How to Sync Video, Music from Mac to iTunes?

If you want more precise control over the content you add to your device, or if you want to use your iPod with more than one iTunes library, you can choose to sync your content manually. You can sync your iPhone with only one iTunes library, even if you sync your device manually.

The first time you connect your iPod, iPhone, or iPad to your computer, you choose between automatic or manual syncing, but you can change the setting any time your device is connected to your computer.

If you choose manual syncing, Music, Movies, and TV Shows can only be synced manually, but you can still sync other types of content automatically.

Photos and info (Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, and so on) can only be synced automatically.

To sync your content manually:

Connect your iPod, iPhone, or iPad to your computer and select your device in iTunes (below Devices).

Click the Summary button and select “Manually manage music and videos” (below Options).

Select a category (below Library).

Do any of the following:

1. To add items to your device, drag videos, playlists, artists, genres, and albums to your iPod, iPhone, or iPad (below Devices).
2. To delete an item from your device, select the item and press the Delete key.
3. Removing an item from your device doesn’t delete it from your iTunes library.
4. Before you disconnect your device, click the Eject button.

Tip:  You can quickly fill any remaining space on your device with a single click by using Autofill.

HTC One M8 news: Google Play Edition out now, BlinkFeed coming to non-HTC Android Phone

HTC confirmed that BlinkFeed and the Google Play edition of the HTC One (M8) will soon be available for Android users.

Sure, HTC made sure that March 25 was all about the HTC One (M8), but lets not forget that HTC also made available some of its apps on the Google Play Store. This is an effort for HTC to be able to update its apps without having to resort to firmware updates for the companys handsets. HTC highlighted one such app, BlinkFeed, and said it will be available for non-HTC devices sometime in the near future, while also making available the HTC One (M8) Google Play edition.

BlinkFeed for other phones?

For the time being, BlinkFeed will only be available for the HTC One (M8). However, in a statement sent toPhoneArena, HTC said, Following its popularity with HTC users, HTC will now make HTC BlinkFeed available to other Android devices, launching on the Google Play Store soon.

BlinkFeed, which is HTCs feed aggregator, brings together social network updates, news, calendar updates, and other content and portrays them in one stream. During yesterdays unveiling of the One (M8) HTC said that developers will soon be able to integrate their own content into BlinkFeed. Once its available for non-HTC devices, developers will have a wider reach for their content.

Unfortunately, HTC did not provide an exact timetable on when Android users can download BlinkFeed or what the minimum Android version requirements are. In addition, HTC did not provide details on exactly how BlinkFeed would look like on non-HTC devices. Whether it would simply be a widget or an alternative launcher is up in the air.

Google Play HTC One M8

Meanwhile, for those who don't really care for HTC's Sense user interface at all, then we have good news: the Google Play edition of the HTC's latest and greatest is now up for grabs. It is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States, with no mention of Sprint or Verizon. Your wallet is sure to cry at the $700 price tag, but if industrial design is your thing, it can be yours in 2-3 weeks.

For those who winced at the price tag and want something cheaper while maintaining that industrial design, the Google Play edition of the original HTC One got a $100 price drop in the wake of its successor's announcement. The HTC One Google Play edition can now be yours for $500.

iOS 7.1 Glitch Lets You Hide Stock Apps From Home Screen, Here's How! [VIDEO]

iOS 7 has just been released into the wild, and even though it has been a smooth ride for the majority of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, it hasn't been without the usual spate of bugs and teething issues. Following on from the earlier reports that the folders-in-folders trick was still in business – something we thought Apple had blocked with iOS 7.1 – it now looks like the very same technique can be utilized to hide certain apps completely.

 
Folders-in-folders, or nested folders, could be achieved on iOS 7.0.x by following a very simple couple of steps, and although Apple had apparently put an end to things with iOS 7.1, it quickly became apparent that the hack was still alive, albeit with a little more leg-work.

But the fact that iOS home screen icons can also be hidden presents something of an added bonus for users, particularly since native applications cannot be removed at all. If you find the likes of Compass or Stocks to be of particular annoyance, then follow the guide below, which will allow you to remove any apps you don't need or use.

Please note, however, that it will only obscure said apps – they'll still be installed on your device, and will continue to take up storage capacity. Also, if you happen to reboot your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, then you will have to follow the tutorial again to re-hide them, and so if you frequently switch your device off, this process may become a little tedious.

Anyway, let's get started.

Step 1: Place the apps you wish to hide in a single folder.

