs on the Windows Phone 8 platform that will maintain a balance between features and price, ensuring that your pockets will not be burnt and yet you will have a smartphone that will be able to duke it out with the best of them in terms of productivity. The smartphone in question? The all new Nokia Lumia 520.

PhoneSuit Flex Micro Battery Pack for smartphones

In this day and age, we tend to take our smartphones for granted, and sure, the kind of technology that our phones pack do seem to last longer than normal while offering more and more functions, but there are still moments in life where one might have just forgotten about charging up the smartphone for the day’s events ahead.

Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphone announced

It seems that Samsung’s plan on expanding the Galaxy brand of devices is showing no sign of slowing down, not in the least with the latest announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Grand. It is said that the South Korean conglomerate has carefully positioned the Samsung Galaxy Grand to be an ideal smartphone for those who live fast-paced mobile lifestyles as well as demand far more from their smartphone compared to a standard user. Let us dig into just what the Samsung Galaxy Grand can deliver, shall we?

BLU Products announces VIVO 4.65 HD smartphone

When it comes to naming your product, hitting the nail on the head can be quite tricky. You will need something that is short and sweet, and yet gets the message across so that ordinary folks would know what you are referring to without having to pause and think. Giving smartphones names could be quite a fun affair, where you have Samsung with their Galaxy range, HTC with different kinds of “feelings” involved (Desire, Sensation, et al), Sony with their trademark Xperia line, the list goes on. How about BLU Products?

Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner

We have seen our fair share of Kickstarter projects, and while some of them fail to take off as they did not manage to raise the minimum amount of funds, others achieve their funding goals in a matter of hours – not even days, and this has led the folks behind these projects to come up with extended goals to further add more features to the final product. Well, here is one Kickstarter project that has yet to achieve its funding goal, but it is well on the way there with 20 days to go and $8,000 short of the $50,000 goal – the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner.

The name itself, the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner, is pretty much self-explanatory. With this nifty little device, you are able to scan, edit and even share your 35mm films over social media and email. All you need to do is turn on the scanner back-light, insert your film, snap a photo of it with a smartphone or other compatible device, make use of the included app to edit and share, and you are good to go. All it takes is but an instant and you will eventually end up with a digital version of your film that can then be archived, emailed and shared with friends.

This is a spanking new product that has been brandished to be the “perfect tool for analogue photographers and retro-enthusiasts.” Do you agree with that assessment? Right now, the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner will remain a Kickstarter exclusive, and assuming that all goes well and the planets are aligned properly, delivery is expected to happen this coming March.

The included Smartphone Film Scanner app will play nice with both Android and iPhone platforms, where it is capable of converting all types of 35mm films, including color negative, B&W negative, and slide among others. There will also be panorama stitching thrown into the mix alongside the ability to animate LomoKino stills for that added visual punch.

Advantages and Features of High-Tech Gadgets

                    

There is existence of high-tech devices and gadgets in most of the industries. Digital reading devices such as the Sony E-Reader enables individuals to read the literature and books they want, business sectors use small payment processors and PDAs to increase the productivity of work, and medical industries are using software in order to treat different sorts of tumors. The prices of these gadgets are usually high, but people are being attracted towards them because of the convenience they offer. Individuals can use these devices just about anywhere. Now, let’s have a look at some of the advantages of owning high-tech gadgets.

Mobility
People can use high-tech gadgets at anytime and anywhere since most of such devices are extremely portable and mobile. For instance, net-books these days are only 2 to 3 lbs and they can be easily fitted into small cases or backpacks. With the assistance of GPS used in smartphones, individuals can plan travel routes instantly after viewing places on the screen. Even the manufacturers of wristwatches have started to add high-tech features in their watches. The watches produced by Brando/Stanley come with in-built LED flashlight. We can also find touch screen and Palm Operating System in some of them.

Capabilities
High-tech gadgets are able of performing various functions. Users of such devices can handle many tasks with the help of just one or two devices. For instance, smartphone devices, some mp3 players and PDAs use user interfaces and mobile operating systems to allow for surfing of Internet, task scheduling and voice communication. Most of these high-tech gadgets come with in-built wireless technology.

Personal Productivity
It has been proved that high-tech gadgets can enhance the professional and personal productivity. With the help of VPN technology, employees are connecting to the office from their own home. Sales people contact business associates and submit work order by using mobile computers and PDAs. College students and business professionals are two major consumer groups of these devices. They use these technologies to get in touch with their friends and colleagues while they are at the office, in the dorm or at home.

