Welcome to Gadgets Reviews and News

Thursday, 30 January 2014

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Sony Xperia M to arrive soon?

According to Vodafone Australia, Sony’s Xperia M smartphone could be updated to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in the (near?) future. The carrier posted a list of upcoming updates for some of the smartphones that it’s selling, saying that the Xperia M should receive Android 4.3, as testing for this OS build has been already "scheduled."

Vodafone Australia’s Xperia M is the C190x model - the single SIM version of the handset, which at the moment runs Android 4.1.2. The dual SIM model, C200x, is already running Android 4.2, and we’re assuming that it, too, will get 4.3 at some point.

Vodafone also seems to confirm that 4.3 Jelly Bean updates for the Sony Xperia SP and TX are coming soon - just as we reported not long ago.

The Xperia M is currently widely available around the world. You can even buy it in the US, via the official Sony Store, where it costs $229.99 (unlocked, available in four color versions: black, white, purple and yellow).

source: Vodafone Australia via Xperia Blog

After the announcement on Wednesday thatLenovo is buying Motorola from Google for $2.91 billion, Lenovo's Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing and Chief Financial Officer Wong Wai Ming answered some questions about the acquisition. Lenovo has yet to enter the U.S. market although it earlier stated its intentions to do so. According to Yang, purchasing Motorola gives Lenovo an instant entry into the states.

The executive calls Motorola a very good brand with plenty of intellectual property and a good relationship with carriers. He adds that his company will keep both the Motorola and Lenovo brands. The latter is strong in China and in emerging markets while Motorola is strong in the U.S. and Latin America. The CEO says that Lenovo might try using the Motorola name in China. He added that the company might go with something like "Motorola by Lenovo".

While Motorola was losing money under Google, Yang says that he believes that Lenovo can help Motorola turn a profit. The year after the deal closes, Lenovo expects to sell 100 million smartphones globally. As far as the deal is concerned, the executive expects no U.S. regulatory issues seeing as the handset business is a consumer business.

source: WSJ

Tesco Mobile has today launched the UK's most competitively priced 4G, which will be free for new and existing customers using its already bargain-basement tariffs.

Starting today, the deal will apply to Tesco Mobile's pay-monthly and SIM-only Tesco Mobile contracts. Customers paying as little as £7.50 per month will be able to get speedier data on a SIM-only contract that includes 250 minutes, 5,000 texts and 500MB of data. That's a rather measly data allowance to pair with super-speedy internet, but it's still pretty much the cheapest way to have 4G at your fingertips.

Tesco Mobile has also said it will be launching 4G data bundles for pay-as-you-go customers and will be adding to the range of 4G-enabled devices it offers with phones such as the magnificent Moto X and the superb Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

"After giving customers the chance to try 4G at their own pace with our flexible 4G tariffs, we've seen people really benefit from what it has to offer. Customers should be able to expect more from their mobile network, so as we see demand for 4G become more widespread, we wanted to take a different approach, said Simon Groves, Tesco Mobile's chief marketing officer in a statement.

"As a network we hope that this move will challenge others in the market and encourage the industry to follow suit. We want to see 4G with no extra cost become the norm and networks making the very latest technologies accessible for all."

So far Three is the only operator to offer free upgrades to 4G data, although it has been slow to roll it out and has so far only offered a limited number of customers the opportunity to upgrade. EE has led the charge, being nearly a year ahead of all the other operators in launching its 4G network, meaning it has good coverage, but it doesn't come cheap. Vodafone and O2's 4G rollouts have helped to make pricing more competitive across the board and there are decent deals to be found, but 4G still remains an unjustifiable expense for many.

Tesco Mobile is the first one of the cheaper mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to offer 4G. MNVOs use another operator's network infrastructure -- in this case O2's -- to provide their services at a reduced cost.

"Much like its supermarket sibling, Tesco Mobile has carved a niche for itself as offering good value service at rock bottom prices -- so it's not surprising it's the first to drop the cost of 4G. These are entry-level prices -- a win for those mobile customers who, until now, have been priced out of super-fast mobile internet," says Rob Kerr, mobile expert at uSwitch.com.

Indeed, if you've been holding off upgrading to a 4G tariff due to price, now might be the perfect time, although we recommend using Tesco Mobile's coverage checker first to make sure you'll get decent 4G signal in your area.

While Apple shipped 26 million iPads in its latest quarter and Samsung shipped 14.5 million tablets, both up from last year, IDC is warning that the overall tablet market in the US appears to be reaching saturation. "It's becoming increasingly clear that markets such as the US are reaching high levels of consumer saturation and while emerging markets continue to show strong growth this has not been enough to sustain the dramatic worldwide growth rates of years past," warns IDC’s Tom Mainelli.

Worldwide tablet shipments grew to 76.9 million during the all important holiday season quarter according to IDC, 28.2 percent more than the same period last year. However, the growth appears to be slowing. Apple shipped 74.2 million iPads during 2013 compared to 65.7 million iPads during 2012, just a 12 percent increase. That may change throughout 2014 thanks to the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, but IDC warns of "a more challenging environment for tablets in 2014 and beyond." Those challenges include high penetration rates and increased competition for consumer spending.

AMAZON'S KINDLE FIRE SHIPMENTS DROPPED IN THE HOLIDAY QUARTER

Amazon’s tablet shipments appear to highlight some of the slow down in growth during the recent quarter. IDC says Kindle Fire shipments dropped from 5.9 million in the holiday period in 2012 to 5.8 million in the same period last year. That’s a decrease of 1.7 percent, and the figures come just hours before Amazon is due to report its latest financial results. While iPad growth has slowed and Kindle Fire sales have decreased, Samsung’s 14.5 million shipments during the holiday quarter were almost double the 7.8 million it shipped during the same period in 2012.

Meanwhile, Lenovo may have just acquired Motorola’s phone business from Google, but it’s also starting to ship more tablets worldwide. After shipping just 800,000 during the 2012 holiday quarter, shipments grew to 3.4 million during the latest holiday quarter. Despite the PC market decline, Lenovo has managed to grow its share of PCs and is the top manufacturer worldwide. With tablet saturation in the US, and the PC market declinestarting to stabilize, 2014 could be the year where we start to see less dramatic shifts in PC and tablet sales.

Researchers have found a way to warn users every time when Android applications are tracking their location. A dedicated app is being developed for the Android platform that will warn you when apps snoop on your whereabouts, and it will pop up a warning to let you know that you are being spied on. The new app, said to be coming on Android’s Google Play store within the next two months, has found a novel way to detect app spying without requiring you to root your device.

