Intel’s New Haswell Desktop CPUs Could Arrive in May, Allowing for iMac Updates
Intel may release an update to its desktop Haswell processors in May, according to a report in TechPowerUp that cites Hermitage Akihabara as its source. The report claims Intel will launch its new processors, including its flagship Core i7-4790K, on May 10th in most markets. These next generation Haswell chips will include Intel’s Z97 chipset, which provides support for faster and larger M.2 SATA Express drives.
The new Haswell desktop processors will offer a 100 MHz bump in clock speeds and will be a direct successor to most of the chips currently used in the iMac, with the exception of the low-end 21.5-inch iMac, which uses a special i5-4570R chip enhanced with Intel’s Iris 5200 integrated graphics. Intel may have a compatible replacement processor under development, but leaked information has not yet revealed this corresponding model.
These chips may lay the groundwork for an iMac refresh that Apple is planning in 2014. Apple allegedly has a low-priced iMac model in the works, claims KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a research note published this week. This less expensive model may be Apple’s first major product launch in 2014 and could boost iMac shipments by up to 30 percent.
Our surveys indicate that Apple’s last iMac model, released at end-2012 with an all-new-design, shipped fewer-than-expected units in the worldwide market. We think the price was set too high and the model failed to make an impact in critical foreign markets like China. We thus think Apple may offer a budget iMac model to push shipments among non-US markets in the face of solid competition from Levono (CN), HP (US) and other rivals.
Though Intel’s desktop processors may be slated for a refresh as early as next month, the timing for the release of the mobile processors used in Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are not yet known. The latest information leaked earlier this year by VR-Zone suggests low-end models of Intel’s next-generation Broadwell processor may debut in Q3 2014, with the roadmap for high-end processors compatible with Apple’s MacBook line still up in the air.
Speed bumped versions of the current Haswell chips in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro may appear at the end of 2014, but that release date still is uncertain at this point and would only provide a small upgrade heading into Broadwell next year. 
T-Mobile Targets Tablets: LTE Models for Price of Wi-Fi, Bonus Free Data Through 2014
T-Mobile US, which has been shaking up the cellular industry in the United States with a series of promotions and policy changes, today made several announcements intended to attract tablet customers to the carrier. There are two key pieces to the initiative:
– LTE tablets for the price of Wi-Fi: Under Apple’s standard pricing, LTE iPad models are priced $130 higher than their Wi-Fi equivalents, but T-Mobile’s limited time promotion will allow customers to purchase an LTE iPad from the carrier at Wi-Fi pricing.
If you’re stuck on Wi-Fi, you can now come to T-Mobile and upgrade to a 4G LTE-enabled model for nothing down and pay no more than you’d pay for the cheaper Wi-Fi-only model, with any postpaid activation on a 1GB or more mobile internet plan with no annual service contract. For example, pay the Wi-Fi price of $499 instead of $630 for the 4G LTE-enabled 16GB iPad Air.
24-month interest-free financing with zero money down is also available for qualified customers.
– Bonus 1GB of free data per month through 2014: T-Mobile already offers a free 200 MB data package for tablet owners, and with today’s announcement, T-Mobile voice customers can receive an additional 1 GB of free data per month through the end of the year.
And, for both new and existing customers, T-Mobile is offering $10 off its most popular internet data plans starting April 12th through the end of 2014. For voice customers, what that means is you can get up to 1GB of 4G LTE data free every month through the end of the year. Combined with the 200 MB of free data you already automatically get every month with T-Mobile’s previously announced “Free Data for Life” offer that comes to nearly 1.2GB of free 4G LTE data every month through the end of 2014. If you love living beyond the Wi-Fi zone – and want to keep enjoying that tablet freedom beyond 2014 – you can get it starting at just $10 a month with voice service next year.
T-Mobile also continues to offer its ETF buyouts, allowing customers stuck on service contracts with another carrier to trade-in their devices and receive credits for the termination fees paid to the other carrier.
Find which apps are using the most permissions with F-Secure App Permissions [App of the Day]
Just about every time you install a new app, there is a page of permissions that you “should” read. If you’re like some of us, you find yourself clicking OK and just skipping through it. But what if you skip over something important? App Permissions is here to help with your application permission needs.
Once the app is installed, you’ll see a few different columns with helpful information like which apps can cost you money, impact battery, and see your personal information. Click on an application, and tap View Permissions. It will show a giant list of permissions that the app requires to be installed on your device. If you’re in a certain category, the permission that put it in its category will be highlighted in pink.