Innovation
Increasing development in the field of high-tech gadgets has made easier for the production of new devices. The speed and efficiency of computers are increasing day by day with the use of more and more CPUs. The processor used in new iPhone 5 is known for its great speed. Inventors and technology companies do lots of research continuously to make their products more efficient and satisfy the needs of their consumers.

Don’t let your site be a sitting duck for hackers

Be hack smart on the World Wide Web

Let me start by saying that I love, love, love WordPress. However, since it is an open source content management system, you must be careful what you download and you must be vigilant with the management of your site at all times. My blog is just a very tiny guppy in the big ocean that is the World Wide Web. So, how shocked was I to learn that my site was hacked? Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen.

It took me 4 weeks to completely clean my site. I am not a computer programmer. I don’t know code, it all looks gibberish to me. I don’t have deep pockets to pay someone to help, but I got through it and here’s what I learned in the process.

Update, update, update

Update WordPress, themes and plugins in a timely manner. I believe (though I’ll never know for certain) that the hacker got through a vulnerability in my theme as it was not updated. This was a conscious decision I made as each time I updated the theme, it would reset my settings back to default. It was a royal pain but not close to the pain I felt having to fix the mess the hacker created.

Go with a paid theme

I should have known better, but at the time I started my blog, I was excited that there were so many free themes to choose from. I didn’t need all the bells and whistles that came with paid themes, so off I went to download different themes to see how they would look. What I didn’t realize was that free themes have more vulnerabilities than paid ones that makes them less secure. After some research, I switched to a paid theme by StudioPress and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Install a plugin that scans your files

Plugins such as Exploit Scanner or Wordfence may not prevent a hack, but can help you find the source should you be hacked. The plugins scan files for anything suspicious, files that have been modified or files that have been added. To an untrained eye, looking for an obscure line of code that’s been added to your site is like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s where these plugins come in handy.

Verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools

If you haven’t verified your site with Google, you really should. Not only will Google send you a message that it has detected an issue on your site, but it also allows you access to a number of tools that can help better optimize your site. Once I received the dreaded message, it didn’t take Google long before it tagged my site with the infamous “This site may harm your computer” as a warning to others. Obviously this is not what any Webmaster wants but you can’t fix something if you’re not aware it’s broken. Once you deem your site clean, submit a request to Google to review your site.

Get help

Within 72 hours, I made over a dozen calls to my hosting company to see if they can help me find the source of the malware. I was not so lucky in my first few attempts. Most reps were not able to help, not because they didn’t want to, but I believe they did not have the experience to do it. I hit the jackpot one night as the rep found the source in under 2 minutes (this was before I realized there was a backdoor).

I purchased a package from my hosting company that essentially works similarly to the plugin I installed. This all happened around the same time so I got to see what worked. I was surprised to learn that the free plugin detected anomalies that my hosting company did not. However, because I paid for the service, I was able to speak directly with the security team which was a big help.

There are also numerous forums that you can reach out to for help. People are generally very supportive and willing to help. The one I reached out to was theGoogle product forum for Webmasters.

Change your password

If you still have the default “admin” username, change it immediately. All hackers know this and will try to gain access to your site with it. Partner that with a strong password. If you’ve been hacked, change your password just to be safe.

If malware persists, look for a backdoor

Within a week of my first malware notice from Google, I thought I nipped it. However, I soon received another  warning. I went back to those same files and sure enough the unwanted code was back. I deleted it and hours later it came back. It was then that I figured there was a backdoor to my site. The key is not only to find and delete the malicious code within the files, but to also find the file that was creating the backdoor. Until you do, the code will keep coming back.

In the end, I learned many hard knocked lessons, including the fact that I can be hacked. I’ve changed my way of thinking. Question is, have you?

Smart Phone as Projector?

With a bit of technology from Texas Instruments’s DLP Pico, this chip has been scaled down to the size of a raisin and embedded in smartphones to allow you to project photos, videos, games from your phone.  So instead of being crowded around the small screen of your smartphone, everyone can comfortably view what’s on your screen as its projected to a wall.

Samsung and LG already have this technology built into some of their smartphones, but if you want one that works with the iPhone, you’ll have to settle for the Pocket Projector, a case with a built-in projector for the iPhone 4/4S devices.

