Although we don’t know exactly when Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Prime will release, we at least have a sweet new concept video that will whet our appetite for the rumored metal version of Samsung’s flagship phone. The new concept, designed by My Gadgetic, imagines a new device that delivers the best of both worlds: Samsung’s beautiful displays matched with the HTC One (M8)’s incredible build quality. In fact, stylistically the concept borrows so much from HTC’s latest flagship phone that we get the feeling HTC would rush to phone up its lawyers if Samsung ever released anything like it.

Not only does the concept use the two major grey and silver colors we see in the One (M8) but it also gives the imagined Galaxy S5 Prime a camera that doesn’t bulge out from the back of the device, a more curved rear shell and a front-facing speaker on the top of the device that seems wider than the one on the Galaxy S5. My Gadgetic even removed the home and back keys from the front of the display, just as HTC did with its latest device, and has added a stripe going across the top of the rear shell of the device, just as the HTC One (M8) has.

Nonetheless, the concept does look terrific and you should check it out by watching the video posted below.

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Category: mobile, Galaxy S5 Prime, Samsung

Music fans are apparently in for a treat in the coming weeks, because some of Apple’s big updates set to debut in and alongside iOS 8 will reportedly focus on improving the music experience offered by Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch lineup.

Mac Otakara on Monday evening reported that Apple has plans to add high-definition audio playback features in iOS 8.

Apple’s current iOS software is not capable of playing 24-bit tracks with a sample rate greater than 48 kHz. According to this report, however, iOS 8 will add this capability and Apple will introduce high-fidelity iTunes music downloads that take advantage of these new capabilities.

The report also states that Apple will debut new and improved ear buds and a new Lightning connector during WWDC.

Apple’s annual WWDC conference takes place between June 2nd and June 6th this year.

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Category: mobile, Apple, iOS 8

Microsoft may already be working on quite a few different Windows-related products and some of them are pretty surprising. Myce rdirects our attention to a leaked image posted by a well-known Chinese leaker on Neowin showing that Microsoft is already working on several Windows 9 builds including a mobile Windows Phone 9 version, and could soon launch a cloud-based operating system dubbed Windows 365, a name that’s similar to its Office 365 subscription-based productivity suite.

In addition to Windows 9 and Windows 365 mentions, the leak lists current products, including Office 2013 and Windows 8.1, but also upcoming updates, such as Windows 8.1 Update 2 and Office 2015.

Windows 365 it described as an “alpha based on Windows Core,” although it’s not clear what features the operating system would have to offer. A previous report has also suggested that a cloud-based Windows OS version could be released in the future.

Finally, Faikee said that Windows 9 could be offered as a free update to all existing Windows 8.1 owners, although he mentioned that the news has to be taken as a rumor for the time being. A previous rumor also said that Windows 9 may arrive free of charge to existing users. The leaker did not reveal any other details about Microsoft’s future software releases.

The leaked screenshot that shows these upcoming Microsoft products follows below.

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Category: Software, microsoft, Windows 365, Windows 8

While iPhone fans trying to guess what Apple is working on for the next iPhone have posted many wild concepts online showing iPhone 6 designs that featured curved, flexible or wraparound displays (such as the one above), it looks like the iPhone maker is actively studying such a possibility for future models. AppleInsider has discovered an Apple patent that details a wraparound display for future iPhone models, which would help Apple replace the physical mute and volume buttons found on the left side of the iPhone with a touchscreen that would offer multi-purpose buttons, as well as tactile feedback to the user.

Filed in late September 2011 and titled “Electronic devices with sidewall displays” – revealing that Apple has been considering such technology for quite a while – the patent shows that the company is interested in offering even slicker devices in the future that won’t require as many physical buttons as their predecessors.

“Flexible display technologies are available that allow displays to be flexed. For example, flexible displays may be formed using flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology,” the patent reads. “It would be desirable to be able to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices such as electronic devices with input-output components.”

Apple has already taken steps to reducing the footprint of the volume buttons on the iPhone 6 – if the many recent leaks that hit the web are to be believed – but they’re still physical. Recent leaks also suggest the company will ditch the square, rigid design lines of existing iPhones in its next models, which are expected to feature curved edges and a slim profile. The move could further pave the way to a smooth transition to an iPhone with a curved, wraparound display in the future.

The patent’s many images show that Apple envisions future iPhones with curved edges, which would allow the touchscreen display to flex around the edges, and offer users quick access to various controls, many more than the mute and volume options offered by current physical buttons on existing iPhone models.

