Google applies for .android, .nexus, .moto, and 98 other top-level domains

On one hand, once we heard that ICANN would be selling off custom top-level domains (meaning instead of just .com, .org, or .net, you could get .anything), it was easy to assume that Google would be applying to get some of those domains. On the other hand, Google is directly responsible for the steady decline of users actually typing in full URL addresses in the first place.


An annoyingly large number of users will use Google to search for "www.phonearena.com" rather than simply typing the address into the address bar. And, of course there are plenty of users who are too lazy to type the .com, and will just put "phonearena" in their Google Chome omnibox and then click away from



there. Even so, Google has applied for an impressive 101 top-level domains. This is extra impressive because: 1) there were only 2,000 applications, meaning Google has 5% of all applications for the entire world; and, 2) the application fee alone for each of these is $185,000, meaning Google spent a cool $18.7 million just to try to obtain these domains.


The list of domains that Google is applying for is varied and has the entries that you would expect, plus quite a few that are just odd. The ones you might expect include .Android, .Nexus, .Moto, .App, .YouTube, .Chrome, .Play, .Plus, .Gmail, .Google, .Search, .Hangout, and more. But, the entries you might not expect get weird and interesting very quickly, including .Dad, .Esq, .Kid, .LOL, .Meme, .PhD, and .Wow.


Google hasn't really explained itself much, saying basically that it wants to "make the introduction of new TLDs a good experience for web users". It basically equates to getting more people online (so they can see more Google ads), and making them feel at home once they're on the web. Google says that it has applied for certain domains simply because of the "creative potential", like .LOL. If nothing else, this feels like Google might be building up a catalogue to sell domains like Hover or GoDaddy.


source: Google Blog via Quartz

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Crooks near San Francisco are ripping off Apple iPad buyers using floor tiles

In the past, we've seen a mirror, note pads and a block of wood sold to unsuspecting buyers as an Apple iPad. Now, folks in a city near San Francisco are getting ripped off by the latest iPad scam. People walking in Ceres, a city south of Modesto, are being approached by sellers, offering them iPads for cut rate prices. Those that took the bait ended up shelling out hundreds of dollars for what they thought was a brand new tablet.

Once at home, the buyer would quickly open the box only to find that what they paid all that money for, was a tile with an Apple logo pasted on it, or a box full of packaging peanuts. By including some of the proper documentation and placing the Apple logo in the right spot, the scammers are able to pull one over on their marks, even if they make a quick perusal of the inside of the box.

If you're going to buy an iPad from someone standing on a street corner, you need to open the box and take out the device to examine it. Otherwise you just might find that you've been ripped off. While this has been happening often in Ceres, it is a scam that can happen anyplace. Don't be foolish.
Scammers are replacing Apple iPads with tiles and selling them to unsuspecting buyersFullscreen





source: SFGate via BGR

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HTC One users in the US should see Android 4.4 KitKat update very soon

The long-awaited Android 4.4 KitKat update reached its way to the Google Play and developer editions of the HTC One in November, but users on the four major carriers in the US have been stuck on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Luckily, HTC announced on Thursday the majority of HTC One users in the US are one step closer to seeing Android 4.4 KitKat on their handset.

HTC has rolled out its KitKat update to Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile for final carrier testing, and certification is expected to come next week. This means the update has reached the third out of fourth stage before being pushed out over-the-air to users' handsets.



The update is now in carriers hands to install their own custom software and run tests, and then software is ready. Users are simply at the mercy of carriers, not HTC, to release the update.

We presume the update will be released in the US in the coming weeks, if no issues are found. HTC had previously promised January, but the days left are quickly numbering.

There's no word on KitKat for the HTC One in the UK.
Source: HTC

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Nokia's first Android handset to be called Nokia X?

Nokia's first Android-based handset will be called the "Nokia X", if EvLeaks is believed.

The mobile tipster tweeted "“Project Normandy = Nokia X” on Thursday, indicating the name of the device for when it hits the market.

We've seen several leaked press shots of the Nokia X, carrying a user interface that actually looks a lot like Windows Phone. It has a similar colour scheme, tile setup, and apps that put it on par with Microsoft's current software offering.

It's not clear when Microsoft and Nokia actually plan to release the Android-based handset, but the launch is expected to come after the buyout deal between Microsoft and Nokia closes in the first quarter of 2014. The Nokia X handset is reportedly aimed at the low-end, emerging markets, providing a cheap first time handset for customers.