Step 2: Next, put the folder on a page completely full of icons (this includes the dock).

Step 3: Drag an app upon another to create a folder, and as the animation is in progress, swiftly drag your ‘to-hide' folder into it. Please note, you must be extremely quick with this step in order for the process to work.

Step 4: Open your new folder. Remove the two apps inside. Then, drag the ‘to-hide' folder out, and it should vanish.

As aforementioned, it's not a permanent solution, but if you don't reboot often, then it will hide those irritating, immovable icons from your home screen.

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.

This article originally published at Redmond Pie

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• What's Wrong With Apple's iOS 7.1?
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Android 5.0 naming convention and launch date: cast your vote

With Android Wear announced it new platform will be demoed at Google I/O on june 25th, but could we see a new Android version at the same time? What will it be called?

Once KitKat arrived we all kind of forgot about Android 5.0 because it suddenly leaped so far into the future it practically disappeared over the horizon. But with Google I/O coming up on June 25th, a few are starting to forecast a major new Android version appearing alongside Android Wear. So we want to know is: what do you think it will be called?

The most popular name so far seems to be either Lollipop or Lime Pie, which may just be a kindness considering everyone thought Android 4.4 would be called Key Lime Pie. But Licorice has a few people on board, as does Lemon Meringue, but considering the corporate tie-in opportunity that KitKat offered, it seems possible that we may see another brand-name in the next iteration of the world's most popular mobile platform. As an Australian, I'm holding out hope for Lamington, but I somehow doubt it. Likewise, many of our Indian readers are keen on Lassi or Ladoo but they are probably just as unlikely. Either way, an "exotoc" name is hardly going to affect adoption of the new version.

So we ask you: what do you think the next Android version will be called? We've got our top picks above, but if your naming suggestion doesn't appear be sure to let us know in the comments (and give your favorites a thumbs-up)! We don't have any prizes for a correct guess, but at least you'll be able to refer back to this article to prove to your friends just how ''on the pulse'' you truly are.

Check out this general design concept for Android 4.5 (or whatever it will be called!)

and this new user experience for Android 4.5

Do you like Google's brand-naming strategy? When do you think Android 5.0 will arrive?

This article originally published at AndroidPIT

'Dendroid' virus threatening Android phones in India

New Delhi: Indian cyber security sleuths have alerted users of Android smartphone about the malicious activities of a tricky virus called 'Dendroid' whose infection could "completely compromise" their personal phone device.

The virus of the deadly 'Trojan' family, once activated, could change the command and control server of a user's personal Android phone and intercept private SMSes coming in or going out.

"It has been reported that a malicious toolkit called DENDROID is being used to create trojanised applications that infects Android-based smartphones. The malware is created by modifying the required permissions by any clean APK (Android Application Package) with Dendroid RAT functionality that allows detailed management of the infected devices," the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) said in its latest advisory to Android phone users in the country.

The CERT-In is the nodal agency to combat hacking, phishing and to fortify security-related defences of the Indian Internet domain.

Security experts say the virus is street-smart because it has a striking resemblance to the name Android.

The agency said upon installation of this malicious application, a remote attacker could "completely compromise the affected Android-based smartphone and could control it remotely".

The virus can perform a number of malicious activities.

"It can change the command and control server, delete call logs, open web pages, dial any number, record calls and audio, SMS interception, upload images and video to remote location and open an application," the advisory said, categorising the virus as an "attack toolkit".

It said the malware infected "is controlled by the attacker through Dendroid Toolkit. Dendroid is a HTTP RAT, having a sophisticated PHP administration panel and an application APK binder package." 

This article originally published at ZeeNEWS

What's Wrong With Apple's iOS 7.1?

Apple's iOS 7.1 update was released on Tuesday, delivering a noticeable boost in overall speed and responsiveness. But it soon turned out that the update also delivered a few problems — and a surprising number of visual tweaks.

A New Phone Interface

The most striking visual change is the telephone interface. Although the circular number key pads remain, the large square "call" button has been replaced by a small circle displaying a phone icon.

Hunt and Peck?

Those phone call interface changes have been carried over to the answer/decline screens as well. Now when your receive an incoming call, the screen will display two simple red and green button icons, instead of the large "answer" and "decline" button blocks in the previous version.

This change seems more like a designer flourish rather than a practical move, as hitting those large call/answer/decline buttons on the iPhone's touchscreen while carrying bags or multitasking is certainly easier than having to now aim for the tiny circles.

