Randi Zuckerberg angry as 'private' Facebook photo shared on Twitter

In one of the more ironic tech stories of 2012 Randi Zuckerberg, former Facebook director and sister of Mark, has been tripped up by the social network's ever-changing privacy settings.

The Silicon Valley heavyweight had posted a family Christmas photo to her Facebook page thinking it was only viewable to her friends.

However, as her sister was also tagged in the photo and Randi hadn't specified that the photo should be viewable only to her friends, it also appeared in the news feeds of those tagged.

The photo, which simply depicts friends chatting around a kitchen table, was picked up by her sister's pal, marketing director Callie Schweitzer, who assumed it was for public consumption and reposted it to Twitter.
Way uncool

The tweet prompted an angry response from Randi Zuckerberg, who told Schweitzer that the repost was "way uncool" as "I posted it to friends only on FB."

In a further tweet, Ms Zuckerberg vilified the offending party a little more: "Digital etiquette: always ask permission before posting a friend's photo publicly. It's not about privacy settings, it's about human decency."

Randi, who runs her own media company and produces a reality TV show about life in Silicon Valley, could have avoided the unauthorised share by customising the privacy settings during the upload process.

If she had selected 'Custom' from the picture upload settings menu, and then selected 'Friends,' her sister's pal wouldn't have seen it in her news feed.

As many responders to her tweet have pointed out, perhaps this easy-to-make mistake is something she could take up with her brother, you know, the CEO of Facebook.

Via Forbes

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Apple secures patent for SIM connector tech in iPhone, iPad

Apple has won a key patent in the battle to ensure that its SIM-card technology becomes the industry standard for mobile devices.

The patent pertains to connectors for Micro SIM cards (which Apple has now replaced with the Nano SIM) and the methods of transferring the cards in and out of smartphones or tablets safely and securely.

The ruling, published by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) on Christmas Day, also covers "the plunger system" of ejecting the SIM card by using a metal pin, or SIM ejection tool.

The filing, uncovered by Patently Apple, specifically mentions iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, but can also apply to MacBooks and media centers, Apple has pointed out.
Closer to becoming standard

Apple's victory comes after a long year of battling with Nokia over SIM card technology and the next industry standards.

Apple has offered royalty-free licensing to rival companies if the European Telecommunications Standards Institute backed its new nano-SIM technology, which ended up appearing in the new iPhone 5.

The ETSI did back Apple and this most recent patent victory in the United States may discourage other companies from continuing their fight against Apple's SIM tech as the industry looks towards standardised solutions.\
via appleinside

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Amazon cloud server outage knocks out Netflix for Christmas

An issue with Amazon's web servers took down Netflix for some subscribers as they settled into watch festive movies on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Amazon Web Services, which hosts a massive array of the world's most popular online services, said it is experiencing an issue with the Elastic Load Balancing Service on the east coast of the United States.

The fault restricted access to Netflix "on some, but not all devices" at perhaps the most important time of the year, as families gather to catch-up on old classics.

Some users testing out the the streaming platform with new gadgets and activating new subscriptions received as Christmas gifts will also have been disappointed.
Prime stays online

Netflix tweeted on Christmas Eve to say: "We're sorry for the Christmas Eve outage. Terrible timing! Engineers are working on it now."

However, the company is likely to be furious with Amazon.

In a further twist, the rival Amazon Prime Instant Video service has reportedly remained online throughout the village, although there's little hint of an attempted Christmas coup de grâce.
Second major outage

As well as Netflix, the Heroku cloud application platform also fell victim to the issue, which Amazon was still working on correcting on Christmas morning.

Netflix says the majority of its customers were back online by Pacific Time in the US on Christmas Eve, which is eight hours behind UK time.

Amazon's servers last experienced a major outage back in June, when it knocked out Netflix, Pinterest and Instagram, among other popular services.

Via GigaOm

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Unannounced Google Nexus 10 dock appears in festive Android video

Google looks certain to launch a dock connector for its Nexus 10 tablet after the unannounced accessory appeared in a festive video.

The 'Happily Holidays from Android' clip, posted this weekend, features the Android mascot meeting up with pals and the latest generation of devices, the Nexus 4 phone and the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets.

The clip shows a user placing the Nexus 10 tablet in a sma
Via Android Central

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Nokia Windows RT tablet to feature keyboard cover with battery power?

Nokia will launch a Windows RT tablet in early 2013, according to reports on Christmas Eve.