Nokia sent out invitations to media on Thursday for its event at Mobile World Congress in February. It's not clear if Nokia is planning a Nokia X announcement at the event, or will wait for 25 March as pointed to in a screenshot previously leaked.

Leaked photos have shown the Nokia X's back looking closely to a Lumia handset, with a polycarbonate finish, camera flash, and the usual side buttons for power and volume. A status bar on the user interface leaked shows dual-SIM capabilities.

The Verge reported on potential specifications for the handset, saying it will have a 4-inch display, Qualcomm S4 processor, 3-megapixel camera, 4GB of storage, and 512MB of RAM. There will also be expandable storage through a microSD card.

Let's try not to get the Moto X and Nokia X confused, shall we?
Source: EvLeaks

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Motorola releases its own Gallery app to the Play Store

Motorola has been following the Google model (as you would expect them to do) and releasing its various apps into the Google Play Store for faster updating (both for the apps and for the Motorola device updates in general). Oddly though, Motorola has just released an app into Google Play that wasn't one that it had modified at all: the Gallery app.


The new update is basically a cosmetic change from the stock Android Gallery (which Google seems to be leaving behind in favor of the Photos app). Rather



than starting you in the album view, the Motorola Gallery will start you with a grid of your photos; and, Motorola has removed some of the view options and left just three: Photos, Timeline, and Albums. The stock Android Gallery also includes Locations and Tags, but those are gone in Motorola's version.

Motorola has also pulled some options out of the overflow menu to be set buttons. When you're looking at a photo in the stock Gallery, you only get the share menu, a button for the last share option you used, and the overflow menu. Motorola includes those, but also makes it easier to get at the Edit and Delete buttons, which are very nice options.

The new Motorola Gallery app is available for the Moto X, Moto G, and the new set of DROIDs, and is in the Play Store right now.

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Xbox One’s 2014 Q2 console sales hit 3.9 million

Today Microsoft published its fiscal year 2014 second quarter earnings report, and among it is presented a varied picture: year-on-year results are looking up, while Windows has continued to suffer from the lack of PC demand and the Surface skyrocketed. Among these trimmings is the gaming side of its Devices and Consumer revenue: 3.9 million Xbox Oneconsoles were moved, and nearly as many Xbox 360s.

In addition to the Xbox One sales over the financial quarter, Xbox 360 console sales hit 3.5 million units, making for a total of 7.4 million Xbox systems being sold into retail. This contributed to the company's Devices and Consumer revenue growth, which increased 13-percent in Q2 to reach $11.91 billion.

Microsoft's Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood said in part: "We delivered record revenue as demand for our business offerings remains high and we made strong progress in our Devices and Consumer segment." The sales are largely in line with what has been expected, and Microsoft-bred console has had good numbers thus far.

Last week, we reported on NPD Group's December 2013 findings, which included numbers showing the Xbox One as the best selling console in the US, moving 908,000 units last month. Overall sales went to the PlayStation 4, however, which was attributed to the console's head start in sales, making for a strong November.

SOURCE: Microsoft

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Qualcomm acquires 1,400 Palm, iPAQ, Bitphone patents from HP

This afternoon Qualcomm has announced that they will acquire all of HP's remaining Palm-related patents. They will also be acquiring from Hewlett-Packard a number of other patents in the mobile sector, including those under the titles' iPAQ and Bitphone. This purchase will apparently also include both patents and patent applications.

Qualcomm Incorporated and HP announced this afternoon that they'll be working to transfer a portfolio of approximately 1,400 patens from the latter company to the former. This includes approximately 1,000 granted patents and pending patent applications from other countries, and "covers technologies that include fundamental mobile operating system techniques."

This deal has been announced to be between Qualcomm Incorporated and the likes of Hewlett-Packard Company, Palm Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Development Co LP.


"The acquisition further enhances the strength and diversity of Qualcomm Incorporated's industry-leading mobile patent portfolio and will enable the company to offer even more value to current and future licensees. The purchase price was not publicly disclosed." - HP and Qualcomm

This is the first in a number of announcements we'll likely hear from the groups in the immediate future surrounding these purchases. At the moment it is not entirely clear what Qualcomm will be doing with the patents at hand, but we'll certainly see the results before this year is over - stay tuned!