Touch ID & Passcode

In addition to boosting the accuracy of the iPhone 5S Touch ID system, iOS 7.1 now gives the feature its own set-up menu in the Settings section. Not much has changed here, but it's a welcome update and it seems a bit odd that Apple didn't give Touch ID its own menu section from the very beginning.

Wallpapers Without the Motion Sickness

When iOS 7 first debuted, one of the biggest complaints revolved around the parallax effect in Wallpaper, a dynamic that caused some prone to motion sickness to avoid the feature altogether. With iOS 7.1, Apple has included a handy "perspective on/off" option when selecting a new Wallpaper image.

The feature also offers those who are fans of the feature a quicker way to test out how certain images will look with the effect before selecting that image as a new Wallpaper image.

Siri Gets a Little More Human

The voice of Siri for U.S. users remains the same, but some international users will notice a warmer, more human-sounding digital assistant after upgrading to iOS 7.1. In particular, the British English and the Japanese voices of Siri offer noticeably warmer, less robotic sounding version of Siri. This "more human" touch has also been applied to the Australian English and Mandarin Chinese versions of Siri.

Weather and Calendar Enhanced

Another minor tweak to iOS comes in the operating system's Calendar and Weather apps. The new Calendar features a handy option that allows you to show special events and appointments right under the calendar view.

On the Weather app, the weather condition icons are now filled in, offering the viewer an easier image to process visually when quickly glancing at weather conditions during transit.

Potential Problems

Bluetooth Connectivity

It's still early days, but some users are reporting problems connecting to Bluetooth devices after the 7.1 update. We tested the connection on our own iPhone 5S and we were also unable to discover fully powered Bluetooth device in our vicinity.

This is a potentially huge issue — considering many iOS users rely on Bluetooth devices such as keyboards and headsets.

iBeacon

One new behavior in iBeacon, first discovered by BEEKn, is being touted by some as an enhancement. But based on that description, it could just as well be deemed a problem.

According to the report, iOS 7.1 now allows your device to continue to discover iBeacon points after you've closed an iBeacon-enabled app. This continues to work as long as Location Services are turned on — even if you restart your phone.

The Take Away

Unlike some software updates, the changes in iOS 7.1 will give most users the sense that they now have a more nimble device in their hands. And while not everyone will agree with all the interface changes made by Apple in this update, the changes add up to a better user experience and a look that pushes the iPhone just a little further into the future.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

iOS 7.1 Features: Top 5 new iOS 7.1 features to try right now

Apple's new iOS 7.1 software was released earlier this week, and it brought with it a wide range of fixes, improvements and new features for compatible iPhones, iPads and iPod touch handhelds. We have already shown you a great video walkthrough of iOS 7.1 that highlights just about everything new in Apple's latest mobile software, but now it's time to point out a few key additions that you really should check out right now.

Sharon Vaknin at CNET has compiled a quick list of four must-try new features in iOS 7, and we have added a fifth that will definitely be appreciated by many users.

Kill parallax, keep the zoom

First up, Apple finally made it possible in iOS 7.1 to disable the annoying parallax wallpaper effect without eliminating the great zooming transition animations when opening and closing apps.

To do this, first ensure that "Reduce Motion" is toggled off in Settings > General > Accessibility. Then go to Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness and tap your lock screen wallpaper. Toggle "Perspective Zoom" to off and tap set, then do the same thing for your home screen wallpaper.

It's as easy as that.

Teach Siri some manners

iOS 7.1 includes a number of enhancements to Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri.

They're all appreciated to some extent, but CNET has compiled a collection of terrific advice on how to make sure Siri is always working for you instead of against you.

Bring back the buttons

One of many complaints people had about iOS 7 compared to earlier versions of Apple's mobile software was the fact that the tap targets in this new minimalistic OS were very confusing.

With iOS 7.1, however, users can now add button shapes to the software's text-only tap targets.

Adding button shapes is simple. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility and toggle "Button Shapes" to on.

Enable HDR Auto

iOS 7 had an awful bug that caused devices to constantly disable HDR each time the camera app was closed. In iOS 7.1, Apple repented for its annoying mistake by introducing a new "HDR Auto" setting on the iPhone 5s that will monitor the surrounding lighting conditions and enable or disable HDR automatically.

To enable this great new feature, simply tap "HDR On" or "HDR Off" at the top of the screen with the camera open. Then select "HDR Auto" and you'll never have to think about it again.

New visibility options

Apple's iOS platform is a clear leader when it comes to accessibility options for the disabled. There is no close second. For those with relatively minor vision problems though, some accessibility features in iOS 7 were a bit drastic.