The new app aims to help ordinary users understand when their location is being accessed by third party applications. It will display a large and easy to understand banner saying “Your location is accessed by [name of app]”. Currently, Android does show a small crosshair icon in the upper taskbar that appears every time an app accesses your location, but researchers have concluded that the meaning of this icon is obscure to the regular user. In fact, a field study led by Rutgers University’s Janne Lindqvist, concluded that users were shocked to learn just how frequently apps use their location data, after dealing with a prototype of the new notification app.

“People were really surprised that some apps were accessing their location, or how often some apps were accessing their location,” Lindqvist said.

The end goal of the upcoming app is first, to raise awareness among people that they are being tracked very often, and second, to put pressure on Google and app developers to be more conservative with location queries.

Interestingly, Google’s has already flip-flopped positions on the location permission issue. First, with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean it allowed users to disable permissions for specific apps, and then, shortly after, removed the newly introduced feature in Android 4.4 KitKat.

It’s also interesting how Lindqvist’s team had to use a function within the Android location application programming interface (API) to get a signal for every access to location. “People have previously done this with platform-level changes—meaning you would need to ‘root’ the phone,” says Lindqvist. “But nobody has used an app to do this.”

source: MIT Technology Review

Apple launches iOS 7.0.5 iPhone update in several regions

Apple has just launched iOS 7.0.5 update for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. It makes some minor bugs go away and fixes network provisioning for Chinese models.

According to user reports the new update is rolling out in China, Croatia, Germany and the UK with the rest of the world seemingly missing on it. It seems the update targets specific model iPhones and won't be available for all iDevices.

Meanwhile Apple is working hard on the upcoming iOS 7.1 update that should hit all compatible iGadgets worldwide very soon.

Source

Late last year, Samsung found itself in trouble over claims it had secretly spied on Apple and Nokia documents to gain a better position in patent deals. It denied any wrongdoing, saying it hadn't done so wilfully, and now US judge Paul S. Grewal has finally drawn the same conclusion. PCWorld reports that the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled Wednesday that the Korean company could not have used confidential information for its patent licensing talks with Nokia, a deal that was extended in November, because it already knew all of the terms ahead of the leak.

The court considered sanctions against Samsung after the company's legal negotiator, Dr. Seungho Ahn, had reportedly told Nokia that its terms with Apple "were known to him," even though they were marked "highly confidential -- attorneys' eyes only." Up to 50 Samsung employees were said to have been given non-redacted copies of Apple documents by its external counsel Quinn Emanuel, which included patent deals with Nokia, but also Ericsson, Sharp and Philips. While Samsung has escaped further action, the court will force its legal representatives to cover both Apple and Nokia's legal fees, effectively making the "junior associate working late one night" pay for underusing that big black marker.

SOURCE: PCWorld

Images of what is claimed to be one of Samsung's upcoming Tizen handsets have emerged when the SM-Z9005 phone appeared for sale on eBay, of all places. Someone jumped the gun prematurely, it seems, as the listing has been taken off, but the two pictures have been scooped up, and the styling jibes with the render of the Z9000 "Zeke" that we saw leaked not long ago.

Frankly, the alleged Tizen handset doesn't differ much from the typical Samsung style of phone-building, but we'll wait for the official unveiling on February 23rd, before we pass any opinions on the design. The important thing on it is the operating system, of course, though seeing how important backers like Intel are hesitant to pour resources in it, Samsung might have an uphill battle to fire up the platform basically on its own.

Fullscreen

1.

View As One Page »
source: eBay via G4Games

Lenovo has rolled out some new ThinkPad machines that are aimed at use in schools. Since they are designed to be used by kids in the education environment, they are designed to be rugged. The new machines include the ThinkPad Yoga 11e and the ThinkPad 11e.

Both machines are optimized for K-12 students and are the same device in different form factors. The Yoga is a multimode device that can be used in four positions for comfort including laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. Both machines share the same hardware including an 11.6-inch LED backlit screen.

The screen has an anti-glare coating and the Yoga 11e also has touch capability. Both of the devices are powered by Intel processors and have LEDs to indicate connectivity, power, and sleep. The ThinkPad devices run the Windows operating system.

Lenovo isn't giving up some of the details on the machines. For instance, we don’t know how much RAM or storage space are inside. Since these are to be machines for education use, they likely have modest specs with some level of customization of hardware available. The price also suggests modest specs with the machines starting at $449. There will also be Chromebook versions of both models starting at $349.

SOURCE: Lenovo

Google's partnering with Samsung and others for new educational devices this spring

Google began its play for the education market late last year with a student-oriented version of the Play Store. Since then, partners of the Google for Education program have provided their classes with learning software and tools on select Chromebooks and Android-based tablets. Today, Mountain View announced two new devices headed for that very lineup this spring: Lenovo's ThinkPad 11e series and the Toshiba Chromebook, starting at $349 and $299 (respectively). Samsung's also on board with a classroom-ready edition of its Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 set to launch this April.

And what's the best way to complement that influx of hardware? Google thinks it's by adding thousands of K-12 books to Google Play for Education, including popular titles like Bridge to Terabithia and Lord of the Flies. The plethora of digital reads are available for affordable access periods (60, 180 or 360 days) to a few select schools as early as today, but arrive for the rest in the coming weeks.

Samsung may be planning to cut back on its oft-criticized Android customizations. A new report from Recode claims that the company recently met with Google to begin working out an agreement that could see Samsung's software move closer to Google's vision of Android. Discussions reportedly began after Samsung unveiled its Galaxy TabPro at CES. Google executives were apparently so displeased with the major changes in the tablet's Magazine UX — which has been compared to Flipboard and Windows 8 — that they felt compelled to open a dialogue with the number one Android manufacturer.

It's unclear what the exact outcome of those talks will be, but Recode's sources say Samsung may consider dumping Magazine UX entirely in future hardware. It may also put a greater spotlight on Google's own applications rather than pushing in-house apps like ChatON on its customers.

A source told Recode that the Samsung / Google relationship has gone through "a huge change, a sea change in the last few weeks." On Sunday, the two companies announced a broad patent cross-licensing deal that will see them share key intellectual property — another indication of an improved relationship. We've reached out to Samsung for comment.

According to Asus chairman Jonny Shih, the tech manufacturer is planning on adding its contribution to the smartwatch market, by releasing its own timepiece during the second half of this year. Shih hinted that the timepiece will be full of special features when he said that watches without such content are useless. "We'll try to replace your watch by all means," said the executive.