VIA: Market Watch

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New Apple TV reportedly coming in first half of 2014

Apple is "well into testing" its next revision of the Apple TV set-top box, according to9to5Mac. The new hardware is likely to launch sometime in the first half of 2014 and runs a revamped user interface with deeper ties to iOS, the report claims. That could open the door to an App Store for Apple TV and an expanded offering of third-party apps and games. Apple's selection of "channels" has grown steadily in recent months, but still lacks the depth offered by Roku and other set-top box manufacturers.

If Apple shies away from bringing its full App Store experience to the living room, the report claims a "Game Store" could be another option the company pursues. 9to5Mac'sreport also notes that "new types of content" will be supported by the next-generation Apple TV, but doesn't specify what those are. Earlier today, iLounge reported that the Apple TV will receive an update that introduces further support for gaming "in March or earlier." The current Apple TV already lets users play some iOS games on the TV screen via AirPlay, but a wider focus on gaming could encroach on the territory of console makers like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

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Apple said to launch a pair of large-screen iPhones this yearApple, iOS, Rumors

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple will launch two large-screen iPhone devices this year. The rumor falls right in line with a claim by Bloomberg from November last year, suggesting that Apple is working on an iPhone duo with 4.7” and 5.7” displays.



WSJ reports that the first iPhone model will have a display with a diagonal between 4.5 and 5” – hardly a surprise by now, as yesterday yet another word got out that Apple has decided on a 4.8” display unit. The second iPhone will go beyond 5 inches of screen diagonal and into phablet territory.

Both iPhone models are said to feature metal bodies, with the plastic used in the iPhone 5c allegedly on the way out. Curved display a la LG G Flex or Samsung Galaxy Round is reportedly not considered by Apple for the time being.

All in all, a large-screen iPhone looks like a sure thing to happen this year. The rumored phablet by Apple on the other hand, if materialized, will mean that all three major mobile ecosystems will have at least one such device to offer quite soon.

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Intel mini PC launches with Bay Trail processor and Windows 8.1

Intel has launched its first offering with a Bay Trail processor, the awkwardly-named Intel NUC Kit DN2820FYKH. With this tiny computer comes a budget-friendly price and Windows 8.1, as well as a variety of connectivity options and ports to meet most users' needs, whether using the PC as a desktop computer or as part of an entertainment system.

This new mini PC features an Intel Celeron N2820 processor available in up to a 2.4GHz dual-core offering, which is complemented by 1GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics up to 756MHz. There's a headphone and microphone combo jack on the back, as well as support for up to 7.1 surround sound using HDMI.

As far as ports go, the PC offers one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, as well as an IR sensor on the front and an Ethernet port (10/100/1000Mbps). Storage support is for 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs, and there's a single HDMI port for video. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display, and 802.11 b/g/n.

Along with Windows 8.1, Intel has included its Visual BIOS and Visual Boot Manager. There's compatibility with Linux, as well as Kensington lock support. The mini PC is available now online starting at $140 USD, depending on what configuration is selected.

VIA: Liliputing

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Google's ready to give away over $2.7 million to folks that hack Chrome OS successfully

But not if you hack from the comfort of your own home. Instead, you'll have to travel to the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver this March to showcase your skills at Google's Pwnium 4 competition. For those who aren't familiar, Google's been holding these Pwnium contests for years as a means to crowdsource the finding of security bugs in both the Chrome browser and Chrome OS.

This year, like last year, Google's offering $110,000 for each "browser or system-level compromise in guest mode or as a logged-in user, delivered via a web page," and $150k to anyone who can "compromise with device persistence: guest to guest with interim reboot, delivered via a web page." We don't understand exactly what that means, but we feel certain that with so many dollars at stake, there will be no shortage of interested parties who do. Plus, there are "significant" bonuses available for "particulary impressive or surprising" exploits -- so feel free to get creative, folks. Would-be winners should also know that the offers are good for hacks performed on the ARM-based HP Chromebook 11 or the Intel-packing Acer C720, and you've gotta register by 5PM Pacific Time on March 10th to compete. No time like the present, y'all.

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Red Samsung Galaxy S4 La Fleur unveiled, a white version may come in March

A red La Fleur edition of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 was unofficially unveiled today - about a month after Samsung launched a red Galaxy S4 Mini La Fleur in Germany. There are no surprises when it comes to the looks of the S4 La Fleur: it’s red and has the same flowery pattern seen on the S4 Mini La Fleur.

