A8 Chip From 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Appears to Carry 1 GB of RAM

Last week, a wiring schematic said to be for the iPhone 6 was initially interpreted to be referring to the device's RAM, showing the same 1 GB of memory for the A8 as found in the current A7 chip. That was quickly determined to be an incorrect interpretation of component being shown in the schematic, however, and Apple's plans for RAM in the iPhone 6 have remained uncertain.

A new photo leak from Feld & Volk [Instagram page] and Sonny Dickson showing an assembled logic board from the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has revealed a number of pieces of information already, and it appears from one of the photos that the A8 chip on the board does indeed include 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM.

As pointed out by MacRumors forum member commander.data, a silk-screened part number on the A8 reveals that the package-on-package contains Hynix RAM. Based on Hynix's part number format, the character in the eighth position reveals the amount of RAM in the package, with an "8" denoting 8 Gb (1 GB) and a "B" denoting 16 Gb (2 GB). While it is a bit difficult to read the part number clearly given the distance and angle in the photo, our staff and several posters in our forum agree that the character very much appears to be an "8", indicating 1 GB of RAM.





Source : macrumors.com

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Microsoft Miracast dongle spotted at FCC ahead of Lumia event

Google's Chromecast is a hit, and now it appears Microsoft wants to replicate something similar for Windows Phone and probably Windows PCs.

Windows Phone Daily and Nokiapoweruser did some sleuthing at the Federal Communication Commission's website, and look what they found: a new mobile accessory from Microsoft. At first it wasn't clear what the product was, but after checking other resources online it appears Microsoft is making a Miracast dongle for HDTVs.

Miracast is a screencasting standard for connected devices over Wi-Fi Direct. Coincidence?—Microsoft recently added Miracast support to Windows Phone via the Lumia Cyan firmware for Windows Phone 8.1.

It appears the new dongle would take advantage of Windows Phone 8.1's Miracast-based Project My Screen feature to broadcast your screen to a TV. This could be used for putting anything from videos and games to presentations and photos on your living room's big screen.

Adding a dongle to support Miracast on TVs is key, because the technology has yet to see wide adoption despite being supported in the latest build of Windows.

The way Miracast works currently, it mirrors your display and relies on the casting device for its data—similar to Apple TV. So you can't send a Breaking Bad episode from Netflix to a Miracast device and then start playing a game on your phone, the way you can with Chromecast.

But the advantage of mirroring a display on your TV is that you don't have to wait for developers to add Miracast support to their apps, because it's a system-wide feature.

A casting dongle for Windows Phone 8.1 is great for starters, but there may be more to this than just smartphones. Microsoft also built Miracast support into Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1. That means the upcoming Microsoft Miracast dongle should also work with your laptop, desktop, or Windows tablet.

There's no word on when this dongle might be announced or what it will cost, but Microsoft does have a Lumia event scheduled for September 4, where we could see the Lumia 730 and 830. That would be a good time to introduce a Miracast device, and while this is a Windows Phone event, we'll be listening to see if the dongle also supports PCs.







Source : pcworld.com

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Sketchy report claims photos show 5.5-inch 'iPhone 6L' display, logic board and 2,915mAh battery

Citing the usual "reliable sources," Taiwanese Apple blog Apple Daily says the images show 
three components bound for Apple's rumored 5.5-inch iPhone, which some predict will launch 
alongside — or shortly after — a new 4.7-inch version of the smartphone. The publication's 
sources refer to the phablet as the "iPhone 6L."

However, even a cursory inspection of the photos reveals two parts, the display and logic 
board, are nearly identical to those pictured in previous reports related to the smaller of 
Apple's next-gen handsets. 

With the display, architectural elements like screw bosses, circuit board anchors and 
circuitry are placed in the exact locations as a part revealed last week. In addition, flex 
cables are of the same size, located in the same position and feature proportionally sized 
connectors as the supposed 4.7-inch variant. 

It is highly unlikely that a 4.7-inch iPhone would share the same layout with a sized-up 
5.5-inch model, while at the same time sporting different sized connectors. 

As for the logic board, this part too lines up perfectly with a component unearthed 
yesterday, complete with identical EMI shields, fastener holes and connector design.