The Verge's sources have claimed that the long-rumoured slate will, like the Microsoft Surface tablet, boast a 10.1-inch display along with USB and HDMI connectivity.

The report also revealed that Nokia will aim to stand out from the ground with an innovative keyboard cover that, according to the source, will "envelop the tablet like a book."

The keyboard cover, which is said to clip onto the tablet and act as a kickstand, could also feature a battery pack to give the tablet a boost when power is low and two USB ports for extra connectivity.
Ten-hour battery life?

Beyond the purported case, the report claims that Nokia's device will also have a ten hour battery with fast charging tech that will return the tablet to a 50 per cent charge in a short space of time.

With Windows RT on-board, that means an ARM chipset. However, sources have claimed that Nokia will be producing a limited run of its first tablet, with a view to launching a Windows 8 version also.

Nokia has refused to comment on the report, which also claims the device will launch at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.
VIA THE VERGE

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Best catch-up TV service: 8 reviewed and rated

The internet has changed our day-to-day lives dramatically, and one of the areas that's seen the biggest impact is TV.

When it comes to online streaming services, the BBC has led the way with iPlayer, showing us what's possible with on-demand television.

iPlayer launched in 2007 and has been hugely successful, but the BBC's competitors haven't been sitting idly by. The terrestrial channels might not have the same resources as the Beeb, but their offerings have been catching up fast.

Satellite behemoth Sky has also been honing its on-demand service, Sky Go. Unlike many of the other products here, it isn't free (unless you're already a Sky subscriber), but with bespoke apps for a range of platforms, it looks like it could give iPlayer a run for its money.

There's also YouView, which had a long and difficult launch, but could be about to shake things up. Four years in the making, it's a unique product that brings together the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BT and TalkTalk, and combines its online streaming services with PVR functionality. The objective is to blend broadcast TV seamlessly with the internet.

Finally, we have Lovefilm and Netflix, which are best known for on-demand movies, but dabble in TV shows too. These services have changed the way we watch TV, and we've set out to discover which one is best.
1. 4OD




Can the BBC's terrestrial rival compete when it comes to streaming?

Unlike the BBC, Channel 4 is a commercial broadcaster with far fewer resources at its disposal, so 4oD was never going to be as polished as iPlayer, but it performs well. The website is attractively laid out, and there are various ways to browse the impressive archive.

Much like the iPlayer website, you can browse shows by popularity, date and genre. There are also Collections, which gather together various programmes that feature the same stars. To play a video, just click on it.

There are no fast-forward or rewind buttons, but you can drag a slider to skip through a programme. This works well on a PC, but running 4oD via a set-top box or console makes things trickier. There's no HD content, but on the whole the video quality is very good.

One excellent feature you won't find in most other on-demand services is audio description for users with impaired vision. Not all programmes support it, but a lot do, and it can be turned on by pressing the 'AD' button. Subtitles can be activated in a similar way.

You can add shows to your favourites, or create playlists and queue up shows.

Channel 4 is a commercial broadcaster, so its service includes unskippable ads. In the past these were annoying, because you would often see the same one every time you clicked a video. Thankfully, that has been corrected and adverts are now much less disruptive. They rarely play before a video starts, instead appearing during the natural ad breaks of the programme.

The 4oD service also has a great archive of older shows - something iPlayer lacks.

Although the PC experience is great, on consoles and set-top boxes, 4oD is a little disappointing. In most cases it's just a skinned version of the web page. That's not necessarily bad, but it's more fiddly to control with a remote control or games controller than a mouse and keyboard.

Verdict

4oD is going from strength to strength, with a greatly improved web version and excellent video quality.

Score: 3/5
2. BBC iPlayer




Auntie has long reigned on the web, and she's hanging onto her crown

The recent London Olympics provided both a challenge and an opportunity to the BBC's on demand service, and it more than lived up to expectations. iPlayer provided 24 simultaneous high definition live streams, accessible over a number of platforms - from the usual web browser-based service to iPlayer apps on smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and games consoles.

Many of its competitors have been catching up fast (most noticeably Sky), but the BBC certainly hasn't been resting on its laurels, and has made a number of significant improvements to iPlayer in recent months.

One excellent new feature is the ability to pause a live TV show that you're streaming through the service. Hovering over a live broadcast also opens up a handy 'Restart the current programme' option, which takes you to the start of the show that's currently on air. Both these features make iPlayer more like a PVR than ever, and are crucial steps towards making watching live TV online more attractive than on TV, a feat that no ondemand service has yet achieved. It's not flawless though, and there's currently no HD option for pausing and re-watching live TV.