For instance, why would Hangouts be able to read my personal information? It can read contacts, read SMS messages, and store account information, all highlighted in pink. It’s super helpful, especially if you’re unsure of which permission does what.
You can filter applications by the number of permissions, or by category. You can even jump right into the Application Settings page or uninstall right from inside the app.
It offers a simple, clean interface, and should be installed by anyone who is concerned about their security. Check out App Permissions in the Play Store!
The post Find which apps are using the most permissions with F-Secure App Permissions [App of the Day] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile’s Operation Tablet Freedom: 4G LTE tablets for same price as Wi-Fi models (plus free data!)
T-Mobile on Thursday outlined its second Un-carrier move in as many days. Starting on April 12 and running through the rest of the year, customers can add a 4G LTE version of a tablet for the same price as the Wi-Fi-only version. Yeah, for real. Saving customers hundreds of dollars on the front end, it gets even better.
As they, and we, see it, what’s the point of a tablet if you’re stuck to using it in Wi-Fi locations? You’re putting hundreds of dollars into a device, shouldn’t you be able to take it everywhere? Why not enjoy a little bit of free data while you’re at it?
Operation Tablet Freedom:
- Up to 1GB FREE 4G LTE data per month through 2014
- PLUS up to 200 MB FREE monthly 4G LTE data for as long as you own your tablet
- Existing T-Mobile voice plan customers: Get our 1GB plan FREE after a $10 credit
As if that’s enough, T-Mobile is shaving $10 off its most popular internet data plans as well. Indeed, you get up to 1GB of 4G LTE data every month through the end of the year. Toss in the 200MB data that comes with every tablet and that’s a lot of free data.
And, yes, everything else stays in play, including JUMP! and credits for early termination fees.
Note that is this a limited time offer and customers can only add up to 3 tablets per account. Qualifying postpaid voice and mobile Internet service required for free 1GB of data.
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Free camera app turns extra 4K pixels into pristine HD video
The incoming Panasonic GH4 has broken new ground with 4K, high-bit-rate video for a mere $1,700, but if you want more than 8-bits? It’s doable, but only if you also budget for a pricey external recorder. Fortunately, hacker Thomas Worth has just released a simple Mac command-line program that’ll let you do a neat trick with GH4 files: convert the 4K, 16-million color video to 10-bit HD with a billion hues. It works using pixel summing, in which the extra 4K pixels are used to fill in missing color information, resulting in true, 10-bit DPX files in HD. As shown after the break, the result is a sharper image, smoother color gradients, easier grading and less loss in detail during image processing. The only downside is much larger 17.7MB images, but the last time we checked, hard drives are pretty cheap.
[Image credit: Nick Driftwood]
Filed under: Cameras
Via: 43 Rumors
Source: EOS HD forums
Inside Samsung’s new London ‘Experience’ store
A few minutes walk from the hub of Oxford Circus, Samsung’s new Experience store in the heart of London is nothing if not underwhelming on approach. Tucked away under scaffolding and hoarding, and flanked by roadworks on one side and Clarks on the other, it wasn’t quite what we expected from what’s presumably regarded as Samsung’s new flagship retail location. Inside, however, the Carphone Warehouse-run store is pretty much how you’d imagine it — a roomy, if not sparse space with a number of white tables for displaying tablets, phones and other hardware. Mid-morning footfall was light, which the few staff on duty likely appreciated. Nevertheless, they appeared to have impressive product knowledge, and yet whatever character they added to the place, it still felt somewhat sterile. At least they have a seating area for disinterested and weary shopping companions, though.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Samsung
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is trickier to repair than its ancestor
An easily expandable phone isn’t always an easily repairable phone. If you need proof, take a look at iFixit’s newly completed teardown of the Galaxy S5. While Samsung’s latest flagship gets some kudos for its removable battery and microSD slot, it’s considerably tougher to take apart than its GS4 predecessor. You now have to remove the display if you want to replace any of the internals, and the removal process is especially tricky; part replacements are only easy once you’re past this daunting hurdle. There aren’t any surprises under the hood, although it’s worth noting that Samsung is using a Maxim heart rate sensor chip and a Synaptics fingerprint reader. From all indications, the GS5 is still easier to fix than some phones we know — it’s just not the walk in the park that we saw last year.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Source: iFixit
A new Google Calendar for Android could be on the cards, with new UI and social Integration
The Google Calendar for Android app is one that’s seen quite a few integrations, and it looks like it could be in for one more big change in the near future. According to some leaked screenshots, Google may be currently testing a new version of the Calendar app that incorporates a new, minimalistic user interface as well as some very useful Google+ integration. It’s definitely a less cluttered approach, and much less colourful than some of Google’s other core apps. All the same, it’s a nice change of pace for a calendar app that currently doesn’t really offer anything that other apps don’t already.