The report does, however, contain one never-before-seen part in a 2,915 mAh battery, which 
could feasibly be bound for Apple's jumbo-sized handset. Produced by known Apple partner 
supplier Huizhou Desay, the battery'a capacity is much larger than the 1,800 mAh unit seen 
in a supposed leak associated with the 4.7-inch variant. By comparison, the current iPhone 
5s uses a 1,500 mAh battery, while Motorola's 4.7-inch Moto X boasts a 2,200 mAh part.

Although the battery is a possible fit for Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone, not much is known about 
the phablet device. Most recently, photos of alleged wake/sleep flex cables and volume 
controls hit the Web in July.

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Here’s the hands-on BlackBerry Passport video you’ve been clamoring for [Updated]

So how about it, prospective smartphone buyers? Are you still clamoring for the BlackBerry Passport? If so then you’ll definitely want to check out a new video flagged by CrackBerry that was produced by U.K. retailer Carphone Warehouse that gives us a nice little hands-on demonstration of BlackBerry’s upcoming smartphone that will go head-to-head with the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 this September.

FROM EARLIER: BlackBerry: Consumers are ‘clamoring’ for our new square smartphone.

In the video, Carphone Warehouse shows off some of the Passport’s outside-the-box features such as the new touch-sensitive physical keyboard that essentially doubles as a giant trackball that will let you scroll up and down on pages just by running your fingers over its keys. Carphone Warehouse also praises the Passport’s wide square display, which it points out is terrific for everyone who loves reading and editing spreadsheets on their smartphones. In other words, it looks like the Passport will be a tool, not a toy, that can be used for real work.
The video also shows off the new BlackBerry Assistant feature, which for the first time gives BlackBerry users the same kind of voice-enabled personal assistant that’s long been enjoyed by iPhone fans with Siri and by Android fans with Google Now.

UPDATE: Well, that’s annoying — the video has now been taken private, likely because it showed off key features on a device that hasn’t officially been released yet. If we find another version of the video saved elsewhere, we’ll be sure to post it below.

UPDATE 2: We knew you wouldn’t let us down, Russian YouTube users! Check out a new copy of the video below:




Source : bgr.com

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HP to launch Android phone in near future, says source

On Christmas Eve, word surfaced of plans by HP to launch two smartphones by the year's end, something that didn't pan out but could add substance to the newest rumor that has cropped up. According to a source that spoke to the folks over at 9to5Google, HP plans to launch an inexpensive Android smartphone as early as next week, though a more narrowed-down launch date hasn't been specified.

According to the source, who is said to be someone from inside HP, the smartphone will be an inexpensive Android offering priced somewhere around $200 USD and slated for release in multiple markets, the exact number of which wasn't specified. HP hasn't said anything in a public fashion, but the source says the launch could end up being as soon as next week barring any unexpected delays.

The source says the project has been a year and a half in the making, and is being run by HP's senior vice president of mobility Alberto Torres. As far as the phone itself goes, the device is said to have "obvious cost cutting measures" in order to achieve its low price point, and to resemble in nature Samsung's Galaxy Note. The price falls in line with the details that surfaced last year, despite no phone being launched near the year's end.

According to that information, which had surfaced by way of The Information, the smartphone would be a 6-inch offering priced at $200 USD without contract. That same report also stated there was a second one in the making, and that it would be larger at a massive 7-inches with a price tag of $250 USD sans contract.






SOURCE: 9to5Google

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Apple iWatch reportedly facing power problems

Apple is facing unexpected hurdles in its smartwatch design process, sources claim, with the much-discussed wearable - colloquially known as the "iWatch" - supposedly giving Cupertino engineers some sleepless nights. Issues include delivering sufficient battery life according to The Information, with Apple supposedly considering changing the display technology it initially intended to use in the hope of cutting power consumption.

Exactly what that might entail a switch to and from is unclear. Apple's iOS range uses LCD technology, though we've seen smartwatches from other companies that use e-paper, like Pebble, OLED, like Samsung's Galaxy Gear, and even unusual transflective technologies like the mirasol panel in Qualcomm's Toq.