The interface has been revised over the years, and its latest incarnation is easily the best. You can browse and search for programmes by genre, TV channel, popularity or through featured picks. Hovering over a programme's thumbnail brings up options to watch the programme straight away, add it to your favourites, or download it to watch later. Downloads are available to watch for 30 days, and you can set up iPlayer to download future episodes in the series.

Although the playing field has been levelled a bit, BBC iPlayer still boasts some of the best features, keeping it ahead of the competition.

Verdict

There's a reason iPlayer is so popular: it's easily the best streaming service right now.

Score: 5/5
3. Demand 5




Can the fifth terrestrial channel stand toe-to-toe with its older rivals?

Channel 5 began in 1997, mainly showing bawdy films. It's re-branded itself numerous times since, and bought the rights to other stations' floundering shows, including the likes of Neighbours, Big Brother, and Home and Away. It has also launched two digital channels: 5USA for glossy American serials, and 5star for endless repeats of the core offerings, interspersed with late night teleshopping.

Its on-demand service, Demand 5, has a purple and black colour scheme that, although similar to iPlayer's black and pink, looks a little rough around the edges. The content is oddly aligned too, with unused space taking up much of the page.

The archive itself seems almost completely random. The schedule only stretches back a week, so if you want to find a particular episode you'll have to browse through the show's back catalogue to find the one you want. There is a huge amount of content available, with programmes stretching back to 2010 - it's just rather tricky to find it all.

If you're a fan of adverts then Demand 5 should be your first port of call. Before we could watch a programme, we were presented with five attempts to sell us stuff, and there are banner adverts embedded on the web page for each show. We thought ITV Player was bad, but Demand 5 takes the biscuit, and then tries to sell said biscuit to you.

The player itself is similar to ITV's: it's programmed in Flash, there's no HD option, and it lacks the ability to download shows. At the time of writing, England and South Africa are battling it out at Lord's - surely a huge catch for Channel 5 - but disappointingly there's no option to watch it live online.

Compared to the other slick services, Demand 5 feels messy. If you're addicted to Home and Away, Neighbours or Big Brother you might find it useful, but in this case we'd recommend you start watching better shows.

Verdict

We'd love to give this five stars, but as it stands it's the worst of the bunch with no high definition option and intrusive ads.

Score: 2/5
4. ITV Player




The UK's first commercial TV station goes online with a slick-looking player

Unsurprisingly, ITV's online TV catch-up service is chock full of adverts. Watch a 30-minute programme and you're presented with a couple at the start, followed by a batch of four every 10 minutes, and a couple at the end. It's just about forgivable given ITV's status as the UK pioneer of TV advertisements.

Things have come a long way since its launch in 1955 though. It now runs four channels alongside its once-analogue offering: the trashtastic ITV2, repeat-central ITV3, sporty ITV4 and child-centric ITV5.

Each of these channels is available on ITV Player, with archives stretching back to the previous 30 days' content. The website itself is neat and well-presented, with concise thumbnails for each programme and, oddly, no banner adverts, although the ads seem to have been hidden in the shows themselves.

Unlike iPlayer, programmes here are presented strictly in standard definition, which feels like a missed opportunity given ITV's enthusiastic adoption of the HD format on living room screens. It performs well enough in standard definition, with little lag or stuttering, but it still looks flat compared to the HD videos we're used to on YouTube and iPlayer.

There's no option to download programs to watch offline, although they're broadcast in Flash, so some (slightly dodgy) internet tinkering might enable you to accomplish this. ITV offers an app for Android and iOS devices, but this is sub-par compared to the web offering, with frequent stutters and has sound synchronisation issues.

A couple of years ago, ITV's service would have been a neat addition to the world of internet TV, but compared to the BBC's slick iPlayer it feels like it's missing some key features - especially in the HD and offline departments.

ITV will need to improve it, if only to drive people into its incessant but doubtless lucrative advertising.

Verdict

The only way to catch up with Jeremy Kyle, but it's lacking in some key areas. HD programming would be welcome.

Score: 2.5/5
5. LoveFilm Instant




Access hundreds of movies and TV shows for £5 a month

Lovefilm is Amazon's online movie rental service, and it comes in several varieties. The Instant flavour, on test here, is purely internet based: you click a film from the extensive library and it plays. Other versions offer the ability to rent films and have them delivered by post.

The Instant system costs £4.99 a month, the postal service is £5.99, or you can have both for £7.99. The latter option will only let you have one disc at a time. There is also a one-month free trial available here to give it a spin.

