Microsoft considered developing Surface phones

According to reports, the software maker developed several phone prototypes due to fears that Nokia may be unable to deliver attractive smartphones, or that it would dump the OS for rival Android.
The plan to produce Surface phones was retired after it became apparent that Nokia’s Lumia range would meet Microsoft’s expectations.
The Verge reports that Microsoft was concerned that should Nokia fail to deliver on its promises – or switch sides – that Windows Phone would be left dead in the water.
Read more: Nokia considered making Android-based Lumias
The company had courted other major phone makers, but had failed to pull them away from Android. HTC, LG and Samsung all made Windows Phone devices, but chose to focus resources on Android.
The report surfaced on the same day that it was claimed Nokia experimented with Android throughout its partnership with Microsoft.
According to the New York Times, the Finnish company tested porting Google’s mobile OS onto its existing Lumia range. It is reported to have said doing so was not “herculean”.

BlackBerry Z30 set to launch within the week

Reports emerged over the weekend that BlackBerry is planning to launch its next smartphone before the end of this week. A US launch is expected to follow between two to three weeks after.
There is currently no word on a UK launch.
According to Pocket-Lint, BlackBerry will be holding events in France, Malaysia and India on Wednesday September 18th.
Read more: BlackBerry Z30 images leaked
Details about the BlackBerry Z30 first emerged in July. Leaks over the summer revealed that the handset will come with a five-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 by 768 pixels.
They also claim that the Z30 will be powered by a 1.7-GHz dual-core processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, Qi wireless charging and an eight megapixel camera.
BlackBerry has refused to comment on the speculation

Apple lunches iphone 5c

 

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 5S on stage at an exclusive launch event in Cupertino tonight. The new iPhone will take over from the iPhone 5 as Apple's flagship handset and continues the "S" trend started with the iPhone 3GS in 2009.

Many of the rumours proved true, with the iPhone 5S sporting a fingerprint scanner built into the now-circular home button, as well as an improved Apple A7 processor.

The fingerprint scanner, called Touch ID by Apple, can be used instead of the traditional passcode to unlock the phone or purchase apps from the App Store.

"Built into the home button, Touch ID uses a laser cut sapphire crystal, together with the capacitive touch sensor, to take a high-resolution image of your fingerprint and intelligently analyze it to provide accurate readings from any angle," says Apple's press literature.

The fingerprint scan is stored inside the CPU on the iPhone 5S and never uploaded to Apple's servers or sent to iCloud.

According to Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, the iPhone 5S is: "The most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand."

That's because the 5S will launch with iOS 7 but, unlike the iPhone 5C, will be running it on a 64-bit chip architecture courtesy of the new A7 processor.

It's the first time a smartphone has used a 64-bit chip and the result is a 40x CPU performance bump and a 56x improvement in the graphics department over the iPhone 5. As if to prove this last point, a demo of Infinity Blade III was shown off at the event.

As with previous "S" models, the chassis hasn't changed from the iPhone 5, although Apple will now be offering a gold option alongside the slate and silver designs.

Made of high-grade aluminium, this is the premium answer to the polycarbonate casing of the also-announced iPhone 5C.

Apple was also keen to play up the capabilities of the iPhone 5S' 8MP rear-facing iSight camera. Using a larger f/2.2 aperture and a larger internal sensor for better low-light performance, Apple can also boast faster auto focus, faster photo capture as well as image and video stabilisation.

Cupertino has also loaded in a few well-known photography features such as Burst Mode and Slo-Mo at 120fps with iOS 7 automatically scanning the images and presenting you with the best one.

The rumoured dual-LED flash also proved true with iPhone 5S able to use either a cool, white flash or a warm, amber one depending on the type of shot you're taking.

No mention was made of the much-rumoured NFC connectivity during Apple's event this evening, but the company did reveal both pricing and release date information.

iPhone 5S, 5C and iOS 7 Announcements Coming Today at Apple's Campus

After months of rumors and speculation, Apple is set to announce today its next iPhone or iPhones – the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. Starting at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, Apple's CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage at Apple's campus in Cupertino, Calif., and detail the new features of the phones as well as announce the release date of iOS 7, the next version of the iPhone and iPad software.

Thanks to months of leaked images and rumors (which we gathered together here) we have an idea of what Cook and his team might just reveal.

The iPhone 5S is going to be a lot like the other S versions of the phone (iPhone 3GS, 4S) -- similar to the iPhone 5 but with some new tweaks. The biggest addition is said to be a fingerprint sensor in the home button of the phone. The sensor would allow users to quickly sign into the phone without having to put in a PIN or password. Other than that, the phone is said to look very similar to the iPhone 5, though it is said to come in a new champagne or gold color. A faster processor and improved camera flash are said to also be added to the 5S.

Follow ABC News' iPhone 5S Live Blog Here, Starting at 1 P.M. ET.

Expected to join the 5S is a cheaper, plastic version of the iPhone -- the iPhone 5C. According to the numerous leaked images, the phone will come in a selection of colors -- thus the "C" -- including pink, white, blue and green. The phone will be cheaper than the 5S and could replace the iPhone 5 or 4S. Apple usually drops the price on its older models when newer ones are introduced.

When it comes to the software, the new iPhones will run Apple's iOS 7, which the company detailed in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference. iOS 7 is the biggest change the software has seen since the original iPhone was introduced in 2007. It has an entirely new design, including revamped icons and animations, and a host of new features, including a new Command Center for easy access to settings, a new multitasking view and revamped Camera, Mail and Calendar apps.

According to ABC News' sources, the iPhone 5S and 5C will go on sale at Apple Stores on Friday, Sept. 20. The iOS 7 software will likely be released around the same time and will be available for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 via a download.