In iOS 7.1, Apple has addressed one such issue by adding new fine-tuned options for increasing the contrast on the screen of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and tap "Increase Contrast." You'll now find three separate options in iOS 7.1.

"Reduce Transparency" will remove all of the transparency effects in areas including the home screen dock, folder backgrounds, the Control Center and the Notification Center.

"Darken Colors" will do just that: Darken all of the colors on the device's display to make them more visible.

Finally, "Reduce White Point" will make whites on the screen less bright, which is another way to improve visibility.

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Amazon releases new app for Amazon sellers

Amazon quietly launched a new mobile application yesterday called Amazon Seller. As the name suggests, the app was designed to help individuals and businesses manage their product listings on Amazon's Marketplace and communicate with their customers.

The app offers a suite of mobile tools that will allow sellers to perform a wide range of functions on their mobile phones. These functions include the scanning of barcodes on items, price checking, viewing sales ranking and reviews and even the listing of products…

Here's a list of the things you can do with Amazon Seller:

• Search for new items to sell on Amazon. Check current prices, sales rank, and customer reviews of items on Amazon by using text search or scanning barcodes.
• Estimate the profitability of your items before you sell. Add product cost information to see the estimated profitability of your items after primary Selling on Amazon and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees.
• List your items for sale. Create listings on Amazon.com quickly and easily.
• Respond to customer messages. Provide great customer service by responding to customer questions quickly with the app. 
• Support from Amazon. Have a question about selling on Amazon? Use the app to contact Seller Support. 
• Secure access to your Amazon Seller account. All activity is routed through Amazon's servers.

An app like this has long been a missing piece of the e-commerce giant's seller ecosystem. Until now, sellers have been forced to turn to third-party apps like SellerMobile to fill the gap in mobile management—many of which charged monthly fees for their services.



So despite Amazon Seller lacking a few of the more advanced features that some of the more-seasoned apps offer, its launch is great news for sellers. There's no monthly fees, and the fact that all activity will be routed through Amazon's services offers peace of mind.

At the time of this writing the app requires a US-based Amazon Sellers account and an iOS device—theres on Android version yet. But if you meet those prerequisites, and you're interested in checking it out, you can find Amazon Seller in the App Store for free.

300: Rise of an Empire (2014) In Cinemas March 7

• In Movie Theaters: Friday, March 7, 2014
• Initial release: March 5, 2014 (Belgium)
• Director: Noam Murro
• Running time: 102 minutes
• Prequel: 300
• Music composed by: Junkie XL
• Cast: Eva Green, Jamie Blackley, Sullivan Stapleton, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew Tiernan, Callan Mulvey
• R, 1 hr. 43 min.
• Genres: Action | Adventure | Drama | Sequel | Prequel | War

Storyline

Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel Xerxes, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster "300," this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield-on the sea-as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. This film pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemesia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

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Take control of FCP X libraries with Final Cut Library Manager from Arctic Whiteness

Final Cut Library Manager is a great utility for running housekeeping tasks on Final Cut Pro X libraries. It'll immediately find all Spotlight-indexed libraries and display them in one window so that they can easily be sorted and searched. Libraries may be cleaned to recover gigabytes worth of space by quickly and safely removing render files, proxies and optimized media files (users can rest assured that we don't remove the optimised media if we can't find the corresponding original media files).

Here's a quick summary of the features:

• FCP libraries are automatically found using Spotlight and listed together in one window
• Choose which drives to include
• Sort by name, size, date or even potential space savings once cleaned
• Open the libraries with a double click, or open them by themselves in FCP using our Open Alone feature
• Choose to delete Render files, Proxies and Optimized Media files for one or more libraries at once
• Rest assured – the Optimized Media files for which the corresponding Original Media files cannot be found will be conserved
• Regain huge amounts of disk space quickly and safely!
• Keep it running whilst using FCP to see your libraries growing

 
You can download Final Cut Library Manager here

Here's a short tutorial video which will show you how to use Final Cut Library Manager, the housekeeping tool for your Final Cut Pro X libraries:

 

Evasi0n 7 1.0.7: How To Jailbreak iOS 7.0.6 On iPhone 5S, iPad Air And Other Devices Before iOS 7.1 Release

With the imminent release of iOS 7.1, users that want to run their iOS 7 device jailbroken have been advised to update to the latest jailbreakable version of iOS 7 (7.0.6).