Some of the features that have been spotted in the screenshots include a daily agenda screen which summarizes all the day’s events including birthday information courtesy of Google+; upcoming birthdays can also be viewed in a separate calendar. Although the app in the screenshots looks ready for everyday consumption, there’s no telling if Google is going to release this any time soon, if ever, but we can always hope.
What do you think about the leaked screenshots of the Google Calendar for Android? Let us know what your opinion is in the comments.
Source: Geek.com via TalkAndroid
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Phonejoy game controller shipping to Kickstarters, here’s our review
With all the games that are available on mobile devices, many gamers are relying on virtual touchpads and buttons to control the games and they can often be inaccurate. Here’s where the world’s first expandable game controller by Phonejoy comes into play, and with the device now shipping to Kickstarter backers, the guys over at Phonejoy kindly sent us a review unit to check out.
Securing nearly $70,000 on Kickstarter in January 2013, Phonejoy had aimed to begin shipping their devices, but various hardware issues had delayed the launch slightly. However, Phonejoy managed to overcome the obstacles in their way and are now shipping to early bird backers on Kickstarter.
We were excited to get ours, so check out our review below.
Design
The Phonejoy game controller resides around a collapsable design, and that’s what makes it so unique. A spring-loaded system contracts the game controller to a third of its size, enabling the controller to be extremely portable. To put it into perspective, the Phonejoy game controller is no bigger than a regular sized wallet.
- Height: 87 mm
- Width (Open): 255 mm
- Width (Closed): 102 mm
- Slider Width Extended: 153 mm
- Weight: 180 g
The controller itself has all the buttons you’d expect to see on a controller. There is the standard axis directional buttons, together with two analog sticks. There is also action buttons on the front and top of the controller, which make it looks akin to a PSP offering a sense of familiarity.
The Phonejoy game controller feels very solid and well made, and the spring mechanism is very firm to ensure it not only contracts to a minimised state, but also holds the device in place securely. There are conjoining lips on the controller which give a suitably snug fit to your device when it is ‘plugged in’, meaning you can be confident that when you’re vigorously gaming that your device isn’t going to just fall out. Phonejoy claim that you can get up to 8 hours of play time per charge and it wasn’t far off that figure.
Functionality
The most important aspect around something like this isn’t whether it looks nice, it’s how the game controller performs. The Phonejoy game controller functions as good as it looks, with games seemingly so much more enjoyable with a physical controller to hand. Through the help of Phonejoy’s store which showcases the best compatible games for your device, you’ll be enjoying pocket-sized console gaming in no time.
Phonejoy’s game controller was extremely comfortable to use, and since having it I have found myself playing a lot more games on my mobile device, simply because it is a lot more enjoyable and comfortable.
Priced at $69.90 or £59.90, orders are now being taken for the Phonejoy game controller at http://getphonejoy.com and will be available through major online retailers such as Amazon, eBay, and Newegg.
The post Phonejoy game controller shipping to Kickstarters, here’s our review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Play Music now playing in SONOS
Well, that just about seals it for me. Google Play Music is now available in SONOS, meaning you can stream your entire library of uploaded music to your various connected speakers.
As one of the only holes I could see in the SONOS experience, the inability to play the tracks in My Library has been a pain point for nearly a year. I pay for the Google Play Music All Access plan and have added scores of individual tracks, albums, radio stations, and more over the last months. But, as much as I love my growing collection, I’ve not been able to pipe it throughout my house. And, as much as I love SONOS, I’ve always held out hope that it would one day let me add my music.
Just as I had hoped, you can pull up music by songs, albums, genres, and artists. What’s more, you can even pull up the “I’m feeling luck radio” and explore options. It’s all there.
You might not see the Google Play Music feature in the official app, but it’s in the beta version. Check back later today
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some more uploading to do.
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