Month / October 2012

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

iTunes 11 release delayed by Apple until late November

After being announced alongside the iPhone 5 back in September, music fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of iTunes 11, which Apple said would fall at the end of this month. Now, amidst wholesale changes within the company resulting in the ousting of iOS SVP Scott Forstall and Jony Ive becoming head of Human Interface throughout the company, the company has confirmed that it is delaying the release of the latest version of the software until November.

Speaking to AllThingsD, spokesman Tom Neumayr stated:

“The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right. We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler and cleaner interface and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November.”

Sporting a completely redesigned interface from mini player to store, the updated version was seen as one of the highlights of Apple’s event. It is set to take design cues from iOS 6, and many users are hoping that Apple can use the delay to implement performance improvements and solve issues that have plagued the software for many years.

Source AllThingsD

by Neil Thomas

Google announces new Nexus lineup: Nexus 4, Nexus 10 and Android 4.2

We weren’t expecting any Nexus news today as hurricane Sandy pummels the East Coast, but the Verge has delivered with a full hands on and in depth look at Google’s new Nexus lineup – straight from Mountain View. Google has expanded on it’s preliminary Nexus 7 with the successor to the Galaxy Nexus (known as the Nexus 4), a new 10″ tablet called the Nexus 10 and all while introducing the next upgrade to their Android OS (4.2). At first glance, these devices seem really great, so let’s take a closer look.

Nexus 4

Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 is the fourth Nexus phone, the successor to the well-recieved Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus program is Google’s initiative to pick what it thinks to be the best Android phone on the market, modify it to their liking and load it up with stock Android goodness. This year they have picked the Optimus G, LG’s quad core beast of a phone. They’ve replaced the plastic for glass, added onscreen buttons, and made it a lot more like the Galaxy Nexus in terms of size and shape. Inside, there is a Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, a 2100mAh battery and a 1280×768 IPS LCD display at 320 pixels per inch. Pricing is £239 unlocked at 8GB and £279 at 16GB. As you can tell, these are some great prices!

Nexus 10

Nexus 10
The Nexus 10 is a new device for Google. While they have made the Nexus 7, this tablet is set to go face to face with the iPad. It does bring quite a set to the table though, with a  2560 x 1600 True RGB Real Stripe PMS display, Exynos 5 dual processor and 2GB of RAM. The tablet is said to be ‘grippy’ and has a vaguely curved design and brushed metal back. While the design is not to my liking, I’m sure others will like it. It also includes a huge 9000mAh battery. Pricing is £319 for 16GB and £389 for 32GB.

Android 4.2

Android 4.2 is more of an incremental upgrade, but it still brings some great new features to the table. Here is a quick rundown

Photo Sphere
Allows for panoramas that capture everything around you, not just a strip.

Gesture Typing
This is a new feature in the keyboard which is similar to Swype. It lets you glide your finger from letter to letter to spell out words.

Multiple User
This allows for multiple users to have accounts on a tablet – similar to different User Accounts on Windows

Daydream
This is basically just hyped up screensavers.

Miracast/Streaming
Basically a Google Airplay competitor

Widgets on the lockscreen
What the title says^

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Windows Phone 8 launch liveblog

At an event back in June, Microsoft offered a ‘sneak peek’ at some new features of Windows Phone 8, with the new start screen being the star of the show. While we weren’t told about devices, the past couple of months have given us announcement events from Samsung, Nokia and Microsoft’s new best friend HTC, but all parties have remained pretty silent when it comes to the full extent of Windows Phone 8’s new features. That’s all set to change today, as Microsoft is hosting an event in San Francisco to show off their new mobile operating system to the world – and we might even hear about Windows Phone 7.8 for existing customers too. We will be liveblogging the whole thing right here, so stick with us to find out what’s up Microsoft’s sleeve.

All times are in GMT
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16:37 Google’s just dumped a whole load of Nexus news. Bear with us as we filter through it.