The Asus smartwatch will reach consumers this year, promised Shih. The company told investors last November that it would be presenting a wearable device at this June's Computex show in Taipei. More intriguing is the story recently leaked by an Asus insider. The anonymous source said that the company would be releasing a "distinctive" wearable device in the second half of 2014 that will be different than anything else produced by the competition, and could be worn as a necklace.

"There are actually many challenges in this area, and I don't think products that lack special features will be useful. We'll try to replace your watch by all means."-Jonny Shih, chairman, Asus
source: FocusTaiwan via Pocketlint

Not only has Olympus unveiled the Stylus SP-100 with a whopping 50x optical zoom lens, it's tackled one of the biggest issues in using such cameras: losing a moving subject. The new model is equipped with what the company calls its "eagle-eye" dot-sight located just above the viewfinder, which projects a target onto a semi-transparent mirror below the flash, as shown in the photo after the break. That way, you can keep a bead on your photographic prey (the tech is also used on gun-sights) without needing to zoom out, which could make the difference between nailing or losing a shot. The rest of the specs include a 1/2.3-inch 16-megapixel CMOS sensor with a TruePic VII processor, 7fps burst speed with a small 6 frame buffer, a 24-1200 (50mm equivalent) f/2.9-6.5 lens, a 3-inch, 460K-dot LCD, 920K-dot EVF and 1080/60p Full HD video. It'll arrive in March for $400 or so and while it might not be the biggest superzoom out there, at least you may actually catch Junior's winning goal.

SOURCE: Olympus

A twitter user was recently extorted into giving up his twitter user name. It would be bad enough giving up your established twitter user name, but this one was worth $50,000. The user claims to have been offered $50,000 for the username in the past. The twitter user name was @N.

People apparently tried to steal the user name all the time, short twitter handles are coveted it seems. The twitter handle was stolen via extortion from the rightful owner thanks to information released by GoDaddy and PayPal. The twitter user says that he received a text from PayPal that someone tried to change his password and then an email from GoDaddy the same day.

He had ignored the PayPal text, but the GoDaddy message was a confirmation of an account change. He was unable to log into his GoDaddy account to change the information back because the last six digits of the credit card on file had already been changed leaving him no way to prove he was the real owner of the account.

Once the stage was set, the hacker contacted @N and told him it was the Twitter account that he wanted. The deal was that the hacker would leave the website data on the GoDaddy servers alone if @N would allow the hacker to take over the twitter account. Oddly, the hacker offered to help the target secure his accounts after the fact.

The hacker say that he was able to get the last four digits of the credit card used for the GoDaddy account by using "very simple engineering tactics" on PayPal to get the last four digits of the card. He then called GoDaddy and told them he lost the card, but remembered the last four digits. The hacker says that GoDaddy allowed him to guess until he got the first two digits of the card correct. Whether or not @N will ever get his coveted twitter name back remains to be seen, but seems unlikely.

SOURCE: Medium.com

Rugged and semi-rugged notebook computers are intended for people that work in environments where a normal notebook wouldn’t last. A company called GammaTech has added a new 15.6-inch semi-rugged notebook computer to its line up called the S15H. The machine has a 15.6-inch full HD display.

The native resolution of the screen is 1920 x 1080 and it is LED backlit. The S15H has a choice of several Intel Core M Haswell processors to choose from. The notebook computer has USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. To make the machine rugged, it replaces a traditional plastic case with magnesium alloy.

That magnesium alloy case promises to be 20 times stronger than normal ABS plastic. The machine has been tested to Military Standard 810G for drop and shock resistance. The keyboard and other buttons on the notebook are spill resistant as well.

To give extra protection to the storage drives, the machine uses a flexible HDD cage that can absorb shock from drops. The screen also has anti-shock mount tech to protect it from damage. The notebook will use the Intel HM86 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM. Other features include WiFi, Ethernet port, Bluetooth 2.1, and an optional 3G modem. Pricing is unannounced at this time, but the machine will be available in Q1 2014.

SOURCE: Yahoo

The next round of Apple devices isn't expected to hit the market until September, but that means Apple has to finish up designing the chip and sorting out the orders for the companies that will produce and package the chips. A new report makes it sound like Apple may be attempting to bring the upcoming A8 closer to being a true "system-on-a-chip" (SoC).

The A7 SoC included the CPU, GPU, cache, image processor, and "secure enclave" to store TouchID data, and moved the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass processing to the M7 motion coprocessor. Presumably, there will be an M8 motion coprocessor, but word has it that in addition to everything you'd find on the A7, the A8 will also include the DRAM for the device.
The same report from DigiTimes says that Apple has chosen Amkor Technology and STATS ChipPAC to each package 40% of the A8 orders with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering taking the last 20% of the packaging orders. Interestingly, the report closes by saying that "TSMC reportedly will start ramping up production using 20nm process technology for Apple's A8 chip in the second quarter of 2014." The interesting thing there is that the wording doesn't say that the A8 will begin production in Q2, but that TSMC will ramp up production using the same 20nm process. That could just be odd wording from DigiTimes, because it would make sense that the A8 ramps up production in Q2 so the devices can be built in time for a late Q3 release.

source: DigiTimes

Every new console generation brings up questions about backward compatibility with previous, and sometimes more well-loved, games. Tough nothing official has been disclosed, sources close to the matter have revealed that the latest PlayStation 4 will practically support titles from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 via hardware emulation.

It might surprise some to know that Sony has actually had a history of supporting older games, though that history hasn't exactly been consistent nor desirable. In particular, the PlayStation 3 firmware actually supported hardware emulation for PS1 and PS2 as well as PSP. The PS Vita, on the other, used the same technology for running PS1 games as well.

Unfortunately, Sony has phased out hardware emulation and transitioned over to software emulation, in cases where it didn't actually scrap support for playing older games. The PlayStation 4 has already been reported to soon play PlayStation 3 games, but that will be through the newly unveiled PlayStation Now streaming service.

Sony surprisingly won't be taking the same route for PS1 and PS2 games. Instead, those titles will run locally via hardware emulation once again. There is even talk that Sony is pushing for native HD resolutions without having to go through the process of remastering those games. As mentioned previously, Sony already has the technology and the experience to execute this.

Of course, nothing is official yet. Sony can also very well end up using PlayStation Now to stream all previous gen titles, which might be a better business move to promote its streaming service. There will definitely be benefits to running things locally even via emulation, like less input latency and better HD scaling, but any game that can run on the PS3 can also run on PlayStation Now as well. Sony might try to take the path of least resistance in terms of technology and distribution, but we hope they will make the best decision for gamers.