Sony Xperia Z1

Sony's swelling its Xperia ranks with the Sony Xperia Z1. It joins the Sony Xperia Z and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. With a 20.7-megapixel camera and some nifty snapping features, it's got the tech to take on the best camera smartphones out there - including the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Nokia Lumia 1020, but how will it fair? Sony Xperia Z1: Size and Build The Sony Xperia Z1 is thin and Sony has added a touch of aluminium to the bezel that gives it a more premium feel, compared to the Xperia Z. Buttons are kept to a minimum, you'll find an on/off button, dedicated camera button and a volume rocker. There's also a magnetic charging port and no need to worry if you tip this in the drink, it's waterproof to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes. Sony Xperia Z1: Features The stand out feature on the Sony Xperia Z1 is its camera.  On the rear there's a huge 20.7-megapixel back camera with an EXMOR R Cybershot sensor for low light conditions and a F2.0 wide angle 27mm Sony G lens.  During our short time with the snapper, the pics it took were easily some of the best we've taken on a smartphone. The lag was non-existent and the details and colours in the pictures were excellent, even in lower light conditions.   Added to the camera are some nifty features. TimeShift is an app that lets you take a picture at 61fps and then allows you to jog through them to pick the best one; InfoEye overlays information on an item you take a picture of; AR effect add dinosaurs or cartoons to your pics and finally Social Live live streams from the Z1 to Facebook. On the front you'll find a 2-megapixel camera offering that also serves-up HD video recording. Sony Xperia Z1: Screen The screen on the Xperia Z1 remains at 5 inches, like the Xperia Z before it, but the tech inside the screen has been updated. As with the camera using EXMOR tech, the screen ports over BRAVIA tech. The result is a pin-sharp screen whether it's watching a video or browsing the web. Sony Xperia Z1: Performance Keeping that camera and the phone ticking along is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800-series processor with 2GB of RAM. It's lightning fast and multitasking was a breeze. Sony Xperia Z1: Verdict At first glance, the Sony Xperia Z1 is an impressive phone. The camera spec alone is enough to tempt a photography enthusiast. Add to that the nifty creative features, the speedy processor and the pin-sharp screen and it seems Sony has again served up a smartphone to look- out for and one that can take on the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and Nokia Lumia 1020

Sony reveals new slimmer Ps vita

In the lead up to the Tokyo Game Show, Sony has revealed a new version of the PS Vita that comes in different colours and features on-board storage. Like the PSP before it, Sony has also made the new console 20 per cent slimmer and 15 per cent lighter whilst increasing the battery by an extra hour. Interestingly, the company has also produced what it calls a PlayStation Vita TV. This is a new console that uses the same hardware as the Vita but plugs into your TV and can be operated using a Dual Shock 3 controller. Coming in at roughly $100 (£64), if the PlayStation Vita TV console is launched in the UK (Sony hasn't revealed yet if it will be sold outside of Japan) it would provide a cheaper alternative to the PS4 and bring the fight to budget-based Android consoles like Ouya. It will also arrive with a back catalogue of all the PSP and PSone games that Sony has loaded onto the PlayStation Network - around 1,300 games - although some PS Vita games may be unsupported due to their reliance on a touchscreen. The company has also said that a future update will allow the PlayStation Vita TV console to stream PS4 games from another room in the house. Like the PlayStation Vita TV console, the new PS Vita will arrive in Japan first, with an on-sale date of October 10 for 18,980 Yen (£120). Sony hasn't revealed when it will be bringing the new Vita to these shores, but given how fond we were of the first one, we hope it's sooner rather than later.

Adobe is launching the latest update forPhotoshop CC today. Besides numerous smaller feature additions, this new version adds a tool called “Adobe Generator” that is, among other things, deeply integrated with Edge Reflow, the company’s tools for creating responsive web designs. Using Generator, which is also available as an open source tool, designers can now easily take assets from Photoshop – and even complete websites they mocked up in Adobe’s flagship tool – and turn them into responsive sites. Any changes in Photoshop are automatically synced to Reflow in real-time.

Adobe product manager of digital imaging Stephen Nielson and senior product manager for Web Platform and Authoring Jacob Surber noted during a press event today that it’s still very common for designers to use Photoshop to mock up a site and then export these assets piece by piece to turn them into real websites. If anything changes, the whole process repeats itself.

With Generator, all the designers have to do is give the assets they want to export a new name that ends with a common image file format like .png or .jpg and the assets are automatically generated and saved for further use. Users can even add more complex commands into these filenames to create a larger version of the graphic or multiple versions, for example (this should come especially handy for sites that want to create multiple assets for use on low- and high-res displays). Every update in Photoshop is then automatically reflected in the file, too.

Adobe is launching the latest update forPhotoshop CC today. Besides numerous smaller feature additions, this new version adds a tool called “Adobe Generator” that is, among other things, deeply integrated with Edge Reflow, the company’s tools for creating responsive web designs. Using Generator, which is also available as an open source tool, designers can now easily take assets from Photoshop – and even complete websites they mocked up in Adobe’s flagship tool – and turn them into responsive sites. Any changes in Photoshop are automatically synced to Reflow in real-time.

Adobe product manager of digital imaging Stephen Nielson and senior product manager for Web Platform and Authoring Jacob Surber noted during a press event today that it’s still very common for designers to use Photoshop to mock up a site and then export these assets piece by piece to turn them into real websites. If anything changes, the whole process repeats itself.

With Generator, all the designers have to do is give the assets they want to export a new name that ends with a common image file format like .png or .jpg and the assets are automatically generated and saved for further use. Users can even add more complex commands into these filenames to create a larger version of the graphic or multiple versions, for example (this should come especially handy for sites that want to create multiple assets for use on low- and high-res displays). Every update in Photoshop is then automatically reflected in the file, too.