The beauty of Lovefilm Instant is that it lets you watch films on so many different devices. Many modern smart TVs and Blu-ray players have the Lovefilm app installed by default. If you have an Xbox or PS3 you can access the Instant library, and there are versions for iPad and PC too.

The iPad app is particularly useful if you travel a lot. If you're stuck in a UK hotel with a suitable broadband connection, you can access Lovefilm just as readily as you could at home. The interface differs depending on which device you're using, but it's always easy to use.

Films and TV programmes are broken down into Families and Categories. Within each of these groups you'll find an array of thumbnails. Just pick one and you're done. Picture quality is excellent, with HD versions on tap, and playback is smooth.

So what can you watch? This is where Lovefilm disappoints slightly. Amazon claims there are over 5,000 movies and TV shows available, which sounds impressive. Sadly though, the very latest blockbusters aren't available for streaming.

Amazon makes a newer and wider selection of movies available via its postal subscriptions service, while Instant provides an expansive library of older films. That's not always a problem though, and you're guaranteed to find something to watch.

That goes doubly if you like watching big budget TV series like Prison Break or Life on Mars. Letting Amazon store the shows will save you a lot of shelf space!

Verdict

A huge selection of movies on pretty much any device, all for a fiver a month. It's a shame the latest films aren't available.

Score: 5/5
6. Netflix UK



Meet the web's hottest movie and TV streaming service

Somewhere, in an alternate universe, piracy doesn't exist. Instead, we pay a pittance for instant, high-quality streaming of pretty much every movie or TV show imaginable. Our universe doesn't quite have that yet, but Netflix is pretty close.

For six quid a month you are given access to an enormous library of content across PCs, consoles, connected Blu-ray players, internet TVs, smartphones and tablets. Netflix UK is £5.99 per month, and there's also a one-month's free trial available. It's a flat-rate, unlimited service, so you won't click on a film only to find you've hit your rental limit, or that it's a pay-per-view title.

Check your broadband's small print though; streaming lots of video can easily burst through ISPs' monthly bandwidth caps.

Netflix uses Microsoft's Silverlight to stream movies to your browser, and on a decent broadband connection it delivers impressive results: where HD versions of movies were available, they looked great on a big HD TV. Playback, fast-forwarding and rewinding were instant on our cable broadband connection, although sometimes fast-forwarding caused the quality to drop from HD to SD for a few seconds until the streaming buffer caught up.

For HD viewing you really need a reliable 5Mbps (720p) or 8Mbps (1080p) connection, since Silverlight's adaptive streaming degrades on the fly when a connection is too slow or congested, and video quality depends on what you're watching.

Recent films and TV programmes are generally flawless and usually in HD, but some of the encoding of older content is hopeless. Although Netflix UK works fine on a PC or Mac, it's better suited to the living room. If you've got the right cables you can connect your PC or Mac to your TV.

Netflix UK is available on some connected Blu-ray players and TVs, and you can also get apps for iOS and Android phones, Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii.

Verdict

It works very well, the apps are great and the all-you-can-eat model is simple. It's also available on a wide range of platforms.

Score: 3.5/5
7. Sky Go




Take your Sky subscription with you, but you can't have everything

Sky Go has a simple premise - it lets you watch "TV you love on the move." All you need is a Sky subscription and an Apple or Android device.

Assuming you do, all you need do is download the free app and enter your Sky ID. If you don't own a tablet or smartphone, you can use Sky Go on your Windows PC or Xbox 360. If you're using the former, you'll need to install Microsoft Silverlight from www.microsoft.com/silverlight first.

Sky Go is essentially free - or to put it another way, it's included in the overall cost of your existing Sky subscription. Getting up and running is easy: all you need do is enter your Sky ID when prompted and you're pretty much done.

It's also worth remembering that each subscriber can watch on two devices simultaneously. You can register your mobile devices through the Sky website.

With the app running, you're presented with a huge list of shows you could watch. We say 'could watch', as their availability is limited by the type of Sky account you have. This might sound a rather obvious point, but it would have made for a neater interface if the system only presented a menu of what you can actually see as opposed to everything that's available in the Sky universe.

That minor gripe aside, the rest of the system is flawless - just tap a programme and start watching. Picture quality is excellent if you're using the system using a fast broadband connection (ours was 4MB).