More recently, though, we've seen even longer runtimes delivered by careful component selection, particularly when it comes to wireless use. Garmin's vivofit, announced at CES this week, can run for up to twelve months on a set of replaceable batteries.

What Apple might end up using is still a mystery, then - a deal with LG Display for flexible OLED was tipped late last year - though the company might look elsewhere in the wearable to save on battery use. That might involve a lower powered processor; the iPhone 5s, for instance, offsets its motion tracking to a more frugal M7 coprocessor.

Repeated is the idea that Apple has a sizable team working on the project, and indeed previous leaks have suggested in excess of one hundred people are involved. However, the report also points out that some of the more high-profile members of that group have recently left, such as Bryan James.

The report concludes with the assumption that Apple's product won't actually be delayed, though the chatter is certainly enough to get the company's name back in the headlines in a week when various other firms are trying to make waves with their own smartwatches and fitness trackers at CES 2014.

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NSA project working towards encryption-breaking quantum computer, reveals Snowden doc

According to documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the NSA dreams of a quantum computer that can break nearly every type of encryption -- one it is working towards (in part, at least) via a program called Penetrating Hard Targets, a $79.7 million project. The NSA isn't the only entity working on making a quantum computer reality, and such technologies would have widespread benefits beyond the cryptographically-oriented industry and various spy games.

Whether the NSA has advanced beyond similar efforts underway at the civilian level is unknown, but the Washington Post is reporting such efforts on the government's part are no farther ahead in terms of progress. A large amount of the work is reportedly taking place via classified contracts with a College Park laboratory, but not much is known beyond that.

If such a technology is developed, all forms of public key encryption could be broken. The documents seem to state the NSA is performing a lot of its research in Faraday cages, something said to be necessary to keep the "delicate" experiments up and running. No immediate breakthroughs seem likely, however, and MIT associate professor Scott Aaronson took that a step further, saying: "It seems improbable that the NSA could be that far ahead of the open world without anybody knowing it."

Experts who spoke to the Washington Post expressed doubt that any such computer could be developed in the next five years, but that isn't stopping the NSA from trying. The security agency, according to the document, is concerned that quantum computing could have future implications on both the ability to spy on the communications of foreign entities, but also to protect its own communications from other agencies beyond the US.






SOURCE: Washington Post

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Snapchat scraped: 4.6m usernames and numbers reportedly grabbed

The Snapchat exploit revealed last week has seemingly exposed the usernames and cellphone numbers of a claimed 4.6 million users of the self-destructing messaging service, according to a site that supposedly snatched the information from the company's database using the hack. Dubbed SnapchatDB!, the site offers up a download of what's described as "a vast majority" of Snapchat users, purportedly to highlight the lax security liberties companies take with our personal information.

Snapchat, so the site's hosts argue, was negligent in patching the exploit, "until they knew it was too late." According to Gibson Security, the research firm which publicized the API loophole at the root of the hack, Snapchat was aware of the issue as early as August 2013, but failed to address it until recently.

Still, that's perhaps little consolation for those whose personal details are now in the wild. The database download has been masked, though only the last two digits of each phone number have been hidden, though the site admins do say that those wanting the full, uncensored database should ask and, "under certain circumstances", it may be released.

Meanwhile Gibson Security, although saying that it was unaware of the database scrape and associated site being set up using its exploit, argues that it was only "a matter of time" before it happened. More concerning, the Australian researchers suggest that the exploit can still be utilized with just a few minor modifications made to it.

Snapchat's security has been called into question several times over the service's lifespan, in part because the ephemeral nature of photos shared using the app is an obvious lure for methods to preserve them. Tools to save images without the sender knowing that they have been captured have popped up on several occasions, though Snapchat has moved to block each loophole along the way.

Nonetheless the apparently cavalier approach to account security this time around may give some Snapchat users pause for thought, especially given that, as SnapchatDB! points out, many will use the same username for multiple services.