VIA: Eurogamer

In every large gathering or event today, you'll see crowds of people holding up their smartphones or tablets to snap up the experience and share it with the world. To help make that new behavior as painless as possible, the NFL has decided ahead of time that it will prevent people inside the stadium from watching live video streams during the Super BowlXLVIII match between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.
It might sound strange to hear of people watching a live stream version while physically present at a live event, but audiences at sports matches usually use it to watch replays or catch up on commentaries. But aside from actually taking away some part of the experience and social aspect of watching a game live, such use of the Internet has also produced network congestion that prevents others from, among other things, advertising the game's events.

That is why the NFL will be preventing users from watching such live streams. It won't actually be able to block users from streaming video. Instead, it will simply block them from accessing official video streams from NFL.com and Fox Sports, both on mobile apps as well as from Web browsers. There will be undoubtedly other unofficial live streams and it will be unlikely that the NFL will be able to block these as well.

Streaming was initially allowed at last year's Super Bowl, but the bandwidth usage that it incurred forced the organizers to block it mid-game. Now NFL is taking a proactive stance. The stadium, which can seat around 82,500 people, will be able to accommodate up to 30,000 concurrent Internet users. However, Verizon, who will be providing network coverage, hasn't disclosed download and uplink speeds.

The official Super Bowl app from NFL will still provide fans with stats, event guides, and exclusive content. Attendees, however, will not be able to watch video streams or replays. Internet users are invited to use the freed up bandwidth to post photos and updates on their favorite social networking sites instead.

SOURCE: CNN

Whether you like it or not, tablet photography is here to stay -- it's only fair that slate owners get a fair chance at taking nice pictures. Sony certainly thinks so, since it has unveiled a new mount, the SPA-TA1, that attaches its QX lens camerasto tablets. The peripheral isn't just for small devices, either; it includes six adjustable arms that accommodate larger hardware, like the Xperia Tablet Z andVAIO Tap 11. Sony ships the camera accessory to Japan this April for a suggested price of ¥3,675 ($36). There's no word of a US release, but we wouldn't rule out an eventual stateside launc

BlackBerry targets developing markets with Gingerbread BBM app

BBM for Android has been installed millions of times since its (bumpy) launch, but that's not enough for the folks in Waterloo. Today BlackBerry has confirmed what many already suspected: it's planning to launch a version of BBM for phones still running Android 2.3 in February. Those first versions only ran on Ice Cream Sandwich or later, and BlackBerry has been not-so-quietly scouting forGingerbread beta testers for at least two weeks. It's not hard to see why the company wants to branch out further, especially since it's dealing with pressure from buzzy messaging apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp. And while it might feelancient, Gingerbread still powers over a fifth of active Android devices. Lots of those phones are sold at cut-rate prices across the globe, so BlackBerry has a shot at maintaining its messaging mojo in developing markets... though pumping outcheap Foxconn-made phones should help too.

News broke last month that Google was working on bringing Chrome webapps to mobile devices, with a plan to have something ready in beta form by January. Google has delivered; the company has today released a toolset for developers to port their apps to iOS and Android.

As previously reported, Google has developed a compatibility layer using the open source Apache Cordova toolchain to allow programmers to wrap their apps in a native app shell and distribute the app on the App and Google Play stores. The tool also ports the necessary Chrome APIs the web apps would typically need on mobile, like notifications and access to local storage. The toolchain is currently an early preview, so improvements are surely on the way.

Google announced plans to bring Chrome Apps to the desktop back in September, but only delivered on the promise last month in debuting apps for OS X. Windows users will still have to wait.

Not interested in buying a Steam Machine this year, but still want a tiny gaming PC? Never fear -- CyberPowerPC has just released the Zeus Mini, its latest take on a conventional small computer with full-sized performance. The system is just 4.4 inches thick and 18 inches deep, but it has room for fast video cards like AMD's R9 290 or NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 780. You'll also find a high-end AMD Kaveri or Intel Haswell processor inside, and there's space for a large liquid cooling system if you insist on a silent rig. Zeus Mini prices start at $599 for a basic variant with a 3.7GHz AMD A10 chip and integrated graphics, but demanding players can shell out $1,479 for a flagship model with a 3.5GHz Core i7 and GTX 780 video.

Did you know that back in 1995, Apple presented a prototype of a PDA with a built-in digital camera? This conceptual device known as the Apple Videophone was developed to allow video calls to be made over a data connection. Today, some 19 years later, we have the iPhone – a versatile smartphone that can be used for not just FaceTime chats, but for taking high quality photos as well. Its 8MP main snapper is liked by many, including a considerable fraction of our readers, as it turns out. In fact, Apple's iPhone 5s was ranked first in our latest blind camera comparison.

For those who missed it, last week we took a bunch of photos using six of today's most popular high-end smartphones. (You can see all of the original images here.) Then we posted the images side by side without revealing which phones we had used and asked people to vote for the photos that they liked best. The results? Over a third of those who participated in the poll chose the photos taken with the iPhone 5s. With half as many votes, the Sony Xperia Z1 took the silver prize, and the LG G2 came third having collected some 16% of the votes. In fourth and fifth place respectively we have the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. Trailing behind all of them, to our surprise, is the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. For some reason, Sony's masterpiece of a smartphone didn't get much of our readers' love even though its 20.7MP cam is actually a very potent shooter.

So how are you, guys, finding the results? Surprised to see the iPhone 5s taking the first spot? And do you think that the Z1 Compact deserved to be last? Tell us down in the comments!

Samsung lead smartphone charge in 2013 with 320M sales

A report by Strategy Analytics has it that global smartphone shipments reached a record 990 million units in 2013. This comes slightly short of the 1 billion estimated by IDC, but that kind of difference is negligible when dealing with estimates.

SA saw annual growth of 41% over 2012. In Q4 alone the increase is the slightly lower 32% - 290.2 million this year over 217 million in Q4 of 2012.

Samsung tops the list of smartphone manufacturers with a record 319.8 million smartphones shipped worldwide. This achievement gives the company a market share of 32%. According to the research company, Samsung's success lies in the company's numerous devices that made a big dent in the market as well as the great performance of its Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 3 flagships.

In comparison to Samsung, Apple didn't do as well. The Cupertino based company grew 13% year-over-year having shipped 153.4 million smartphones worldwide. In 2013, the company marks a decline in its market share to 15%, from 19% in 2012.