The Evad3rs team released Evasi0n 7 1.0.7 to address Cydia problems with the previous jailbreak version Evad3rs

If you're one of the many iOS 7 users that want to run your iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPod Touch or other iOS device from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in a jailbroken state, that window may be closing fast.

According to John Gruber of Daring Fireball, the release of iOS 7.1 appears to be imminent, since Apple will be releasing an iTunes Festival app for South By Southwest, or SXSW for those that want to live stream iTunes festival performances next week. While a release of an app isn't necessarily an event in itself, rumors have been floating that the SXSW iTunes Festival app will require iOS 7.1 before it can be downloaded and opened.

For stock iOS 7.0 through 7.0.6 users, this news won't affect them as much. However, the release of iOS 7.1 is potentially problematic for users of jailbroken iOS 7.0.x devices, since iOS 7.1 patches the many vulnerabilities used by the Evasi0n jailbreak. In addition, Apple uses a verification system called APTicket, which prevents iOS users of devices from downgrading or using older iOS versions, such as those compatible with existing jailbreaks such as Evasi0n 7.

This verification method prevents any downgrades, as Apple will stop signing APTickets for iOS 7.0.6 once iOS 7.1 is released, effectively blocking users from updating to anything but the latest version of iOS for their device.

With that in mind, those that are looking to jailbreak their iOS 7.0.x device have been advised by several developers in the jailbreak community to upgrade their iPhones, iPads and iPod touches to iOS 7.0.6, the latest version of iOS 7 that the Evasi0n 7 jailbreak currently works with.

Note: International Business Times is not responsible for any damage caused by running jailbreak tools or any unauthorized software on your device. Proceed at your own risk.

For those that currently use an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that has been updating using Apple's over-the-air, or OTA updates, the Evad3rs team behind Evasi0n 7 advise users to restore their devices before running the Evasi0n 7 jailbreak and turning off passcode lock.

Once completed, follow these instructions below to jailbreak your iOS device using Evasi0n 7.

How to jailbreak your iOS 7.0.x device using Evasi0n 7 on Mac OS X?

1. Download Evasi0n 7 1.0.7 from the official website.

2. Unzip the downloaded package, open the DMG file and drag the Evasi0n 7 app to your applications folder.

3. Open Evasi0n 7.

Note: if Mac OSX doesn't let you open the Evasi0n app, right-click the app and click open, or change your Mac OSX security settings.

4. Connect your iOS device to your computer via USB cable.

5. Press the jailbreak button.

Note: The jailbreak process is the same for all iOS 7.0.x devices.

The Evasi0n 7 1.0.7 jailbreak instructions are basic and easy to follow

6. Your device will reboot several times through the process. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Evasi0n 7 jailbreak for your iOS device.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Evasi0n 7 jailbreak.

According to the Evasi0n 7 website, it is safe to restart the jailbreak process if it gets stuck. However, it is advised to let the jailbreak run through its processes, which are not instantaneous from IBTimes' experience.

Evasi0n 7 requires some user interaction with your iOS device during the jailbreak process.

Once the jailbreak is done, you'll be able to download tweaks and mods with Cydia, an app developed by Jay Freeman (Saurik).

Once the Evasi0n 7 jailbreak is completed, you can browse the Cydia app for various tweaks and mods being developed for iOS 7.0.x

Once iOS 7.1 is released, jailbreak developers will have to work on creating new jailbreak tools for iOS 7.1. However, it's unknown how long it will take until a publicly releaseable jailbreak surfaces.

Via IBTimes

How to Sync Video and Music from iTunes 11 to iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5?

Many new iPhone 5S/5C/5 users have such a question, "how to sync videos and music from iTunes to my new iPhone", it's actuallay easy. Here this post will give you a detailed guide about this by using latest iTunes 11.

 
The interface of iTunes is totally new with the update release of iTunes 11, which offers even more options for managing your music, TV shows, movies, apps, and more. You’ll still use iTunes 11 for syncing your iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5. While the process remains the same, the visuals involved have scored a bit of an overhaul. The Summary and Info tabs get noticeable layout tweaks, and the Apps tab gives the app organization process a small redesign. For users who have not get accustomed to the iTunes 11, here is a guide for syncing videos and music from iTunes 11 to iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5.

Step 1. Launch iTunes 11 from your Mac or PC.

Step 2. Connect iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5 with your computer using the cable that came with your device.

Step 3. In the upper right hand corner you will see your iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5 appear. Click on the name of your device.

Step 4. You will be taken to the summary screen. From here you can see a list of tabs along the top.