The patent suggests that the virtual buttons could be used to set volume, control music playback, display track information, camera controls, notifications, and other quick information the user may want to glance over. Furthermore, virtual buttons on the edges of the phone could further help users slide-to-unlock their devices, launch other apps, control certain app features and even control games.

“Virtual buttons may include locking and unlocking buttons. Locking and unlocking buttons may be operated using a swipe, pinch, or other touch action by a user of device 10,” Apple writes. “Virtual buttons may include buttons specific to gaming software installed on device 10. For example, virtual buttons may include buttons on edges 24 that may be operated by a user when holding device 10 in a landscape orientation during operation of device 10 in a gaming mode. Virtual buttons may be operated using touch, tap, swipe, pinch or other touch inputs to virtual buttons. Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly provided on a full sized computer keyboard (e.g., caps lock, shift, control, delete, page up/down, number lock, function specific buttons, escape, enter, etc.). Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly found on a calculator (e.g., multiply, add, divide, subtract, memory storage, clear, all clear, percent, square root, or other calculator buttons). Virtual buttons may include buttons for selecting specific software application available on device 10 (e.g., text messaging, calendar, calculator, media player, web browser, email client, cellular telephone, or other software applications). Virtual buttons may include images or icons that indicate the current function of the virtual button. Virtual buttons may include buttons commonly found on cellular telephone such as a menu button, a ringer on/off switch, a ringer on/off/vibrate switch, a lock/unlock button, a call button, an end-call button, or any other button associate with a cellular telephone.”

While the iPhone isn’t clearly specified in the patent, the language and drawings clearly suggest that Apple would primarily use such an invention in a future iPhone model.

However, even though Apple was awarded this particular patent, it’s not clear yet when such an iPhone will actually be released.

So far, only Samsung and LG have released devices with flexible displays, but neither model actually had wraparound displays. Neither model became a hit product either, with reports suggesting that flexible display production isn’t yet at the levels that would allow a company to mass-produce enough supply to meet its demands for flagship devices that would incorporate such features.

More images from the new Apple patent follow below.

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Category: mobile, Apple, iPhone, iPhone 6

Each year Android fans start wondering what Google’s next Nexus devices will be called, and whether Google will correlate naming schemes to display size or not. This year, Google was expected to launch an 8.9-inch high-end tablet that will either be called Nexus 8 or Nexus 9, and a Nexus 6 smartphone likely based on the LG G3. Apparently two of these three product names have been confirmed in Chromium Code Review.

SmartDroid.de reports that Florian Kiersch and Carsten Knobloch have found the Nexus 8 and Nexus 6 mentioned in Chromium Code Review, although other details are not available for these devices yet. These mentions can always be faked, but they could also indicate that Google has chosen the next Nexus product names for its 2014 Nexus tablet and smartphone.

Recent discoveries in the Chromium Issue Tracker suggested that Google is already working on an HTC-made Nexus tablet but also on a device that could be an Android TV. However, those code discoveries did not actually confirm new Nexus product names. Instead, those products were referred to as Flounder and Molly, respectively.

Other reports indicate that this will be the last year Google will make new Nexus devices, which will be replaced in 2015 with an Android Silver program that will help Google and OEM partners sell high-end devices that will run Google’s latest Android versions.

Google is expected to unveil the Nexus 8 tablet this summer, alongside Android 4.5, and launch a Nexus 6 smartphone in fall.

Screenshots from the Chromium Code Review that show the two Nexus sightings follow below.

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Category: mobile, google, Nexus 6, Nexus 8

We’ve seen a lot of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 so far but have seen comparatively little of its larger sibling that is rumored to release a little later in the fall. That might be about to change, however, because Nowhereelse.fr has obtained pictures of a new smartphone case that was purportedly designed specifically for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. And based on the case, Nowhereelse.fr estimates that Apple’s biggest smartphone ever will have dimensions of 81 millimeters wide, 157 millimeters long and 7 millimeters thick.

In contrast, earlier leaks have claimed that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will measure in at 67 millimeters wide, 138 millimeters long and 6 millimeters thick and we already know that the iPhone 5s features a frame that is 123.8 millimeters long, 58.6 millimeters wide and 7.6 millimeters thick. So while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be a full millimeter thicker than the 4.7-inch version, it looks like it will still be slimmer than the iPhone 5s.