Primarily targeted at the fairer sex, the Galaxy S4 La Fleur could be released before Valentine’s Day (although this hasn’t been confirmed). Samsung usually launches La Fleur handsets in Europe and/or Asia, so that’s where we should expect to see the new Galaxy S4. Of course, the smartphone is new only on the outside, because its features remained unchanged, including a 5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display, 13MP rear camera with LED flash, Exynos 5 Octa processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 2,600 mAh battery. And yes, we know, with the next-gen Galaxy S5 coming very soon, the S4 is getting a bit long in the tooth. But it’s still a very good smartphone.

According to an older tweet from SamMobile, a white Galaxy S4 La Fleur is expected to be launched in March. The Galaxy Trend, Galaxy Core, Galaxy S III Mini, and Galaxy Fame Lite should also get La Fleur versions in the coming months.







source: SamMobile (1), (

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Samsung issues a statement on compatibility of 3rd party accessories with Note 3 on KitKat

Samsung immediately reacted on reports that 3rd party accessories are not working after Android KitKat arrived for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The update has begun checking for the ID chip, and if it isn't there, the accessory won't work. A number of XDA threads say this even includes the Spigen S-View flip cover, of all things. The problems likely lie with other accessories, too, and could present a nuisance for users that already bought them.

There is a way to skip the ID check, if you root the Note 3, but a lot of people wouldn't do that. Here's Samsung's official statement of the matter (translated from German):
To ensure a pleasant and smooth user experience with Samsung products for our customers, we recommend that only original accessories from Samsung are to be used. Of course, customers can continue to rely on third-party accessories. The full functionality of our devices and accessories, however, can only be ensured with genuine Samsung components, since only in this way it is certain that the equipment and accessories are perfectly matched. A correlation between the Android version 4.4 and the supposed incompatibility of third-party accessories does not exist.


source: AllAboutSamsung

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Magnic Light Bike Light Uses Magnets To Light Your Bike

Bike lights are essential to your safety if you’re riding a bike at night, and there’s nothing more annoying, or scarier, than the idea your light might suddenly shut down while you’re riding. The Magnic Light, and we assure you that’s not a typo, solves this problem, by taking batteries out of the equation.

Magnetic Dynamics

The Magnic Light is fairly simple. Attach a small item to your wheel, attach the light to your wheels magnetically, and you’re golden. Yep, that’s really it; there’s no resistance like some charging kits, there’s no other stuff to add, there’s no battery backup you need to install, nothing. But how does something like this even work?
Foucault Is Calling

By using a physics phenomenon known as Foucault currents or eddy currents. Here’s how it works; you take a conductor and induce a magnetic field. Then, you start cycling that field. As you may have guessed, the faster you cycle the field, the more power is generated. The Magnic Light essentially take full advantage of the fact that you’re doing work by attaching a magnet to your wheel and using that to spin the generator inside the light. So, the faster you go, the more the magnet spins, the faster the field cycles, and the more power you generate. All without losing resistance. Pretty neat, huh?
Magneto Would Be Jealous



If you’re sick of your bike light dying, or simply want to save some money on batteries, the Magnic Light is going to be your best bet. And, if the Kickstarter hits a certain level, it’ll even come with an anti-theft system, so you don’t get your lights swiped. Of course, you need to contribute to the Kickstarter first; you can get either front or rear lights, but if you want both it’ll be $180.

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Google Glass to be the next Super Bowl spectacle

JC Torres

You know that a mass market launch of Google Glass is soon approaching once Googlehas put its well-oiled marketing machine into full gear. At the upcoming Super Bowl match scheduled next month, viewers all over will not only be able to watch the game from the literal viewpoint of a commentator but will also get an idea of what Google Glass might feel like, thanks to a partnership between Google and CBS.

Google Glass, which has just recently undergone its second hardware version, has been out for a long time but only for a limited number of people, including developers, reviewers, and tech evangelists. People who have been keeping tabs on the industry might very well be aware of its existence, but the masses to whom Google might be selling the eyewear are pretty much still in the dark.

If Google Glass has hit public consciousness or media, it was probably along the lines of driving while using a cellphone, which would definitely bias a good number of people against it. A recent San Diego court decision has let a Glass-wearing driver off the hook but has not closed the question about the safety, much less the legality. of Google Glass.

But Google Glass is much, much more than a glorified navigation device, whether inside or outside a vehicle. That is definitely the message that Rochester Optical Glass team member and Google Glass expert Tim Moore wants to be heard. And what better pulpit to preach that than one of the largest sports event in the world, the Super Bowl.