16:45 If you want to watch along with us, Microsoft has a stream for you.

16:48 A little over 10 minutes to go now.

16:56 It’s almost time!

16:57 The pre-stream music is actually horrible.

17:01 The announcer kindly asks everyone to turn their devices to off or silent. Not very blogger-friendly.

17:02 Here’s a table of phones.

17:04 And we’re off! Joe Belfiore is talking about why he loves his Windows Phone.

17:05 Big cheers from the Windows Phone fans in the room.

17:05 He’s talking about the successes of Windows 8, Surface and the San Francisco Giants.

17:06 Before he talks about the product, he’s going to talk about what’s happened in the last few months.

17:07 191 countries can now access the WP Store.

17:08 120,000 apps already available for 7.x devices.

17:09 Belfiore’s taking jabs at the iPhone 5’s ‘revolutionary’ fifth row of icons.

17:10 After recapping the core inspirations of WP, a video has come on soundtracked by Jonsi’s wonderful Go Do, showing off the individuality and stuff.

17:13 Let’s talk about live tiles.

17:14 Apps ‘light up the phone’. Live apps can integrate into the wallet and other hubs in WP8.

17:15 There is a new lock screen powered by ‘live apps’.

17:15 Photos, notifications and other stuff can appear.

17:16 Microsoft have partnered with Facebook to make an app that supports the lockscreen, showing various photos from your past.

17:17 Text on the lockscreen can also be customised.

17:18 New apps include Twitter, Draw Something, ESPN, Angry Birds Space and Groupon.

17:18 A new version of Skype is the highlight, based on the fantastic Windows 8 app.

17:18 It is integrated naturally into the phone experience and will run in the background.

17:19 Soon Windows Phone will have 92% of the top mobile apps, including Temple Run and Urbanspoon.

17:20 Lots of Unity games will be arriving with the new native code support.

17:21 Pandora is coming with a year of complimentary ad-free music.

17:22 SDK stuff coming tomorrow at /build.

17:23 The Data Sense feature keeps you under your data limits.

17:24 IE10 compresses sites to use less data.

17:25 Data Sense can track down WiFi hotspots on a map.

17:26 As you approach your limits, it changes how the phone behaves with data.

17:27 45% more web browsing on the same data plan with Data Sense.

17:28 The first carrier to support Data Sense will be Verizon with the Lumia 822 and HTC 8X.

17:29 Belfiore’s moving onto ‘child mode’.

17:29 We have a video of children pleading to play on a phone.

17:30 “Kid’s Corner essentially creates a separate place on your phone that’s for kids…All things that you pick is for them.”

17:30 Here are Joe’s children to demonsterate.

17:31 Alexander, 9, is going to play Battleships.

17:32 One of his children just called him ‘mommy’. Awkward.

17:33 This demo isn’t going too well.

17:34 If you don’t have kids, you can just disable the feature.

17:35 Now there’s an advert for it featuring Jessica Alba.

17:36 And here is Jessica Alba. Rapturous applause for her.

17:37 Twitter has just erupted with techies talking about Jessica Alba. This is unusual.

17:38 Apparently her daughter once tweeted to 4 million people. Kid’s Corner stops that.

17:39 She’s now talking about what she loves about Windows Phone. It’s the same-old personal stuff.

17:41 Now Jessica’s talking about her new company – The Honest Company.

17:43 The people hub now has a feature called Rooms.

17:44 They seem similar to groups.

https://twitter.com/jrvolpe/status/262973182489817089

17:46 You can share Rooms with iPhone users, including calendars and such.

17:47 On a related note, the Lumia 920 will be in UK stores on November 2nd, with the 820 coming 5 days later.

17:48 Now Joe is talking about SkyDrive stuff.

17:52 Xbox Music will also be available on Windows Phone 8.

17:52 Playlists and song choices sync across the cloud.

17:53 All of your content is with you wherever you are.