Ultimately, Sky Go lives and dies by the content you can access through your normal TV subscription. If you're a football fan and have shelled out for the broadcaster's full footie package then you'll love being able to watch matches on the move. On the other hand, if you only have a basic package and sometimes struggle to find something to watch at home, you'll only find the problem exacerbated when you're out and about.

Verdict

Watch Sky channels and shows you on your tablet, smartphone, PC or Xbox - but only if you're already a subscriber.

Score: 4/5
8. YouView




Catch-up TV with a free Sky Go film rental trial and a great interface

YouView is a new Freeview service offering both live and on-demand TV from the UK's five terrestrial channels, along with any offered through digital terrestrial services. The innovative features here are the integrated programme guide and the seamless cross-platform search. It's incredibly slick.

There's a TV guide button for instant access, and an 'i' button brings up programme details or film synopses. Better yet, if there's a trailer for a forthcoming programme, pressing the green button on the remote sets it to record.

You can also access the Sky Now movie rental service. There's a 30-day free trial of the package, which usually costs £15 per month, and you don't need to be a Sky subscriber. Netflix and Lovefilm are likely to become YouView stablemates in time, too.



It's not all good news, though. Sunday's TOWIE wasn't available for viewing on Monday evening (though Celebrity Masterchef was quickly available via iPlayer), and when flaky bandwidth interrupted playback, iPlayer didn't resume, as it does on our Sony Play TV-PS3 combo.

The 500GB Humax DTR-T1000 is the first PVR to feature YouView. Its two Freeview tuners can record one programme while you watch another, or record two programmes simultaneously while you watch something you recorded earlier.

The £299 PVR has HDMI, USB and Ethernet ports. We used a pair of 500Mbps HomePlugs to stream content via cable broadband (a 3Mbps service is recommended). After a few seconds of buffering, playback was stutter-free. Wi-Fi is not supported on this PVR, unlike the broadly similar BT Vision service. BT and TalkTalk folk will soon be offered branded YouView PVRs, with the potential for more content.

Verdict

Dual Freeview tuners, all the terrestrial catch-up TV players, and movie rentals. It looks set to get even better in the future.

Score: 4.5/5
And the winner is...

One of the most glaring facts that this group test has revealed is the huge disparity between the ad-supported on-demand services and those that get revenue either from subscriptions or through the TV licence fee.

While the paid-for services have slick, attractive interfaces with great features and enough bandwidth to host high definition programmes, almost all the ad-supported ones have slightly rougher edges and lack HD content. Channel 4's 4oD and the new YouView service (which is free after the initial cost of the box) are exceptions to the rule here, with impressively polished offerings and surprisingly unobtrusive adverts.

BBC iPlayer still came out on top of the terrestrial channel offerings though, and Lovefilm impressed us too.



When we started this group test, we wanted to know whether any on-demand service could beat the BBC's iPlayer. A few of its rivals came close, but none managed to match its sheer quality.

Although not technically free (it's supported by the licence fee), the amount of content and number of features offered by iPlayer are amazing. Best of all, the BBC continues to update and refine its service regularly to ensure that iPlayer remains top of the league.



The sheer number of films and TV shows available for £4.99 a month makes Lovefilm our streaming service of choice for the value award.

The fact that it's available on a number of different platforms gives you even more options for watching movies and TV when and where you want to. For just £7.99 a month you can add Lovefilm's postal service, which sends out discs for you to rent - an excellent service in its own right.

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Nintendo legend will continue to throw wacky innovation our way

Given his track record at Nintendo you could forgive gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto for taking a little rest on his laurels, but the man behind Mario is not ready to give up trying to innovate in the name of next-gen gaming.

So the Wii U is a little, well, confused, throwing more control methods at us than the average airport cockpit, but Miyamoto rightly claims that innovation is as (if not more) important than just making the next Sports/Fitness/Shooting game look shinier and more realistic.

"Whenever we're working on a certain platform, as time goes by, everybody, including the game players, is looking forward to more improved versions of the existing software," Miyamoto told Games Master via CVG.
Revolutionary

"However, that's not only the direction that evolution should take," he added. "Whenever we can create a different format, unique gameplay should be another direction where game entertainment should head.

"For example Nintendo Land, which is going to debut with the launch of the Wii U system. We've included a variety of games inside of it, some of them will be able to show the way the future of gameplay might head."

So, we can expect a heady mixture of the monumentous (Wiimotes) and the, frankly, mental (pulse monitors) as Nintendo continues to plough its occasionally wacky furrow as a family focused gaming company.

Via CVG

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Best Windows Phone - which should you buy?