Still, both companies accounted for nearly half of global smartphone shipments last year. Strategy Analytics notes that enormous marketing budgets as well as the optimized and extensive distribution channels have enabled Samsung and Apple to be leaders in the industry.

However, the research company expects the two leaders to feel increased pressure from "second-tier" brands such as Huawei, LG and Lenovo, which are all growing rapidly. Combined, the trio boasts 14% market share in 2013.

Huawei has expanded in Europe, LG saw its Optimus line do well in Latin America, while Lenovo's Android phones grew in sales across China.

Source | Via

Some new numbers are in that look at the smartphone market in Q4 2013. These numbers are from research firm Kantar and they show that Android had over half of the smartphone market during the quarter in the US. While Android grew, its major competition the iPhone declined.

Kantar reports that the iPhone market share for Q4 2013 dropped to 43.9% from nearly 50% the same quarter of the previous year. Android gained in the US bringing its share of the smartphone market to 50.6%.

That growth for Android is up significantly for the 46.2% of the market it held in Q4 2012. Kantar doesn't offer details on how many smartphones shipped in Q4, but the company says Apple sold more iPhones than the same time last year despite the share decline.

Kantar also notes that the US isn't the strongest market for the iPhone anymore. Japan now has that distinction with the iPhone making up 68.7% of smartphone sales in Japan in Q4. The iPhone market share in Great Britain was 29.9% and the Apple smartphone had 19% of the market in China. Windows Phone also grew its market share during the quarter growing from 2.4% in Q4 2012 to 4.3% in Q4 2013.

SOURCE: Computer World

Nokia is rumored to announce a family of Windows Phone 8.1-running smartphones at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February, according to Taiwan’s supply chain insider DigiTimes. The new Nokia Windows Phone 8.1 phones will allegedly target both the high and entry-level.

The Nokia Lumia 1820 is the handset that is said to head the lineup, as it is expected to run on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 system chip, feature a 5.2-inch 1440 x 2560 pixel (QHD) display, and sport a gigantic 3400mAh battery. These are specs that sound like a fantasy for the Windows Phone platform that currently only supports 1080p displays (as of Update 3), but keep in mind that Microsoft is expected to bring the hugely improved Windows Phone 8.1 around April 2nd. Hopes are that the new Windows Phone 8.1 will introduce a unified notification center, a new ‘Cortana’ voice assistant, and more. It should also enable support for QHD displays in order for this rumored Lumia 1820 to materialize.

Nokia is also said to be preparing the Lumia 1520V for an official unveiling at MWC. The Lumia 1520V is a variation of the 1520 model, and it is said to feature a smaller, 4.45” display and a 14-megapixel camera.

The last smartphone Nokia is said to be bringing to MWC is the 6-inch Lumia 1525, according to DigiTimes.

We have also been hearing about the entry-level Android-based Nokia smartphone, the rumored‘Normandy’. It’s still up for debate whether or not it’s real, but if it is, MWC seems like a good place for Nokia to show it as well.

Nokia reached record Lumia Windows Phone smartphone sales in Q3 2013, but in the traditionally busy Holiday quarter, sales disappointed and actually dropped down to 8.2 million units.

source: DigiTimes

Samsung is now officially listing theGalaxy Grand Neo (model number GT-I9060) over at its global website, despite the fact that it didn’t properly announce the handset. But perhaps the company doesn’t consider it to be an important addition to its ever-growing portfolio of Android devices.

Sitting in between the Galaxy Grand 2 and the Galaxy Grand from yesteryear, the Grand Neo GT-I9060 is not exactly a smartphone that can turn heads. Its official features include a 5-inch WVGA display, HSPA+ 21Mbps (900 / 2,100 MHz), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, VGA front-facing camera, quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal memory. The handset weighs 163 grams, measures 143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6mm, and comes with a 2,100 mAh battery that can provide up to 11 hours of talk time, or up to 430 hours of standby time.

Samsung doesn’t specify what Android version the Grand Neo is running. We heard it would be 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the official photos of the device don’t contradict this.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Grand Neo will be available in four color versions: white, black, orange and lime green. Hopefully, it won’t cost more than $300 when it hits the market later this quarter.

At its Semiconductor and Display Technology Roadmap workshop, Samsung presenters have apparently indicated that they indeed have a QHD Super AMOLED mobile display panel ready, with 560ppi pixel density, and even more resolute ones are in the works.

QHD is 1440x2560 pixels, and to achieve such pixel density a smartphone screen panel should be about 5.2 or 5.3 inches in diagonal, so that's what the upcoming Galaxy S5 might aim at in terms of screen size. It'd be pretty surprising if Samsung has such a high-res AMOLED screen ready, and doesn't use it in the S5 to gain advantage, especially considering that everyone and their parakeet will be releasing QHD flagships this year.

What is even more interesting is that Samsung hinted it has even higher-resolution smartphone displays in the pipeline, and plans to launch UHD phones in the not so distant future. UHD is the whopping 2160x3480 pixels of 4K resolution, and the pixel density here jumps to the crazy 860ppi count, indicates the source, nestled in a sub-5" display size.

These resolutions, however, are mentioned together with the "diamond pixel" term, which is a fancy way to say a non-standard pixel matrix arrangement, that is closer to PenTile, than the standard RGB stripe matrix. In any case, at 500+ ppi, nobody would notice the individual pixels anyway, so we can't wait to see what Samsung is prepping for us in future phones, just when we thought Full HD panels are more than enough for anyone's purposes.

source: Daum via G4Games

According to a report by the DigiTimes, renowned computer hardware manufacturer Gigabyte has primed its engines to push up to 500,000 smartphones of its own brand on the market this year. The maker will deliver more than ten new Android smartphones, utilizing processors by MediaTek and Qualcomm. Some of them will offer LTE as well. However, the company's handset business targets mainly the Asian and European markets, so most of these smartphones will end up in those parts of the world.

Compared to the millions of devices that most manufacturers target, such a figure is tiny. But the smartphone business is incredibly saturated and difficult to compete in, which makes Taiwan-based Gigabyte's decision seem cautious, but reasonable. As appetite comes with eating, perhaps the now unpretentious maker will eventually discover the ambition to compete on a larger scale. Although they have kinks to be ironed out, so far Gigabyte's GSmart smartphones have provided decent value for the money.