Source : Hacker News

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Sony VAIO Windows Phone tipped for mid-2014

Sony is considering launching at least one Windows Phone handset in 2014, sources claim, as Microsoft courts potential partners to bolster support for its "third platform" OS. Sony, which has been building exclusively Android-powered smartphones for several years, is in the midst of negotiations with Microsoft about adding a second ecosystem to its range, insiders tell The Information, which could potentially launch with VAIO branding rather than the Xperia brand its existing phones carry.

That would presumably be intended to define Sony Windows Phones as an extension of the company's PC business, rather than the more consumer-centric focus Android is generally associated with. The handset could potentially launch as soon as midway through next year, assuming the deal actually goes through.

That's nowhere near certain today, however, with Microsoft and Sony still discussing things like what apps could be preloaded onto the smartphone, what licensing demands Microsoft might have, and other concerns. Microsoft is said to be potentially willing to reduce or even waive its license fees.

Sony isn't the only target for Microsoft's expansion plans. The company is supposedly also discussing partnership potential with ZTE, known for its more affordable Android devices, on a deal which could possibly see ZTE-branded low-cost Windows Phones for the US, Europe, and Chinese markets, among others.

Recent best-selling sales of the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 521 might suggest that's a good strategy, too. The budget Windows Phone has comfortably outsold other handsets running the same OS, with Nokia crediting the parity of the same software experience as its more expensive handsets as a key motivator for that buying decision.

Whether that will be enough to strengthen Microsoft's position in mobile and potentially narrow the gap between Windows Phone and the two dominant OSes, Android and iOS, remains to be seen. The software company is said to be considering more unusual possibilities to tackle that, too, including dual-booting phones from Samsung and Huawei that could load into both Windows Phone and Android at the user's request.

No deal has been finalized, and neither Sony nor Microsoft will confirm that negotiations are underway.





source : slashgear

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Microsoft’s secret OS tinkering might spawn an open-source language

Microsoft's clandestine Midori, a skunkworks project developing a non-Windows OS, could spawn a new open-source programming language called "M#" insiders claim, a spin-off of existing C#. Chatter of the scheme came after one Midori team member publicly confirmed a new language was in development; that, sources told ZDNet, is M# (aka "M-Sharp"), developed alongside Midori, and is being seen as potentially even more evidence that the mysterious platform will see a launch.

M#, Microsoft's Joe Duffy says, came from the Midori team wanting a broadly adopted and straightforward language at the base of the OS, settling on C# rather than C++ as a result. Rather than actually fragmenting C#, however, M# is more "a set of extensions" to the core language, that Duffy says involves "minimal breaking changes."

According to the programmer, the enhancements mean that M# benefits from the safety and productivity associated with C#, but also gains the performance improvements more commonly associated the C++. Duffy later responded to the swell of interest in the language - which he doesn't name as M# himself - by highlighting that it "is a research effort, nothing more, nothing less."

Nonetheless, despite his cold water, other hints around M# suggest it could be more important than just an exercise in programming theory. Former Midori team member - and current Google Developer Infrastructure group member - Aleks Bromfield revealed a little more, describing M# (which is referred to as "C# for Systems Programming") as being a combination of Rust's safety and performance, Go's approachability, and D's familiarity.

M# could be "the lowest-level language that you'll ever need" Bromfield concluded, safe enough to sit at the bottom of the stack but also suited to creating web services and other similar higher-level systems.

Midori itself has been moved into the centralized OS group, another potential sign that a release - in some shape or form - is more likely. That could mean parts of Midori getting slotted into future iterations of Windows rather than being released as an independent project, it's suggested.

According to insiders, the OS group - under Terry Myerson - will be making the final decision on which aspects of Midori will survive, and how distinct it will be on the OS roadmap.




source : slashgear

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NSA catalog lets agents deliver cloned hardware to targets

A new examination of the seemingly bottomless well of Snowden documents describes an internal NSA catalog of dead ringers for consumer hardware that the NSA can deploy on unsuspecting targets' systems. For example, when a target orders a new hard drive, router, monitor cable, or USB plug online, the NSA can intercept the order and send a bugged clone, which the target would then install by his own volition. The catalog includes hardware by Seagate, Samsung, Cisco, Huawei, Dell and many others.

