Microsoft is pretty well known for its “Scroogled” campaign which pokes at Google’s potential privacy concerns. In the latest ‘leaked’ video Microsoft even directly parodied Google’s own commercials to show how Google allegedly tracks you everywhere (video posted below).

The big question is, how innocent is Microsoft here? According to Ars Technica and security researcher Ashkan Soltani, they are possibly guilty of similar privacy concerns with Skype. Apparently Skype messages are sent through a server before reaching the person you are talking to – in other words, they could potentially be read or scanned by Microsoft.

We can’t say for sure if Microsoft is really scanning/reading messages or if they are, whether it is just for security (checking for links with malware, etc) – but accoring to Professor Matt Green at John Hopkins the problem is about perception.

“The problem right now is that there’s a mismatch between the privacy people expect and what Microsoft is actually delivering. Even if Microsoft is only scanning links for ‘good’ purposes, say detecting malicious URLs, this indicates that they can intercept some of your text messages. And that means they could potentially intercept a lot more of them.”

The idea is that Microsoft should be clearer of their own privacy policies, though again we can’t confirm or deny that Microsoft really is scanning/reading said messages.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of being spied on through the net, but I’ve come to realize that privacy online is more of an illusion than anything and I wouldn’t put it past any company to ‘spy’ on our messages, emails, and browsing history – at the very least to serve us ads.

What do you think, would it surprise you if Microsoft is scanning Skype messages? Does it concern you? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Samsung’s next big thing is here. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is now official, and it certainly looks quite impressive.

The new handset features a 5-inch full HD AMOLED display, a 1.6GHz octo-core Exynos 5 processor 2GB of RAM and a 13MP rear cam. There is also a 2MP front cam, Wi-Fi, LTE, an IR blaster, NFC, microSD, a removable 2600 mAh battery and Andriod 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box – though obviously it still rocking the TouchWiz UI on-top.

If you were hoping that Samsung would finally move away from plastic, no such luck. While the S4 looks quite attractive, it’s plasticky build isn’t too terribly different from the S3 in many ways, though it is thinner at 7.9mm.

Outside of the hardware, Samsung has plenty of software tricks up its sleeves as well such as a new S-Translator, which isn’t that different from Google Translate. There is as an updated camera software present with features like picture-in-picture mode, dual shots and dual recording and more. As expected, there is also eye recognition present in the Galaxy S4. This means that you can scroll through webpages with your eyes, pause video by simply looking away from the screen, and more. There is also hovering abilities with the S4.

Like the HTC One, the IR Blaster means that your phone also doubles as a custom TV remote. Additionally it features built-in pedometer that is paired with the S-Health app that allows for counting of steps, calories and other fitness related information. Taking a page from the Lumia 920′s book, you can even operate the Samsung Galaxy S4 when wearing gloves.

Is there more? Of course there is! The Galaxy S4 also has hands-free access for calls, messages, music, maps and a voice that reads out information to you.

As the story is still developing, we probably missed a few features, but these are some of the biggies. When is the Galaxy S4 coming? The phone is expected to arrive on April 26th in white forst and black mist color configurations. What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S4, impressed or not?

The post Samsung Galaxy S4 Gets Official appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Google has their fingers in many pies, but there might be just enough room for one more in form of physical retail stores. Rumors originally appeared on Friday over at 9to5Google, and were later corroborated by a report on the Wall Street Journal.

Both stories cite unnamed sources, but with varying time frames, 9to5Google says we could see Google stores by the end of the year while the WSJ suggest they are some ways off.

The high street looks to us as the perfect place for Google to expand in to as they have already taken over most web users browsing, search and email experience, Android TV’s are invading the living-room and most phone users carry an Android device in their pocket.

Now all we need is a place to spend our money from Google wallet, via our NFC equipped Nexus device to be driven home by a Google self drive car! What do you think, should Google get into the “store front” business like Apple and Microsoft?

[ Source ]

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Here we go again. Despite denials from Apple that there is no plan for a cheaper iPhone, the rumors are alive and well it seems. The latest word comes from Topeka Captial that says they are now confident that such a device is coming as early as June of this year.

“In late December, our research uncovered iPhones in different screen sizes for potential launch in May/June, allowing Apple to better bifurcate the market and pave the way for a lower-priced iPhone,” said analyst Brian White to clients in a research note earlier today.

The analyst also went on to say that it will happen no earlier than June and could arrive under names like the “iPhone Mini” or “iPhone Air” due to the lighter weight of the devices due to the use of plastic enclosures. Additionally White indicates that the phone would be priced around $250-$300 dollars, or about 58% of the $649 price point of an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5.

“A $250-$300 price range would also be competitive with China-based Xiaomi that offers a high-end phone experience at a mid- range price of ~$320 in Chinas.” In other words, it would give them a better window into the Chinese market.

The analysts believes that this lower-cost iPhone would be their key to making further headway into countries like China, Russia, Brazil and India– which are all huge potential markets with tons of room for growth.

Is there any chance that a cheaper iPhone is in the works? Anything is possible, and Apple has denied products many times in the past, only to turn around and release them. If such a product ever does surface, I have a feeling it might not show up in markets like the United States unless Apple feels it would help steal sales away from Android.

What do you think, any chance that Apple really could be considering a plastic-encased smartphone to give it an edge in the low-end market?

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The post Cheaper iPhone Coming in June, Claims Analyst at Topeka Capital appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The iPhone 5 hasn’t been out very long, but that’s not stopping rumors of the so-called iPhone 5S. Now it seems that a new set of leaked images have hit the net this morning, claiming to be the first shots of the next iPhone.

The images originally leaked courtesy of iPhone5parts.net, and shows a design that is very similar to the iPhone 5, but has a few parts of the housing slightly tweaked, such as screw placement. The model number and FCC ID have also been replaced with placeholder info, suggesting a prototype.