Additionally, the company is preparing new handset accessories and companion wearable devices, including smart-watches and bracelets. According to Gigabyte Communications, as reported by DigiTimes, they will be made to match leading international vendors' smartphones, and will be sold under the company's own brand.

source: DigiTimes

If you own a BlackBerry Z30, Q10 or Q5, then your smartphone can suddenly do a neat little trick. The company's latest software update enables those devices to become an FM radio, letting you stage an impromptu dance party without a data connection. Version 10.2.1 also brings a series of minor, but welcome, tweaks to the platform, including a new screen for answering calls, SMS groups, offline reading mode and picture passwords. The update is making its way to all BlackBerry 10 handsets from today, including the Porsche P'9982, for all you fancy-dans out there.

Use your smartphone to check-in and open your hotel room at certain Starwood properties

You know the drill. Once you arrive at the hotel, you have to wait in line at the front desk, fill out some paperwork, and hand over a credit card. Totally exhausted from the traveling, you would rather be crashing in the nice soft bed in your room. The good news is that those choosing to stay at a Starwood Hotel can complete the entire check-in process in advance using their smartphone.

Slowly rolling out across Starwood properties, a smartphone app becomes a virtual key for guests, allowing quick entry into their room. Starwood believes that this will become the new standard in the hotel business. And while the front desk will remain at Starwood properties for guests who would rather deal with a human, the virtual key and mobile check-in will be launched this year at W Hotels and Aloft hotels. Currently representing 123 properties in Starwood's portfolio, these are luxury hotels that draw a younger, mostly tech savvy crowd, according to the hotelier.

Other hotels have been adding mobile devices to their check-in process, but it still requires a trip to the front-desk to receive a key. For example, some Hyatt hotels have a floating greeter with an Apple iPad who will take information from guests as they arrive. Some Marriott hotels allow for guests to check-in using a smartphone, but keys must be picked up at the front desk.

Starwood seems to have everything covered. The door locks that connect to a smartphone key are powered by a battery, and if the battery gets low, the hotel staff is alerted via an email.

Samsung's first Tizen smartphone shown off in leaked photo, revealing 4.8-inch HD display

Samsung's first Tizen-based smartphone has been revealed in leaked photo.

Korean website MovePlayer posted a leaked image of the ZEQ9000 Tizen smartphone from Samsung, though the website's unnamed source said it could launch with the name Zeke, because Samsung allegedly filed that brand name in August.

PhoneArena noted that the leak could be a fake, but the smartphone's design is very familiar and could therefore be authentic. The smartphone's display also echoes Tizen 2.1 screenshots that surfaced in December.

The Tizen operating system is set to be an alternative to Android, just like the Firefox OS launched by Mozilla in 2013. A version of the software was shown on the Galaxy S4 in September 2013 featuring a clean user interface with a Windows Phone feel to the tile layout. The strong colour variations and notifications gave it a hint of Android crossed with iOS 7.

Moveplayer also leaked some specs: the Zeke will allegedly launch with a 4.8-inch HD display and 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU. As for the smartphone's size, it'll be marginally smaller than the Galaxy S4.

Both Samsung and Intel have revealed that a new wave of devices running the Tizen operating system would unveil on 23 February 2014 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This news came after Samsung delayed a planned 2013 release for the Tizen smartphone.

Via: PhoneArena
Source: MovePlayer

Rockstar Games has finally published GTA: San Andreas for Windows Phone 8. The $6.99 game is officially compatible only with the Nokia Lumia 1520, 1320, 822, 820, 810, and the HTC 8XT. However, every WP8 handset with at least 1GB RAM should be able to run the game. The WP8 version includes everything the successful Android and iOS ports have to offer, including adjustable high-resolution graphics, customizable controls, the three in-game cities and countryside, and over 70 hours of gameplay. The game can be played in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese.

For the few among you who don't know what GTA: San Andreas is about, the game is set in a virtual state based on California and Nevada during the early 90's. The protagonist, Carl Johnson, has returned to his hometown of Los Santos after a five-year absence, and is immediately framed for murder by corrupt cops. He's been left no choice, but to go back to gang life, turn the entire state of San Andreas upside-down, save his family, and take control of the streets once again. The intense dialogue, the dozens of colorful characters, the borderline-absurd to impossible missions, the huge in-game world impregnated with the authentic feel of early 90's America, make San Andreas a classic that demands to be played, even in 2014.

With the Grand Theft Auto 3D trilogy now complete on all leading mobile platforms, all that remains is to see how long it will take for smartphones and tablets to run the epic GTA IV and V. In the meantime, you can head to the Windows Phone Store from the link below to download San Andreas.

Download: Windows Phone 8
San Andreas for WP8 screenshotsFullscreen

Microsoft now owns another major franchise tied to its Xbox game consoles: Gears of War. That includes "rights to all existing and future games, entertainment experiences and merchandise," and it looks like a new game (likely for Xbox One) is already in production at Black Tusk Studios in Canada (Microsoft actually teased that news back at E3 2013 during the company's press briefing). The franchise's former director of production, Rod Fergusson, will take on oversight.

The Gears of War franchise was exclusive to the Xbox 360 (and later on PC as well), and Unreal Engine developer Epic Games used the third-person shooter series to show off its engine's graphical chops. Beyond being a graphical showcase, however, Gears of War developed a loyal following among online console gamers -- last year's Gears of War: Judgment was the first entry in the franchise co-developed by Epic and Bulletstorm dev People Can Fly, and it was expected to be the final entry in the series.

Beyond a new entry in the massively popular shooter franchise, we expect re-issues (perhaps prettied up re-issues) will happen at some point (a la Tomb Raider's "Definitive" Edition). At very least, Gears fans can rest assured that more tales of meaty space marines taking down locust are on the way care of Microsoft.

Microsoft's Windows Store has a bunch of Windows 8 tablets on sale, starting at just $229 for the Dell Venue 8 Pro 32 GB, or for $20 more you can get the new Lenovo Miix 2 8. Dell's 8-incher sports a 1280x800 pixels display, and quad-core BayTrail Atom, which ensures it will run a full working day on a charge.