Western Digital and Maxtor are two other hardware providers named in the monitoring device catalog. It also includes back door access to firewalls by Juniper Networks, as well as ready-made hacks for the BIOS firmware that runs when a personal computer starts up.

The catalog was produced by the Advanced/Access Network Technology (ANT) division of the NSA hacker unit Tailored Access Operations (TAO).

Der Spiegel reported that the NSA can intercept automated personal computer communications like Windows crash reports to ferret out vulnerabilities in users' systems. It does this via a so-called "shadow Internet" that runs alongside the regular Internet. SlashGear has previously reported on the NSA's "quantum insert" technique of serving copies of popular sites like LinkedIn to target users by dint of beating the legitimate websites to the server punch.

In other words, any of your electronics and favorite websites could actually be NSA-created resources should the spy agency deem you an asset.

On the industrial side, the catalog lets agents acquire and physically install bugged base stations that stand in for proprietary mobile network equipment. The NSA can use the stations to collect mobile communications data from personal devices in range.

Finally, the Der Spiegel analysis delved into how the NSA and its partners in private telecommunications companies have tapped major intercontinental data cables to conduct mass data surveillance. For example, the agency in early 2013 mapped the "SEA-ME-WE-4" undersea cable that connects Europe, North Africa and Asia.




SOURCE: Der Spiegel

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Nexus 7 2 Best Buy ad affirms full HD display

We might have already heard quite a few ramblings of the next-generation Nexus 7, but nothing is quite as solid as a leaked retail store circular ad. A leaked Best Buy ad shows off the next-generation Nexus 7, revealing not only its $229 price tag, but also the 1920×1200 full HD display gracing the front of the tablet.

The ad also notes that the $229 price tag will get you 16GB of storage, meaning that the 32GB version will cost just a little bit more, possibly in the $249 or $279 range. Sadly, Best Buy is always pretty vague about advertising products in their weekly ads, so we don’t get treated with any more details than those little tidbits.

However, the Best Buy circular mentions that the tablet will be “available Tuesday.” Seeing as how Google is holding an event on Wednesday this week, the ad could be referring to July 30 as the official launch date of the refreshed Google slate. However, the distribution date for the leaked circular isn’t known, so whatever date “Tuesday” is, is still unknown, but it’s said the circular will begin running on July 28, so we have no reason to not think that the new Nexus 7 will be arriving on July 30.

The refreshed Nexus 7 is also said to be getting an update to Android 4.3, and will come with dual cameras, as well as wireless charging, which we’ve already seen on Google’s latest Nexus 4 handset. The tablet is also said to be sporting a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM paired up. Exact specs aren’t known, obviously, but it seems this new Nexus 7 refresh will be a big one, while keeping the same 7-inch screen and mostly the same body style.





SOURCE: Phone Arena

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Moto X press image leaks ahead of August event

The cat’s finally out of the bag, and we’ll be getting our first official look at the heavily-rumored Moto X come August 1, but there are a still a few days left before that happens, leaving the door wide open for even more leaks and rumors to make their way to the front. This time around, we’re treated with a clean press shot of the Moto X.

This isn’t the first clear photo that we’ve seen of the device, as Google chairman Eric Schmidt modeled off the phone in a few “spy” shots a few days ago. That provided us a good look of the back of the device with the glossy curved shell. However, today’s press image gives us the first clear look at the front of the handset.

There’s nothing too surprising in the press image above, other than that it appears Motorola did away with the obnoxious logo on the upper-left corner that we saw in a Verizon leak earlier this month. The device also looks identical to what we saw in a leaked promo video for the Moto X.

We’ll be seeing the phone’s unveiling on the first of the month, and the only evidence we have for a public launch date is US Cellular’s leaked release date of August 26. From that, it’s probably safe to say that other major carriers will follow suit and launch the phone towards the end of the month.

What’s perhaps the most interesting tidbit is how Motorola will be conducting the unveil event on August 1. From the invitation that we received, it looks like the company might not have one grand keynote, but rather multiple sessions detailing different bits about the phone. Plus, these details will have embargo times that are lifted later in the day. It’ll be interesting how it goes, but we’ll be there to bring you the latest about the Moto X, so stick around.

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