When it comes to Windows Phone there's a new player in the starting line up in the form of Windows Phone 8 – Microsoft's latest attempt to make a significant dent in the mobile market.

While Android and iOS lead the way when it comes to mobile operating systems, you can draw many similarities between the two which may leave you feeling like you want some new. A fresh start, a new perspective.

That's exactly what Windows Phone, both versions 7 and 8, offers with a completely new way of providing you with your smartphone fill.
1. Nokia Lumia 920



What's better than a top Windows Phone 7 handset? A Windows Phone 8 one, and we've got no qualms about telling you this is the best Windows Phone out there.

Simplicity is the key here, the Lumia 920 does the basics well, from contact integration and calling, to web browsing and messaging – oh and it's 4G enabled

The 8MP camera on the back of the Lumia 920 is one of the best we've used and for anyone looking to get a top end cameraphone you need to seriously consider this Nokia.

The 4.5-inch display is also a good'un, crisp and clear it makes watching movies, surfing the web or Facebook stalking an enjoyable experience, thanks to the PureMotion HD technology on offer.

And you can even use it with gloves on... what more could you want? You're right: holograms. But they don't exist yet.
2. Nokia Lumia 820



If you're pockets aren't so deep, or your hands are a little smaller you may want to take a look at the Lumia 820, which still provides you with the full Windows Phone 8 experience, albeit on a slightly smaller screen.

It still has the fancy tricks of Lumia 920, including wireless charging, 4G, NFC connectivity, but it also brings changeable covers so your phone can reflect your mood – exciting times.

3. HTC 8X





Microsoft decided to shun Nokia when it came to championing Windows Phone 8, instead choose the HTC 8X to be the signature device for its new operating system.

While the 8X is by far the best looking of the Windows Phone 8 bunch it unfortunately doesn't have the prowess under the hood to match the powerhouse which is the Lumia 920.

You do get Beats Audio technology and a couple of amplifiers to enhance your tunes through the internal speaker as well as the headphone jack, plus the slender frame fits comfortably in the hand.

It's by no means a bad phone, it's just not the best Windows Phone 8 handset out there.


4. HTC 8S



The HTC 8S is a solid handset. It's got an attractive and distinctive style, which both fits with the colourful Windows Phone aesthetic and stands out from the pack.

It's also surprisingly slick and fast for a mid range phone. It's even got the edge over the top end Windows Phone 8 handsets in at least one area- specifically the inclusion of a microSD card slot, which is absent on both the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC 8X.

On the other hand the battery is average at best, web browsing can be a little slow and it doesn't do much to stand out in the apps or media department. It's also arguably a little over priced for what you get.

5. Nokia Lumia 900



We can't take our hands off the Lumia 900 – not since the iPhone was overhauled in 2010 have we enjoyed touching an inanimate object this much.

It's a shame the camera hardware doesn't live up to its software – there's so much more that can be done here.

It's not as exciting as it once was, as we have the fancy Nokia Lumia 920 on the market - plus that brings 4G and the next version of mobile software through Windows Phone 8, where the Lumia 900 will always be stuck on Windows Phone 7.8

6. Nokia Lumia 800



The Nokia Lumia 800 is getting on a bit now, but it's still a reliable handset which has no problem breezing through Windows Phone 7.5, soon to be 7.8.

It still does plenty to mark itself out as a contender with 16GB of storage, a good 8MP camera, a physical design that's both attractive and comfortable to hold and a 1.4GHz processor it's certainly got a lot going for it.

Its battery life is slightly disappointing, and it will never see Windows Phone 8 grace its sharp AMOLED display, but if you're on a budget and want a solid phone you should consider the 800.

Nokia Lumia 620



The early signs for the Nokia Lumia 620 appear to be positive and as long as the price point keeps inline with the European price, Windows Phone 8 could become an attractive option at the budget end of the market.

In short the 620 is pretty much a smaller Lumia 820, minus the wireless charging, slightly more powerful innards and larger display – which is a good sign as the 820 managed to garner 4 out of 5 in our full review.

We'll reserve proper judgement though until we've had time to experience all the features on the Lumia 620 and see if the slower processor and smaller amount of RAM cause any issues.


Samsung Ativ S



The Ativ S is a very good Windows Phone 8 device, offering several things competition from HTC and Nokia does not: a slim build, large screen, removable batter and microSD support.

Thanks to an excellent build, good specs, beefy storage and an open body design, the Ativ S is an excellent WP8 option. However, its downright frustrating how close it comes to being the ultimate Windows Phone device, only to see it fall short in key places.