The 64 GB version is also slashed down fifty bucks, but the largest $350 discount in absolute sum goes to Samsung's ATIV Smart PC500T tablet, which sports an 11" display, and can run Windows 8.1, with its legacy program support and all device drivers you'll ever need. Razer'g gaming Edge tablet with Core i7 processor also gets under a grand, after a hefty $300 shave. It's not clear how long this sale will last, or if it will be a permanent discount offer, so if you are interested in any of those, hit the Store's link below. Here's a list of the devices on sale so far:

Dell Venue 11 Pro - $499 (save $50)
Dell Venue 8 Pro 32GB - $229 (save $70)
Dell Venue 8 Pro 64GB - $299 (save $50)
Lenovo Miix 2 - $249 (save $50)
Toshiba Encore WT8-A32M Touchscreen Tablet - $249.00 (save $70)
Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T - $349 (save $350)
Samsung ATIV Tab 3 XE300TZC-K01US Tablet - $499 (save $200.99)
Razer Edge - $999 (save $300)

Massive vending machine offers electric car for $3 an hour

The Kandi Machine -- China's Sweet Pollution Solution (by Aaron Rockett) KNDIAaron Rockett

If you find yourself in need of a ride in Hangzhou, China, you can waltz up to a multi-story garage, punch a few buttons, and have a fully charged electric vehicle deposited in front of you.

It's a new car-sharing scheme launched by Kandi Technologies that takes the hyper-successful bike-sharing model in China and puts it onto four electrically powered wheels.

For a little over $3 (£1.82) an hour, these ultra-compact, Chinese-made EVs can get about 75 miles on a charge and max out at 50 mph, and when the driver is done, they can drop off their rented ride at another Kandi station near their destination.

Since its launch last year, Kandi has two EV vending machines in Hangzhou, a city of 10 million people about an hour outside of Shanghai. The company has plans to add another 10 this year, while expanding to China's most populous cities: Beijing and Shanghai.

Of the 1.35 billion people in China, only 10 percent of the population owns a car, and that's set to massively expand in the next decade. Since it's impossible to reduce the demand for transportation, Kandi believes the key is to reduce the demand for privately owned cars. And even better, make them EVs to reduce carbon emissions.

Bike sharing has taken off in China, with 2,700 stations -- the most in the world -- sprinkled throughout the country, so people are familiar with the concept. And with the Chinese government pledging 400 billion yuan (over $66 billion (£39.9 billion)) to get two million EVs on China's roads by 2020, the Kandi Machine solves the problems of getting people into cars and keeping smog in check.

This story originally appeared on Wired.com

4.5 out of 5
£500

For

Great design, amazing screen, S Pen interface keeps getting better, microSD expansion

Against

Expensive, slow charging times (no USB 3)

Samsung is doing a good job for many of its devices. The Note 3 is one of our favourite phones, and the Note 2 10.1 was a tablet that we expected not to like, but ended up adoring. A new year must bring a new Note, and that is the updated Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.

What does the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition offer that might tempt you? It houses more powerful hardware, delivers some new specs and hangs on the hope that it will be chosen for its inclusion of S Pen for multiple input options over the other typically hands-on-only options on the market. There's also a new design and, of course, more up-to-date software - although, not the latest Android KitKat operating system at launch.

But all this comes at a price. And one of the bigger questions is whether the Note 10.1 deserves its fairly hefty price tag. We've been playing with one to find out.
Design update

One of the things we noticed about the new Note was the updated look Samsung has given the device. It's a lot more modern now. On the old device, everything was quite chunky and rounded. The opposite is true now, it feels more slimline and the edges are square now, giving it a look very much like the Note 3 smartphone.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review

Also carried over from the Note 3 is that faux leather rear cover, complete with faux stitching, all made out of plastic. We don't mind this look, but some people absolutely hate it. It's also worth remembering that you can't change it on this device, unlike on the Note 3.

The usual array of Samsung controls are on the front - the large home button, alongside the "back" and the context sensitive menu control. In this updated Note, it's interesting that the speakers have moved from forward-facing to side-mounted, which potentially reduces the quality of the sound, and does make them liable to be interrupted by your hands.
S Pen improvements

We've always loved the pen input on the full-sized Note devices. After all, it makes a lot more sense on a device this size, especially if you're a graphic designer or artist. We use it most for writing notes, because we have roughly the same artistic talent as a chewed bone. Even so, drawing with the kids or just doodling is a massive amount of fun on this device. While Apple has shown the world how to make devices that work brilliantly with the finger, there are some things where the pen is just mightier.

Like the Note 3, the Note 10.1 2014 also offers advanced "hover-over" features too, so now when you have the S Pen near the glass pressing the button on the side of the stylus will bring up a quick shortcut menu to jump to the relevant tool. Hovering gives it a new scope, as it can also be context sensitive based on which app is open as to which tools are offered - although for the most part, the functionality doesn't change from app to app. This might be something that improves in the future.

The Note 10.1 has improved no end in its note conversion and handwriting recognition stakes, which is a similar trend the one we've seen on the Note 3, versus the older Note 2. Writing on this latest tablet is utterly brilliant. The S Pen and screen work beautifully together, and mistakes are rare enough that, with a little training, this can become a really good way to make notes.

We also find that just handwriting can be a nice way to use the device. This just gives you notes as if you were using paper, but also gives you more creativity, and the option to doodle when your mind wanders.

You can also use the S Pen to make a note of names and numbers to add to your contacts list. This already works on the Galaxy smartphones, and is handy in the tablet form for managing your contacts, or calling people with, say, Skype. We didn't have the 4G tablet for this test, but that bump in over-the-air speeds would be good enough to make calls on the go, which adds more use again to this feature.
Screen

The Note 10.1 now has an almost ridiculous resolution, in common with a lot of newer tablets. This is, in some ways at least, a blessing. In others, it might be less so. For example, higher resolution screens can use more power. In a tablet, that might not be a problem because the space for batteries is large, but it can attribute to a very long charge time.

Ignoring the downsides though, the Note's screen is amazing. It's incredibly bright - so much so you can see it in strong, outdoor lighting, although we're not getting too much of that in the UK at the moment - and is very detailed. As a matter of trivia the 2560 x 1600 pixel screen here is higher resolution than Apple's 2048 x 1536 panel in the iPad Air, and boasts more pixels-per-inch too, even though the Note has a slightly larger screen.

High resolution screens are all well and good, but without some high resolution video or games to play there might not be much point. Video will, as the coming years roll on, become 4K and so we will see a benefit on these screens. Right now everything still looks amazing, but most apps and video is not optimised for these screens. This is noticeable on apps in particular, as they look soft when increased in size and resolution to fit this panel. It's a small grumble, but the Android ecosystem has been slower to move to tablet-optimised versions of apps than iOS developers seem to have been. There are, for example, frustratingly few high-resolution, tablet-ready Twitter apps.
Things of Note

It's a oddity, really, but the Note 10.1 2014 Edition doesn't have the same USB 3.0 socket that's found on the bottom of the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. It makes almost no sense because the tablet is bigger and you're almost certain to want to move stuff on and off your tablet for travel purposes.