Galaxy S III and iPhone 5 users are biggest data hogs

In Europe at least, users of both smartphones consume more cellular data than tablet users, a new study finds

Apple iPhone 5 users consume the most cellular data, while owners of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S III upload more data than any other smartphone, according to a survey across European cellular carriers conducted by Arieso.

Growing data volumes continue to challenge operators, according to Arieso.

"While some people say that [data growth] is slowing down or isn't much of an issue I don't see that on the front lines," Arieso's CTO Michael Flanagan said.

The Arieso survey doesn't specify how much data smartphones and tablets consume. Instead it sets iPhone 3G users as a benchmark to compare users of all other devices.

Users of the iPhone 5 download more data than users of any other smartphone, and more than four times the amount of iPhone 3G users.

"This is effectively the continuation of a kind of Moore's law where every new generation of the iPhone consumes 50 or 60 percent more data than the previous one," Flanagan said.

In general, users are becoming more tech-savvy, and want to do more with their smartphones, which drives data usage. In the case of the iPhone 5, a bigger screen with room for more icons has helped increase data usage, according to Flanagan.

Users of the HTC Sensation XL are the second most data-hungry, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S III, which both consume about three times as much data as users of the iPhone 3G.

Users of the iPhone 5 may lead in downloads, but users of Samsung Galaxy S III upload nearly four times as much data as iPhone 3G users. Users of the Galaxy Note II come in second place followed by the iPhone 5, at 3.7 and 3.4 times as much upload data, respectively.

"There are features in the Galaxy S III that makes sharing information a little more seamless," Flanagan said.

The Galaxy Note II has the same usage patterns as a regular smartphone, as opposed to a tablet. The device sits between smartphones and tablets with its 5.5-inch screen.

The three tablets included in the survey -- the iPad, iPad 2 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 -- are big data users, but they can't keep up with the most data-hungry smartphones as they rely more on Wi-Fi and are held back by stingy data plans, according to Flanagan.

When it comes to data usage, Apple's and Samsung's roles are reversed. Users of the Samsung tablet download more data and owners of the iPad 2 upload more.

The Arieso survey was conducted in a European mobile network during the course of 24 hours. Each device included in the survey had a least 1,000 users, according to Arieso.

Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone comparison review

Price: From £26.00 p.c.m

Manufacturer: Google

Google Nexus 4 or Nokia Lumia 920, which is the best smartphone? Read our Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920 comparison review to find out.

If you don't want an iPhone - and, believe it or not, there are plenty of us who don't - for most consumers there are just two choices: a smartphone running Android or one that packs Windows Phone 8. We reckon the Nexus 4 currently leads the Google pack, while Nokia's flagship Lumia 920 is a prime example of Microsoft's mobile platform. But, Google Nexus 4 or Nokia Lumia 920, which is the best smartphone? Read our Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920 comparison review to find out.

Of course, the beauty of not being an iFan is you get to make your own choices about such things as which multimedia apps you can install, how much customisation you can levy and, importantly, which smartphone model you pocket. If you've got your heart set on Windows Phone 8 you might also like to check out our Nokia Lumia 920 vs HTC Windows Phone 8X comparison review, or if you'veAndroid in mind it's worth comparing the Nexus 4 against Samsung's Galaxy S III. And if you're still not sure about the iPhone 5, check out our Google Nexus 4 vs Apple iPhone 5 comparison review. You can also read our standalone reviews of the Google Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920, or scroll down the page for video reviews of these Android and Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920: Price

Google scores major brownie points in this category for the Nexus 4's showstopping price tag. This is a high-end smartphone - in fact, we reckon it's the best Android handset on the market right now - with a mid-range price tag. You can grab an 8GB Nexus 4 for just £239, and the 16GB model for £279 - if you're prepared to wait, that is: Google's Nexus 4 has spent much of its first two months on sale sold out at Google Play.

Remember, though, that this is not the norm: Google subsidises its handset to encourage uptake of Android and content sales at Google Play. That the Nokia Lumia 920 costs at least £300 more (currently available at Amazon for £535) doesn't mean it offers poor value. This is especially so if you'll be getting your handset free with an 18- or 24-month contract - in which case, it often makes little difference how much the handset is worth, since you'll still be paying over the odds. Nokia's pinned all its future hopes on the success of Windows Phone 8, and it needs to make some cash. Since it doesn't sell content, that money needs to come from handset sales.