While HSPA+ 3G is nothing to sneeze at, it'll never touch 4G LTE. Therefore we can't fully recommend it over an 8X or Lumia 920 when it comes to data speeds.


Huawei Ascend W1



Credit: Techblog

We know Huawei is working on a range of Windows Phone 8 handsets, but the Chinese firm is yet to release any information on its plans.

Various leaks point towards a phone called the Huawei Ascend W1 sporting a 4-inch display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5MP camera, NFC and a 2,000mAh battery – certainly value for money if the rumoured sub-$200 (around £125/AU$190) price is correct.
Huawei Ascend W3



Credit: WinP

Huawei may have a super-sized flagship Windows Phone 8 handset up its sleeve too, with the Ascend W3 touted as a 4.5-inch handset with an 8MP camera capable of capturing full HD video.

Little else is known about the Ascend W3 at the moment, but we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open for more details.

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Acer Iconia B1 is another 7-inch super-cheap tablet

Acer is planning to launch a 7-inch budget tablet next year called the Iconia B1, as the PC maker looks to expand its reach in the handheld market.

This is according to the Wall Street Journal who says it's spoken to a source with direct knowledge of the Iconia B1 project over at Acer - a tablet which will come with a very low price tag.

Going head to head with the likes of the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Acer is so-say planning on stealing the show by offering the Iconia B1 for just $99 (around $60/AU$95).
A good, old fashioned cheap-off

According to the source the Acer Iconia B1 will pack a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display – neither of which matches the power and output of its closest rivals.

Images of the Acer Iconia B1 leaked last week on a Serbian forum, so it looks like Acer is certainly readying something, but whether it will sport that attractive price tag is another question.

Acer isn't the only company supposedly planning a ridiculously cheap tablet, with several rumours surrounding a $99 Nexus 7 also refusing to go away.

We will be visiting all the key manufacturers at CES 2013 and MWC 2013 to find out what their plans are for the 7-inch market, so stay tuned for more.

From WSJ and Benchmark

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Google's Santa Tracker is all ready to go

If you've been wondering about the strange familiarity of music when you are doing your weekly shop, and an unusually heavy amount of people wearing red and white hats then we're happy to reveal that this is because it's nearly Christmas - and that means the annual Google Santa Tracker is here.

Yep, every year we bring you the news that Google is allowing you to keep an eye on just where Father Christmas' sleigh is parked up, and keep tabs on how many presents he has delivered.

And even better you can follow all of this on the internet at http://www.google.com/santatracker/.
He knows...

For those of you still on the go (for instance at least one of the TechRadar team is on a major motorway writing this very story), you can follow Saint Nick on an Android app.

But if you really want to get with the tech, you will of course be taking advantage of the 3D option through Google Earth and Google Earth Mobile.

And of course following the updates on Twitter. Honestly, we just don't know how Santa finds the time..

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Apple in 2013: what to expect

Because TechRadar's powers-that-be inexplicably rejected a perfectly sensible expenses request for a fully working TARDIS, we're stuck merely putting on our 'informed guessing hat' again, to figure out what's coming from Apple over the next 12 months.

This year, such predictions are perhaps tougher than usual: Apple's meticulous regularity regarding release schedules was thrown to the wind during 2012, most notably with the iPad 4 following the iPad 3 after only six months. Also, we were a year ago totally wrong about the iPod Classic finally bowing out - it's still on sale.

Still, we are heroically soldiering on regardless, with a list of 'Apple in 2013' predictions. They perhaps aren't as bonkers as some of those you'll find elsewhere on the web, but they are therefore probably more likely to come to pass!
1. An early iPhone 5S

You'd be crazy to think Apple wouldn't update the iPhone in 2013, given that it's responsible for much of the company's revenue. Judging by iPhone release patterns to date, it's likely to be a smaller bump this time round: an iPhone 5S, perhaps, with incremental improvements to speed, battery life and the camera. What's less certain is when it'll appear. With the recent autumn event suggesting a new iPad next October or perhaps every six months, the next iPhone might well arrive in the spring.
2. Apple TV or Apple iTV

Tim Cook recently referred to TV as "an area of intense interest" for Apple, adding: "When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years." So obviously this means a literal Apple iTV, right? Not necessarily. TVs aren't updated regularly, yet Apple likes to refresh hardware often. Smart money is instead on the existing Apple TV box in 2013 becoming more than a mere hobby, and disruption coming from further integration with iOS devices, bespoke Apple TV apps, and an iTunes Match-style service for video, along with other deals with broadcasters and TV companies.