Spectators will be able to watch the game from the vantage point of John reporter and sports anchor John Kucko from CBS' WROC-TV Rochester affiliate. But Kucko won't just be covering the game itself but will also give a first-hand look at the events leading up to the match. With a potential audience of around 1 billion spread across 200 countries, this could be the perfect pitch that Google needs to change how people see Google Glass and, potentially, the world.

SOURCE: Forbes

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Coder defeats Snapchat's anti-bot system in less than an hour

Apparently, Snapchat's spot-the-ghost human verification tool isn't all that clever -- Steven Hickson has already written software that circumvents the anti-bot feature. His technique simply finds the best matches between Snapchat's sample pictures and a reference image. It's not flawless, but it's still accurate -- no mean feat for something that took less than an hour to program. Whether or not there will be a fix isn't clear. At this stage, the company will only tell us that it's making "significant progress" in locking down its chat service. While the statement hints that more security measures are on the way, it doesn't guarantee that Snapchat will defeat Hickson's code.

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Privacy watchdog finds NSA program ineffective and illegal

Just a few days after Obama's awaited, and disappointing to some, speech about the NSA's program, an independent federal body came out with its own rather scathing analysis of the divisive program. According to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, the NSA's phone record collection spree in the name of counter-terrorism is not only ineffective but also illegal and needs to be shutdown.

The board is a federal watchdog that was made into an independent agency by the Congress of 2007, although it was only recently that it became fully functional. Its most recent and probably highest profile finding is enclosed in a 238-page report that is scheduled to be released on Thursday. And in that report, the panel had very scathing words for the program.

President Obama, while agreeing to limit access to data being gathered by the NSA, defended the program's effectiveness in the government's war against terrorism. The board, however, disagrees and believes that that it has shown very little value. But more than that, it believes that the program is actually illegal. It could not find any legal foundation under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. This section, which gives the FBI power to obtain business records in aid of investigation, is the basis of the government's legal theory for the NSA's phone record collecting activities.

Not all five members of the board, however, were in complete agreement. Two in particular, Rachel Brand and Elisebeth Collins Cook, both of whom worked as Justice Department lawyers under Bush, published separate dissents that explained they did not believe that the program was illegal. Brand worried that the criticism could also be detrimental to the morale of other agencies working to protect the country while Cook held that the program shouldn't be judged solely on whether it was able to stop an attack to date.

Fortunately, the board was unanimous in at least some of the recommendations they proposed. One recommendation in particular, which was not included in President Obama's list, was to not require phone companies to retain records no longer than necessary, suggesting to have raw phone records deleted after three years instead of the five that the administration is recommending.

SOURCE: New York Times

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First ThinkPads, now servers: Lenovo buys more of IBM for $2.3 billion

The Chinese PC vendor that just can't stop growing has today added another component to its expanding empire by agreeing to buy IBM's x86 server business for $2.3 billion.Initially rumored almost a year ago, the price of this deal is below the expected range, with IBM apparently keen to offload what Lenovo believes is a business that it can "successfully grow for the long-term."

Though it lacks the consumer-facing impact of Lenovo's first big deal with IBM — the acquisition of the ThinkPad brand and line of personal computers — this move underscores Lenovo's ambition to continue expanding rapidly. For IBM's part, "this divestiture allows IBM to focus on system and software innovations," says Senior VP Steve Mills. The company will continue developing Windows and Linux software for the x86 platform, but the hardware component will soon be handed off to Lenovo in exchange for $2 billion in cash and the rest in Lenovo shares. Some 7,500 workers currently employed by IBM will be offered jobs by the Chinese company once regulatory formalities are completed and the deal is concluded.

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Google wants you to know what you're clicking on

Google knows a lot, both about its users and about the internet in general. Today, the team in Mountain View has found a new way to share more of its vast knowledge of the web with us by providing background info on sites that show up in search results. You see, site information is gleaned from Google's Knowledge Graph, and for every site we've checked thus far, that means the data's coming from Wikipedia -- so don't go thinking that this new cursory background check is 100-percent accurate. Google's not providing the extra info about all sites, either, just those that are "widely recognized as notable online" according to the company's blog post announcing the new capability. Still, it's a nifty addition that should give netizens some peace of mind before clicking search-provided links, and Google's promising that as the Knowledge Graph grows, so too will the amount of information this new feature can provide.

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