Also note that Nokia quadrouples the Nexus 4's internal storage: you'll get 32GB built into the Lumia 920 as standard. Given that most high-end handsets come on to the market at around £500 - and the equivalent 32GB iPhone 5 costs a huge £599 - it's not as expensive as it might first appear when compared to the Nexus 4.

And if you are determined to get a contract phone and pay nothing upfront, you'll find that the difference in price here is negligable.

Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920: Dimensions

The Google Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920 are almost identical in their sizing, but the Nokia's heavier weight (185g versus 139g) makes it feel more brick-like and unwieldy. You shouldn't necessarily be put off by this: you do get used to it, and some people will prefer the reassurance of being able to feel their smartphone in their pocket. It has a slightly smaller screen, at 4.5in versus 4.7in, but the Lumia 920 is a touch wider than the Nexus 4, at 70.8mm versus 68.7mm. Both smartphones are 133.9mm tall and 9.1mm wide.

Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920: Build

These are two beautiful smartphones. The Google Nexus 4, on the one hand, is the best-looking Android handset yet, while the Nokia Lumia 920, which was supplied to us in white, is the nicest white phone we've ever set eyes on.

Google's black-only Nexus 4 is cheap only in its asking price: it looks and feels great in the hand, both sturdy and attractive, with a screen that sits flush to the bezel. It's a slippery character, although a rubbery finish to the circumference usefully adds grip.

The Nokia Lumia 920, which is available in yellow, red, white or black, has a one-piece polycarbonate body, with ceramic zirconium camera detailing and side keys. It's very well built, with the only cheap-feeling component the Micro-SIM tray. Usefully, given the snow threatened imminently in the UK, you can use the Lumia 920 while wearing gloves, but you'll need to be careful not to drop it: like the Nexus 4, the glossy Lumia 920 is a slippery smartphone.

We'll talk more about the software later in our Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920 comparison review but, when viewed side by side, you can't help but take a shine to Microsoft's tile-based Windows Phone 8 interface, with its big, bright, bold colours. That the Lumia 920 looks great is not only down to Nokia's design, but the attractive OS it runs. In comparison with Android, Windows Phone 8 is quite the looker.

Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920: Screen

There's little difference in the displays selected by Nokia and Google (or LG, as that company actually makes the Nexus). Both are in-plane switching (IPS) panels, protected from scratches and accidental damage by Corning Gorilla Glass, and capable of displaying a 1280x768-pixel resolution. As Google stretches its pixels across a slightly larger screen - 4.7in vs the Nokia's 4.5in - there are fewer pixels per inch. Whereas the Nexus 4 packs in 320 pixels per inch, the Lumia 920 has 332; you may not notice the difference - both are in Apple's 'Retina' territory, in which individual pixels are indistinguishable to the human eye - but in this category Nokia takes a small lead.

We found the Nexus 4's screen stunning, with excellent contrast, rich colours, fantastic viewing angles and good detail. In our tests it performed particularly well when viewed in direct sunlight. Meanwhile, Nokia refers to its display as a 'PureMotion HD+' screen, and claims it as "the world's brightest, clearest, fastest touchscreen". It certainly offers excellent contrast and eye-popping colours.

Google Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920: Processor & performance

Google's Nexus 4 runs a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM. The Nokia Lumia 920 also has a Snapdragon S4 chip clocked at 1.5GHz, but this is the dual-core version and it's paired with just half the memory.

It's easy to assume that the Nexus 4 is the faster phone, given that it has double the processor cores and memory allocation of the Lumia 920. But that would ignore the hardware requirements of the operating system: the Nokia's spec is sufficient for Windows Phone 8, while Android requires a little more oomph for smooth operation.

Unfortunately, two of the three benchmarks we use to test smartphone performance, Geekbench and GLBenchmark, are not supported in Windows Phone 8. That's bad news for the Nexus 4, given that in these tests it delivered excellent results. Google's 2,009-point score in Geekbench is the fastest we've ever seen from a smartphone, while the Nexus 4's 39fps tally in GLBenchmark is evidence of very good mobile gaming framerates.  

It gets worse for Google: in the only benchmark that is supported by Windows Phone 8, the SunSpider JavaScript test, the Lumia 920 kicked ass. We recorded 922ms for the Nokia, which is not too far off the very impressive 903ms of the iPhone 5, and a comparatively sluggish 1,906ms for the Nexus 4.

In our subjective tests, both smartphones are very fast. The Nexus 4 has the edge overall, if not in web browsing, while we found some apps could take a couple of seconds to load and menus would judder when scrolling slowly on the Lumia 920.