17:54 Joe’s walking off now, but Ballmer is in a new advert.

17:55 BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLMER!

17:55 He’s talking about the successes of the weekend again.

17:56 “We’re bringing phones into the family with Windows Phone 8.”

17:56 “We set out to reinvent the smartphone…that could be personal for each of us.”

17:58 Steve is talking about personalisation and the connection to Windows 8.

18:00 He said developers. Get ready

18:00 Now he’s talking about the killer hardware, starting with the Nokia Lumia 920.

18:01 Next is the Samsung Ativ S.

18:02 And now the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, Microsoft’s flagship.

18:03 All three and more will go on sale in Europe this weekend, while in the US phones will follow soon after.

18:04 Verizon will carry the 8X ($199), Lumia 822 ($49) and Ativ Odyssey (exclusive in December).

18:05 T-Mobile will have the Lumia 810 ($99) and 8X ($149).

18:06 AT&T will have the 8X, Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 exclusively. Pricing is to be confirmed.

18:07 Microsoft stores will sell all US phones in November.

18:07 “You won’t be able to turn on the TV or open a magazine without seeing a Windows ad.”

18:08 “Windows Phone is the best phone for Windows.”

18:10 Jessica, Joe and Steve are out to wrap things up. Also the stream has died.

18:10 And that’s all folks. We’ll be off to get some hands-on time this weekend, and (hopefully) bring you some news on how Microsoft plans to treat its existing customers.

18:11 See you next time! Thanks for joining us.

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Craigslist user creates hilarious infographic to sell his Galaxy Note

A Craigslist user from Toronto has a Galaxy Note that he wants to sell, and in order to stand out from the crowd he has created a hilarious (and Note-sized) infographic. While some of the language used is a little strong, the ad appears effective and confidently conveys the size of the phone that single-handedly launched the phablet market.

Interested? The phone’s still for sale, so head over to Craigslist to get a piece of the action.

Via Android Central / @SparklngCyanide
Source Craigslist

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Samsung Nexus 10 quick start guide obtained by Korean site

As rumours circulate that Google is set to expand the Nexus family of Android devices at an event on Monday, Korean site Seeko has obtained images of a supposed Samsung Nexus 10 product guide. While sparse on details, the images show a diagram of the device including a Micro-HDMI port and front and rear cameras. It is also rumoured to have a 2560 x 1600 10.1″ display paired with Android 4.2, although the manual cannot corroborate this. With the Nexus 4, 7 and 10, Google’s new naming strategy is very clear, and on Monday we should get to see the clearer picture.

Via The Verge
Source Seeko

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Microsoft Windows 8 launch liveblog

As Microsoft prepares to unleash Windows 8 upon the world tomorrow, a number of launch events are scheduled around the world, but the largest of them all takes place in New York this afternoon. We’re expecting to hear news of Surface and Windows, while numerous new high-profile applications for the Windows Store are likely to be unveiled. For all the news as it happens, join us right here for all the news as it happens.

All times are in BST
This event is now finished

15:30 Let’s do this.

15:40 While we wait for things to kick off, why not watch our Windows 8 overview?

16:08 Just a few minutes to go now…

16:09 Plenty of time to get some beef Hula Hoops.

16:16 We should be live now. If you want to watch along with us then the kind folks at Microsoft have provided a stream.

16:19 Starting with a video: The World Is Ready.

16:21 Steven Sinofsky is up, talking about building on the success of Windows 7.

16:22 They’ve sold over 670,000,000 licenses.

16:23 2PB of data added to SkyDrive every month.

16:24 Now talking about the advances in technology since Windows 95 came out.

16:25 Windows 8 is reimagined for the next billion users.

16:26 Windows 8 will be available at 12:01am tomorrow in every time zone.

16:27 8 was built on the foundations of 7.

16:28 Cold boots on new PCs in 10 seconds.

16:29 1,240,000 hours of testing in 190 countries.

16:30 Designed for touch and to be alive with the activity that matters most.