It's not the end of the world of course, but we're just slightly baffled as to why you'd make a move to the new USB standard on one device in the range, but not others. That said, USB 3.0 on the Note 3 smartphone isn't as brilliant as it could be and using it is hardly a hassle free experience, so perhaps Samsung just decided that it would be better to ignore it on this year's model tablet.

At the top of the tablet there's a small, reddish window. This is infrared, known as an IR Blaster, that allows the tablet to act like a TV remote, or control pretty much anything that has infrared. For example, your DSLR might have an IR trigger, which allows you to use the Note to fire the shutter.

Most people will use it as a universal remote for TV, if it's used at all, and for that it works just great. Don't throw away your controls though, as the tablet needs to be charged, switched on and in the same room to work.
Battery

As we mentioned the Note 10.1 has a big, high-resolution screen and that will use a fair amount of juice if you leave it on a lot. But in terms of stamina, we certainly think it's fair to say that the Note 10.1 will last a decent amount of time with "normal use". Although we always make a point of saying that there is no such thing as "normal" use. In our tests, we tended to use the tablet for a bit, then put it down for a while, then use it again. In that pattern, the battery lasted days as there's more than enough battery power here.

If you watch video constantly, you should expect the battery to deplete the power a lot quicker. Games, too, are a good way to drain it into oblivion because they draw so much more on that quad core 1.9Ghz processor and 3GB of RAM. Other chipset configurations are available for the 3G and 3G+LTE models, we're testing the Wi-Fi only UK model here.

However charging the tablet from flat can take a long time. The 8220mAh battery has a large capacity, and although the charger supplied delivers 2amps, it still takes as long as 8 hours to charge. And that's interesting, because it uses a Qualcomm chipset that supports fast-charging, something we've seen on some phones, and is mind-blowing when it works. In theory, the Note could support this - but it would need a 4amp charger that USB 3.1 would be able to deliver. But Samsung has missed that physical feature out, so perhaps another argument for its inclusion?
Camera

As with all tablets, there's a pair of cameras included in the Note 10.1 for 2014. The rear-mounted one has an 8-megapixel sensor, and the front-facing one offers 2-megapixels. Both are capable of shooting video at 1080/30p. Not bad specs either of them.

Just like the Note 3 and Galaxy S4 smartphones the software is great. There are lots of shooting options, the camera app itself is well laid out, very logical and easy to use. You can touch to focus and there are HDR (high dynamic range), panorama, best photo, best face and beauty face modes that will help you have a bit of fun with images. You can also remove moving objects too, based on five single images.

The problem is - other than using a tablet as a camera looks plain silly - that the cameras don't really produce brilliant images. Things have improved compared to the last generation, but in normal, indoor light during the day the pictures lack any punch in colour and are generally quite grainy. This is a bit of a disappointment, but we do come back to the truth of tablets, which is they make hopeless cameras from an ergonomic point-of-view. Put simply, use the front camera for Skype, and forget about anything else. And never, ever use the damn thing at a gig. Please.
Verdict

Once again we find ourselves loving a Note device. The 10.1 2014 Edition tablet is a steady leap forward from the previous generation model. Aesthetically, we much prefer this new design to the old model, and while the faux leather back is a bit tacky, we can live with it for the smaller dimensions and general improvements in style.

The S Pen input remains the strong advantage here over most competitor tablets. If you work with a tablet, we think this beats everything else on the market. You can get capacitive pens for a wide range of touchscreens, but Samsung's stylus and screen combination are something much better. Factor in the brilliant software, and this becomes a real advantage over any other 10.1-inch device out there.

But price remains an issue. Nearly £500 for the 16GB model is hefty. Our Android tablet of choice remains the Nexus 7 (2013) because it's a nice size for use at home, costs £200 and works beautifully. We do love the Note, but the high price will put some people off. Perhaps think of this as a laptop replacement - and it is good enough - and you might feel that it's worth the cost. Ultimately, you will decide if it's right for you, but we promise you'll love it as a tablet.

Pinterest more popular than email for sharing content online

Sometimes, the tech startup world can make your brain hurt. This tends to happen, for instance, when a website where people share pictures of their favourite hairstyles, cars, and historical moments is valued at nearly $4 billion (£2.4 billion).

But this particular site, Pinterest, has become a potent force on the internet. According to a new study, it's now one of the primary ways that people share stuff online. It even tops email.

The study comes from ShareThis, makers of a ubiquitous website widget that lets you share stuff in myriad ways. The company found that in the fourth quarter of 2013, Pinterest raced past email to become the third-most popular way to share online. It was topped only by Facebook and Twitter.

"In a sign of how quickly social media has changed the digital landscape, consumers are now 'pinning' things like articles, photos and recipes to share with their friends more often than emailing links," wrote Kurt Abrahamson of ShareThis in a blog post.

Facebook remained the most popular way to share, according to ShareThis. But Pinterest's sharing stats are growing the fastest. Its popularity took a 58 percent leap, while Facebook came in just behind at 57 percent. LinkedIn's growth was 40 percent, while Twitter topped out at 15 percent. Use of email, meanwhile, declined by 11 percent.

ShareThis says that the rise of Pinterest was driven in large part by women, a trend also identified by a recent Pew survey, and by users in the Midwest. The West Coast leaned toward Facebook and Google+, while the Northeast preferred Twitter and LinkedIn.

Giving advertisers exactly what they want
Given Pinterest's apparently massive popularity, it's hard to imagine the company will have difficulty getting advertisers on board, especially because its users are so eager to share their consumer preferences.

On Facebook, you're more likely to share pictures of your kids than the next pair of shoes you want to buy. On Twitter, you're probably linking to Justin Bieber's mug shot. But Pinterest is perfectly tailored for aspirational consumerism. "I covet this" is the subtext of innumerable pins. For advertisers seeking to target a relevant audience, it looks like a pretty efficient way of spending their dollars.

The question is how Pinterest users will react to seeing ads among their pins. As with Twitter before Promoted Tweets or Facebook before Sponsored Stories, Pinterest feeds enjoy a certain commercial-free purity, even though much of what people share and see through the site amounts to free advertising for whatever is being pinned.

Pinterest must design its ad streams carefully to avoid alienating its users. So far, its design instincts have been spot on, judging from the figures from ShareThis. If it can extend this to ads, that $4 billion valuation won't make our heads hurt quite so much.

This story originally appeared on Wired.com

Pages

Thursday, 30 January 2014

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Monday, 27 January 2014