Nowhereelse.fr can’t vouch for the authenticity of the supposed 5.5-inch iPhone 6 case but if accessory manufacturers really are getting dummies of the larger iPhone already then we can expect a stream of leaks showing 5.5-inch iPhone mockups to follow pretty closely afterward, just as leaked 4.7-inch iPhone 6 mockups have been leaking out in droves over the last month.

Nowhereelse.fr’s picture of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 case follows below.

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Category: mobile, Apple, iPhone 6

Just as BlackBerry appeared doomed to fade into irrelevancy, the company’s popular chat application BlackBerry Messenger stormed back on to the scene, making its way to the iOS and Android app stores. Pitting a well known brand against relative newcomers such as Kik, LINE and recent Facebook acquisition WhatsApp, BBM managed to quickly steal a huge segment of the audience for itself. In case you still haven’t given it a try, James Richardson makes a strong case for BBM in a recent article at CrackBerry, so we decided to share his favorite features to see if this list is enough to convert you.

1. Know when your messages are delivered and read: Like it or not, our chat applications now hold us accountable for timely responses. Whether you’re on Facebook, iChat or WhatsApp, you and your friends can see when your message has arrived and when it’s been read, but some apps are more reliable than others. For example, WhatsApp uses a check mark and a double check mark, but the double check mark only means that the message has reached the server, not the recipient’s phone. On BBM, ‘D’ means delivered and ‘R’ means read. It’s simple and clean, the way a chat app should be.
2. Share files with friends: Most mobile messaging apps contain some degree of file sharing, but it’s a crapshoot whether or not the interface will be at all intuitive. Fortunately, BBM’s file sharing menu is about as straightforward as they come. Tap the paperclip to the left of the chat, select the share icon and six buttons will pop up on the bottom of the screen. You’ll be able to access media, appointments, contacts, location, files and even your Dropbox account.
3. Never leave friends or family hanging: Have you ever been patiently waiting in a restaurant for a friend, scrolling through old photos or bookmarked websites to pass the time? With BBM’s Glympse integration, your friends can share their location in real-time for up to four hours, allowing you to keep track of them as they make their delayed approach.
4. Keep your contact list manageable: Chat apps such as Kik and WhatsApp are infamous for their ability to fill up with every contact on your phone before you’ve had a chance to sort through the list, but BBM is much more understanding. The only way you’re ever going to receive a message on BBM is if you decide to share your PIN with a friend or vice versa.
5. Additional features: All in all, BBM isn’t terribly different from its competition. Although it manages to do many things better than other apps on the market, many of the features are identical to those of Kik, LINE and WhatsApp. In order to differentiate itself, BlackBerry has included some extra content within BBM, most notably BBM Channels. Channels allow BBM users to subscribe to their favorite content creators directly from the app, further condensing the mobile experience and keeping users engaged.

With well over 100 million registered users, BBM has staked its claim in the chat market. BlackBerry might not be drawing in quite as many monthly active users as WhatsApp, but as the company continues to double down on updates and new features, don’t expect BBM to disappear any time soon.

Read more here: Boy Genius Report

Category: mobile, Android, BBM, BlackBerry, iPhone

Some early details surrounding Apple’s upcoming iOS 8 update began leaking last month, and we can likely expect many of the remaining holes to be filled in now that Apple’s annual WWDC event is just a few weeks away. The latest news comes from reliable Apple reporter Mark Gurman, who also happens to be the source of just about everything we know thus far about iOS 8.

According to Gurman, Apple will introduce an exciting new split-screen multitasking feature in iOS 8 that will be made available only on iPad tablets. The feature will allow iPad users to run two applications side by side, which is a feature that many iPad users have been asking for since the tablet first debuted in 2010.

Apple’s WWDC keynote will take place at 1:00 p.m. EDT on June 2nd, and Apple is expected to unveil iOS 8 at that time. Apple is also expected to show off a huge OS X update and other new products as well.

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Category: Tablets, Apple, iOS 8

It looks like Microsoft is about to make another very welcome change to the Xbox One. Unnamed sources tell Ars Technica that Microsoft is planning to drop its requirement that Xbox users have a paid Live Gold subscription to access Netflix and Hulu on their consoles.

That said, Ars’s sources say that Microsoft is considering putting other services behind its paywall to make up for the loss of Netflix and Hulu as major incentives for users to sign up for Live Gold.

Microsoft has come under pressure to lift the paywall for popular video streaming apps since rival Sony doesn’t require any subscriptions for users to watch them on the PS4 and other set-top boxes such as Roku and Apple TV similarly offer access to Netflix and Hulu without any additional fees.

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Category: TV, microsoft, Xbox One