16:31 1,000 devices have already been certified for Windows 8.

16:32 There will be new Ultrabooks today, with some sporting touch screens.

16:33 Moving on to the Windows Store, officially opening today.

16:34 Hundreds of new apps every day, with the rate increasing each day.

16:35 231 markets for the store. Largest app selection at opening of any app store.

16:36 Now we have Windows Retweet RT, featuring Office 2013.

16:37 Windows RT currently supports over 420,000,000 peripherals, including mice, keyboards and printers.

16:38 Now there’s an advert featuring Best Coast and guitars.

16:39 Mike Angiulo and Julie Larson-Green on stage to demonstrate.

16:41 They’re just taking a look at the core. I think we did that better, but they’re not doing too badly.

16:44 The desktop is now even better. Run it side by side with Store apps.

16:45 Now talking about SkyDrive and Windows Phone.

16:47 They’re showing off the HTC 8X, a Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (with stylus!) and an Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook.

16:49 Touch notebooks start at just $499/£400.

16:51 “So many apps.”

16:52 Showing off Hulu with snapped email. Into the Wikipedia app (via Store) with the video still playing. Search is universal.

16:53 Julie’s using Urbanspoon now. Sharing is easy, and now exploring NY with Bing Travel.

16:55 Jetpack Joyride is available on Windows 8. Goodbye productivity.

16:56 Now they have the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, Dell XPS tablet and Samsung Ativ Tab.

16:57 Swapping now to the Asus Vivo Tab RT and Microsoft’s own Surface which gets a rapturous applause.

16:59 Ballmer alert.

17:00 He’s looking intense and talking about the benefits of a Microsoft account.

17:01 Biggest Windows ever with ARM and tablets included.

17:05 New Office “works great with a stylus”.

17:06 Great support from media outlets for apps. IE10 sites can be pinned.

17:07 MSN is the first site to be designed for Windows 8 and IE10.

17:08 SkyDrive is great for documents, while Outlook and the new Skype app are great for communication.

17:09 Rich entertainment experience with the Xbox brand, including free streaming music.

17:10 “Windows uniquely gives [businesses] the tools they need.”

17:11 Similarities to Windows Phone are positive – with live tiles, Microsoft Accounts and SkyDrive. More on that on Monday.

17:11 He said developers. Be warned.

17:12 Ballmer on 670,000,000 Windows 7 PCs: “That’s a very large number, even in the world of very large numbers.”

17:13 “Windows 8 PCs really are the best PCs ever.”

17:14 “Windows 8 brings together the best of worlds: PC and tablet; work and play.”

17:15 And that’s a wrap.

17:15 A whole load of uniformed people went on stage, music started playing and the lights dimmed. I can’t be the only one that was scared of a dance there.

17:15 And that’s all folks! We’ll be back on Monday for the Windows Phone and Android events!

17:16 Thanks for joining us!

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Unannounced LG Nexus 4 goes up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse with October 30th release date

Despite the fact that LG’s upcoming Nexus 4 remains unannounced, there is not a lot we still don’t know about Google’s future flagship phone. It has appeared in Carphone Warehouse’s database, been semi-confirmed by an LG executive and even been fully reviewed by Belarusian site Onliner.by after they got their hands on a prototype model. Now, with anticipation rising for Google’s Android event on October 29th where it is expected that all will be revealed, British retailer Carphone Warehouse has begun to offer the device for pre-order, with shipping promised for next week. Alongside Android 4.2 – which will still be known as Jelly Bean – the page confirms a Snapdragon S4 processor will power the 4.7″ 1280 x 768 display, while 8GB of internal storage will be built in with no expandability. An 8MP rear camera will be capable of 1080p video and NFC will also be present to allow for Android Beam support. While you cannot currently order the phone without a contract, deals are available on Vodafone and O2, with the cheapest contract without an up-front cost is for £31 per month. An October 30th ship date is promised, and we will be covering Monday’s announcement event live.