Step 5. Click on the tab for the type of media you'd like to sync to your iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5. You can choose from music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, books, and photos.

Step 6. Make sure the checkbox for the media type is checked and where applicable, select the media items you'd like to sync.

 
Step 7.Click the Apply button in the lower right hand corner after you're done selecting all your media.

Step 8. Wait for iTunes to finish syncing your content before unplugging.

Tip 1: When use manual syncing, you can sync items from more than one iTunes library to your iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5. To use manual sync, just click the Summary button and select “Manually manage music and videos” in step 4.

 

Tip 2: To remove content such as a movie, book, or podcast, simply uncheck it. For music, you can even choose only specific playlists or songs.

Tip 3: To enrich your iTunes library, you can convert unsupported MKV, AVI, MPG to iTunes and even rip Blu-ray & DVDs to iTunes video for syncing to iPad/iPhone/iPad/Apple TV.

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iPad Air: Everything you need to know!

Complete guide to Apple's fifth-generation iPad Air, with new desing and 64-bit Apple A7 processor.

 
The iPad 5 is officially the iPad Air and it brings with it a new design that looks a lot slimmer, and feels a lot lighter, just like the iPad mini. Throw in an Apple A7 'cyclone' processor, with 64-bits of power, and an Apple M7 motion coprocessor as well. Improved LTE support, a bumped up FaceTime and iSight camera and you've got the biggest - actually, lightest - thing to happen to iPad since the original!

Code-named J42, version iPad 4, 1, model A1475, the iPad Air launched on November 1, 2013, starting at the same $499.

• iPad Air review
• iPad Air buyers guide
• iPad Air forum

  
Source: iMore

LG G Flex to support 4K video recording after Android 4.4 KitKat update: Report

The handset currently runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and features a flexible P-OLED screen.

Word has leaked out that LG's flagship and its first smartphone with a curved, flexible display, the LG G Flex, might be able to record videos at 4K resolution after receiving its Android 4.4 KitKat OS update.

The information, revealed by an anonymous tipster to Phonearena, is backed by a leaked User Agent profile which, besides showing the handset's ability to record 1080p videos at 60fps and 30fps, 720p videos and QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) videos, also shows a 2160p resolution under the video size section. This quite obviously is referring to Ultra HD or 4K resolution at 3840 x 2160 pixels. However, the authenticity of the leaked User Agent profile remains in question.

The LG G Flex was first announced in October last year (for Korea only), before making its way to several European countries in January, and reaching Indian shores in the first week of February, for Rs. 69,999.

The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean-based G Flex is powered by a quad-core 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor with an Adreno 330 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. It features a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. The G Flex is powered by a 3500mAh battery, weighs 177 grams, and is 7.9mm at its thinnest, while being 8.7mm at its thickest. As for the 6-inch curved display, LG has used a curved P-OLED panel, which is built on plastic substrates instead of glass, supposedly giving the phone better durability.

While the G Flex is yet to receive the Android 4.4 KitKat OS update, it is notable that the firm in in February already announced the LG F70, G Pro 2 and G2 mini handsets, all running on Android 4.4 KitKat OS out-of-the-box. The company earlier in February also announced three mid-range Android 4.4 KitKat smartphones, the LG L90, L70 and L40.

Source NDTV Gadgets
   

Xbox Live gaming coming to iOS and Android

Microsoft is rumoured to be bringing its Xbox Live platform to Android and iOS (iPad, iPhone).

Currently, you can obtain Xbox Live achievements and access your Xbox Live account through select Windows Phone games, just as you would on an Xbox One. But Microsoft wants to take this capability cross-platform.

That's the suggestion made by The Verge, which cites sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.

Interestingly, Microsoft itself has already confirmed it is working on such a project. One recent job posting on the company's careers website spoke of creating "a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android."

The intention here is to said to be to "win back" game developers from iOS and Android. Mobile is currently the hottest area of gaming, but the irony is that Windows Phone with its pure Xbox branding does not figure in most mobile game developers' plans. It's a bit of a barren wasteland compared to its rivals.

Xbox Live currently requires a tight certification process to develop for, but it's claimed that Microsoft will ease these requirements in future. It will also improve its tools for integrating Xbox Live functionality into games.

The report claims that Microsoft will position Xbox Live as an alternative to Apple's Game Center and Google's Play Games as a means for attaining achievements and monitoring friends' gaming activity. It could also conceivably provide something these two platforms cannot - cross-platform multiplayer.

Via Trusted Reviews

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