Rumors currently suggest production for the iPhone 5S will begin in December, with a summer 2013 debut. With that in mind, these have a chance of being the real deal.

What do you think, is this the real deal or not? Are you excited about the Apple iPhone 5S or not really that interested?

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The post Alleged Apple iPhone 5S Images Have Now Leaked to the Net appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

T-Mobile is at it again. It might not have been able to sell itself to AT&T, but that isn’t stopping it from a merger of a different color: it seems that MetroPCS and T-Mobile are coming together. The parent company of T-MObile, Duetsche Telekom, is currently in talks over the matter.

The deal has already been given the blessing by both company’s boards. Being bigger than MetroPCS, you’d think this would be a standard merger. Nope, MetroPCS will be the one taking over T-Mobile USA in this reverse merger deal. Not really that surprising though, considering Duetsche Telekom’s past attempts to get rid of T-Mobile USA.

The deal has been officially confirmed, but keep in mind that things happen. AT&T’s purchase seemed like it was a go but then at last minute it fell through because it couldn’t get government approval. This is a big change and will see MetroPCS raising itself up to become one of the biggest carriers in the states. It’s hard to say how exactly this would affect current customers of either network.

What do you think of the merger? Are you a current T-Mobile customer? If so, does the idea of MetroPCS taking over bother you or not?

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The iPod Touch has quickly fallen behind its brother, the iPhone, in recent years. Today is changing all of that- sort of. Sure, the new iPod Touch isn’t quite as powerful as the newly announced iPhone 5, but it’s close.

The iPod Touch 5th-gen will have the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5, for starters. The power behind the devices is a bit different though, with the iPhone 5 getting the new A6 chip, while the Touch merely gets an upgrade to the dual-core world with an A5. This isn’t as good, but it’s still 7x the power of the last-gen iPod Touch.

Other features include 40 hours of music playback, 8 hours of video, a rear cam that’s 5MP, a 720p shooting front cam, image stabilizers built in and the inclusion of Siri. That’s right, everyone’s favorite digital assistant is making its way over to the iPod Touch.

The newest member of the iPod Touch family will have a 32GB model for $299 and a 64GB version for $399. It will sell in five colors: raw aluminum, black, blue yellow and red. Not surprisingly, last gen offerings will stick around for a while at reduced prices. The 16GB 4th-gen touch will set you back $199 and $249 for the 32GB model.

What do you think? Interested in the 5th-gen Touch or not?

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The era of 3D printing has firmly launched, but there are still some setbacks to using 3D printer technology, namely they aren’t exactly portable. While most 3D printers must be disassembled in order to be moved, two MIT students have come up with a new solution that fits easily in a small suitcase, the PopFab. Ilan Moyer and Nadya Peek developed the PopFab as a machine that could do all 3D editing while folding out from a metal briefcase easily and relatively quickly. Once folded out you simply need to attach the printing head to the fold-out arm, put in printing material and connect a computer to send the design.

The video below is one of what is proposed to be several ‘episodes’ that show off what the PopFab is capable of doing using different heads and attachments. Theoretically the PopFab could be used as a portable solution for vinyl cutting, drawing, milling, object creation and much more. The creators have even tested its traveling abilities by carrying it on aboard flights within the US, Saudi Arabia and Germany. The PopFab is a very interesting device at this stage and could have tons of potential. 3D printing itself has tons of uses, but adding the element of portability takes these uses even further.

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The post MIT Students Create 3D Printer that fits in a Suitcase appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

A trip on the road at supersonic speed spanning across five continents and four seasons.

Official video for “Chemin Vert” of electronic musician A Ghost Train. The video was made using panoramic frames from Google Street View from different parts of the world mapped as stereographic projections.

This electronic musician put together its official video for “Chemin Vert” using  panoramic frames from Google Street View from different parts of the world. Honestly, as quickly as the pictures fly by- it’s a little trippy. That’s just my opinion though. Either way, it’s a pretty cool video that’s worth taking a look at.

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The post Unique Music Video Covers Five Continents, Four Seasons Using Google Street View appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Most devices these days sure use smaller (and slower) SD Card technology, but high-end DSLR cameras from Canon, Nikon, and Sony still keep CompactFlash alive for performance and capacity reasons. The new XQD format as a variation of CompactFlash and follows in the same direction, trying to keep ahead of SD by borrowing the PCI Express (PCIe) high-speed serial communications link interface from computers. Using the PCIe interface, Sony’s XQD memory cards are capable of achieving a stable, continuous, fast shooting and recording of very large RAW images as well as deliver blazing fast data transfer rates of up to 1Gbps. This translates into about 125MB/s, write and read. Sony believes this could support 100 FPS RAW image captures.  Nowhere near the military’s 1.8 Gigapixel imaging system at 10FPS, but hey, we’re not the military are we?

To make sure you are well equipped right from the get go, Sony has also introduced a USB 2.0/3.0 compatible XQD card reader, a $44.99 MRW-E80 card reader model that plugs in with USB 3.0. Then, there’s also a $44.99 QDA-EX1 adapter that plugs into laptops with ExpressCard slot.

Pricing for XQD cards are QDH16 ($129 USD) and QDH32 ($229 USD). XQD will be able to exceed 2 terabytes capacity eventually, according to the the CompactFlash Association, which developed the format.

XQD will also be able to exceed 2 terabytes capacity eventually, according to the the CompactFlash Association, which developed the format. Second and third generation versions of PCIe double and quadruple transfer speeds to 250 MBps and 500 MBps. The initial cards will use the first generation interface, but PCIe provides for backward compatibility so that newer devices will be able to use older XQD cards.

[Sony]

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