3. Something for the pros

We last year predicted the last ever Mac Pro would arrive in 2012. Instead, we got a half-hearted update and a promise from Tim Cook that the company was "working on something really great for later next year". Macs remain the minority of Apple's revenue, desktops are the minority of Mac sales, and Mac Pros sell in lower quantities than the iMac and Mac mini. Still, if Cook's true to his word, we will see a new Mac Pro next year - and we reckon that will be the last one Apple releases before it concentrates entirely on appliance computing.
Has Apple abandoned pro users?
4. iOS and OS X interface changes

In October, Apple fired Scott Forstall, and Sir Jony Ive, senior vice president of industrial design, was given the role of leading and directing all Apple's 'human interface', including software. We doubt we'll see a wholesale shift from overblown textures to sleek minimalism, but by the end of 2013, Ive will make his presence felt on OS X and iOS. We hope whatever the result it will at the least mean more usable Apple operating systems, and potentially more beautiful ones as well.



5. Innovation question marks

Apple's expected to revolutionise an industry about every eight seconds or tech pundits get all huffy. In reality, though, Apple has always been a company of iteration, only occasionally making breakthroughs: the Apple II (1977), the Mac (1984), the original iMac (1998), the iPod (2001), the iPhone (2007), and the iPad (2010).

Nonetheless, expect question marks to be raised during 2013 if Apple doesn't disrupt another market, regardless of how well its other devices are selling. Also expect people to remark a lot how the company's not the same now Steve Jobs isn't around, despite the company being a corporate-sized embodiment of the man.
6. Map attack

Having ditched Google Maps data, Apple rolled its own mapping solution for iOS 6. The results were problematic and error-strewn. Tim Cook apologised, Scott Forstall in part got the boot for the mess, and Apple doubled down, yet still didn't fix things fast enough for the Australian state of Victoria's police force, reportedly concerned about people becoming stranded. (That last story was a tad overblown, as it turns out, with only one person actually stranded. Still, it showcased the system's inability to make sensible assumptions when two places have similar names.)

Apple's pretty hopeless when it comes to online services, but maps are an area in which it cannot afford to fail, and so we've two predictions: first, Apple Maps will improve at a rate of knots; secondly, the service will be under close scrutiny, and so will ostensibly appear to remain broken but will in reality be less so as time moves on.




7. Super Siri

Siri arrived on more devices through iOS 6 and also learned some new tricks in 2012. Although it doesn't yet do everything people want, the voice-control system is a little more intelligent regarding finding information, and it can now launch apps. Apple needs to up its game to compete with the impressive Google voice search, though, and so 2013 will see major enhancements to Siri, primarily in terms of speed, but also regarding the information it can access. Also expect Apple to increasingly use Siri to circumvent the need to search online — much to the chagrin of Google.
8. Release cycle changes

For a time, Apple's release cycle was like clockwork, especially when it came to iOS: new iPads in the spring and an iPhone in late summer. The iPad 4 changed all that, arriving a mere six months after its predecessor. Expect competition from rivals to further disrupt Apple's release schedule, with some devices moving to six-monthly rather than annual updates, and others shifting from previous cycles. Also, given Apple's launch/shipping misses regarding the new 27-inch iMac (which launched alongside the 21-inch new iMac) and iTunes 11, we won't be surprised to see the company revert to simply not announcing future products unless they're pretty much ready to ship that day.


9. More profits and less market-share
We don't think we're in for a repeat of Windows/Mac OS when it comes to Android/iOS, but cheap Android tablets and smartphones will nonetheless continue to have an impact on Apple's market-share during 2013. Figures will, however, continue to show iOS has the lion's share in terms of ongoing usage and profits. Another prediction: pundits will fail to realise Apple's stalling or falling share of a rapidly growing market nonetheless equals growth, and continue to lump Android into a single group, despite, as Ian Betteridge recently noted, it being "a set of semi-compatible platforms, built around the same technology".
10. Baffling survival of the iPod Classic

We last year predicted the iPod Classic's luck would run out in 2012, given Apple's shift to the cloud, its focus on iOS, and dropping flash memory prices potentially enabling larger-capacity iPod touch devices. Amazingly, it survived. Therefore, we're going to predict the iPod Classic will bafflingly remain in play for another year, in part because we were wrong last time, but mostly in an attempt to dare Apple to do otherwise.

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