Source Carphone Warehouse

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Apple event liveblog: 7.9″ iPad Mini, 13″ Retina MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini and iPad refreshes

Another month brings another Apple event, and this time we expect to see a whole plethora of new and updated devices, spearheaded by the iPad Mini. Rumoured to have a 7.85″ 1024 x 768 display and a design similar to that of the new iPod Touch, this device looks set to sport a low price tag to take on the Nexus 7 and company. Rumour also has it that the existing iPad will receive a minor update with a Lightning connector and 4G in more territories (such as with EE in the UK) and the Mac family will get minor updates across the board, with the highlight being a 13″ Retina MacBook Pro. We also expect to hear a bit more about iTunes 11 tonight, but whatever happens we will be around to liveblog proceedings on this very page. Enjoy!

Continue reading →

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

EE confirms 4G pricing as LTE network launch looms

In preparation for the launch of their 4G LTE service on October 30th, EE today confirmed the pricing of devices and services on their network. All deals will include unlimited calls and texts, while deals above and including the £41 tier will get an additional media service from a choice of Deezer, 2 Gameloft games per month or live mobile TV from up to 20 channels. A £10 surcharge is applicable to any plan to reduce its length from 24 to 12 months, and existing Orange and T-Mobile customers who have signed deals in the last 6 months may make the switch to an LTE-enabled device for £99 plus any applicable change in monthly cost.

The reception to the tariffs has been hostile from many consumers, with some accusing EE of abusing their temporary monopoly on LTE in the UK and others pointing out that the late timing of this announcement allows for the costs to be buried while many customers sleep. As more networks introduce LTE services over the next year prices will undoubtedly be cut down, but until that point EE’s stranglehold on the market will ensure that the price you have to pay for the fastest data connection in the UK is not a cheap one.

Contract pricing with devices
All plans include unlimited calls and texts.

Monthly cost Plan length Data
£36 24 months 500MB
£41 24 months 1GB
£46 24 months 3GB
£51 24 months 5GB
£56 24 months 8GB
£46 12 months 500MB
£51 12 months 1GB
£56 12 months 3GB
£61 12 months 5GB
£66 12 months 8GB

Subsidised device pricing (plus 24 month contract)

Device £36 (500MB) £41 (1GB) £46 (3GB) £51 (5GB) £56 (8GB)
Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE £179.99 £139.99 £89.99 £39.99 £29.99
Apple iPhone 5 16GB £179.99 £109.99 £49.99 £29.99 £19.99
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE £149.99 £49.99 £29.99 £29.99 £29.99
HTC One XL £149.99 £49.99 £29.99 £29.99 £29.99
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE £19.99 Free Free Free Free

Via The Verge / Coolsmartphone

by Xavier Voigt-Hill

Celebrating Digixav’s first birthday

Delicious ginger, BlackBerry, Apple and Jelly Bean cake.

Exactly one year ago on a cold Tuesday evening Digixav was born. Created from my lingering desire to have a portal from which to ramble on about tech, the very first post was a brief introduction to our plans for the site, and soon after Henry and Chris jumped on board with their own little introductions. Our first site design looked a lot like this, and, after a few hours getting to grips with WordPress, we properly launched DX with our disastrous liveblog of the keynote in which Google unveiled Android 4.0 and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus – and to this day I am still embarrassed by the amount of stuff that was in my taskbar. Since then, the team has grown massively and our readership has been far higher than we could have ever imagined.

One year on, our aim remains the same: to deliver more tech news, reviews, guides and opinions to you, our loyal readers. We’ve had a great first year on the internet, and we hope to do even better in the next one. Tonight, we celebrate with cake. Tomorrow, we take over the world. Thanks for joining us.

P.S. The cake is a ginger cake made by Kieran, iced with a BlackBerry Curve, iPhone 4S and Nexus 7. It tastes really good and also resulted in this picture.