Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » septembre 23, 2013

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

Blackberry may have found a buyer -- but is there any value left?

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 11:28pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Technology moves at a feverish pace. It feels like only yesterday that the iconic Blackberry was the market leader for smartphones. However, fast-forward to 2013 and we see a struggling company laying off 4,500 employees and losing close to a billion dollars in one quarter alone. On August 13, Blackberry (formerly known as RIM) announced the possibility of selling itself, hinting at strategic alternatives.

Today, Blackberry announces that "it has signed a letter of intent agreement under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence". In other words, it is exploring being bought by Fairfax.

The company further says "the letter of intent contemplates a transaction in which BlackBerry shareholders would receive $9 in cash for each share of BlackBerry share they hold, in a transaction valued at approximately $4.7 billion. The consortium would acquire for cash all of the outstanding shares of BlackBerry not held by Fairfax. Fairfax, which owns approximately 10 percent of BlackBerry’s common shares, intends to contribute the shares of BlackBerry it currently holds into the transaction".

It remains to be seen what value Fairfax sees in the struggling company as Blackberry's handset business seems to be in the toilet. According to Gartner, Blackberry's worldwide Q2 2013 market-share is at an embarrassing 2.7 percent which is down from 5.2 percent a year earlier.

Some may point to the value in patents, however, I question the logic in that thinking; especially at $4.7 billion. Business customers seem to be doing fine with iOS and Android; all without Blackberry patents. I fear that buying Blackberry equates to buying Palm -- a move that cost HP dearly.

Blackberry's stock is actually up nearly one-percent on the day, however, trading has been halted on this news. The stock was down as much as 23-percent this past Friday when the layoffs were announced.

Do you think there is any value in Blackberry? Tell me in the comments.

Image Credit: Trybex / Shutterstock
SkyDrive swells to even greater size

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 9:30pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

Microsoft has taken over the tech news today with its Surface 2 launch, but the company doesn't stop there, keeping the ball rolling with a bit more news, this time from the cloud. SkyDrive has become tightly integrated with today's marquee products, Windows and Office, as well as being a competitor to rival services from Google and Amazon. Now the company announces a new storage tier.

"Today, we are happy to introduce a new storage option to add 200 GB of additional storage to your SkyDrive for $100 per year", says Omar Shahine, Group Program Manager for SkyDrive. For perspective, Microsoft describes this as enough space to store one photo per hour from birth through college graduation -- this obviously depends on average image size, which continues to grow.

Of course, this is all tied to the bigger story of the day -- "To help people get the most out of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, customers purchasing either device will receive 200 GB of free SkyDrive storage for 2 years". In addition, the company is throwing in free Skype calling to land lines and unlimited Wi-Fi on the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 at more than two million hot-spots worldwide for one year.

This is yet another nod towards increasing Surface sales, but it's also a nice bonus for those who do purchase the new device. Perhaps not enough to sway the decision, but one more thing to consider.

Photo Credit: IdeaStepConceptStock/Shutterstock
Microsoft announces Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 7:29pm CEST par Mark Wilson

At an event in New York, Microsoft reveals the successor to the Surface RT and Surface Pro -- the predictably named Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 (interesting to note that the "RT" is gone from the former's name) -- and Brian Fagioli was live-blogging from the event. So what do we have to look forward to from the product refresh?

The first generation Surface tablets suffered poor sales and came in for criticism from many quarters, so there is certainly room for improvement.

Microsoft is claiming that the Surface Pro 2 is faster than 95 percent of laptops currently on the market. In terms of raw figures, there is a performance boost of 20 percent and a graphics performance improvement of 50 percent.

Inside there's a Haswell chip which goes some way to explaining the claims that the second generation Surface Pro not only runs more quietly and cooler than the original, but also boasts a 75 percent improvement in battery life. This is boosted further by the addition of the Power Case accessory, resulting in two and a half times the battery life of the original Surface Pro.

The kickstand of the original Surfaces meant that it was tricky to use away from a flat surface, but this has been changed so there are now two positions to choose from, making it easier to use on the lap like a laptop.

A docking station is something that many people felt was lacking from the Surface lineup, and this has been rectified with version 2. The Surface Docking Station not only adds power, but also three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, Ethernet, audio in and out and Mini DisplayPort. Other accessories were also announced, including improved versions of the Type and Touch covers. The Type Cover 2 is available in two colors, is thinner than the original and is also backlit.

The Touch Cover 2 has more sensors than the first version, opening up the possibility of touch gestures in addition to typing. The keyboard cover is more rigid as well as being thinner and it is backlit just like the Type Cover 2.

The Surface 2 is the cheaper, entry level model. There are improvements to be found here too. Again, it's faster and lighter. Although RT is no longer part of the name, this model still runs Windows RT, now on an upgraded full HD display. The Surface 2 comes bundled with Office 2013 RT and pricing starts at $449. Both the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 upgrade SkyDrive users' storage to 200 GB, for free.

The baseline pricing figures look good, with the Surface 2 starting at $449. This is for the 32 GB version, and there's also a 64 GB model available. The Surface Pro 2 starts at $899 for a 64 GB version with 4 GB RAM and there is a 128 GB model with the same memory capacity. There are also 256 GBand 512 GB versions backed up with 8 GB RAM -- full details of all prices have not yet been confirmed. But the prices soon add up. The Touch Cover 2 costs $119.99, and the Type Cover 2 costs $129.99. Like the idea of the Power Cover? This will set you back $199.99 and you'll have to wait until 2014 to get your hands on it. The Docking Station has the same price and estimated release date.

Both Surface 2 devices are available from 22 October, but pre-ordering starts tomorrow, September 24 at 8 AM EDT. For now, the pre-order site is home to information about the devices.
Watch Microsoft's Surface 2 presentation here

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 7:28pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Microsoft chose not to live stream its Surface 2 reveal earlier today, but fortunately our own Brian Fagioli was in New York to cover the unfolding events in an excellent live blog. Now that the event is over Microsoft has made the full on-demand video of the proceedings available for anyone to watch.

During the one hour (and a bit) event Microsoft unveiled the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets as well as a whole load of accessories, including "Blades", a new type of touch cover which can be customized for different uses. Brian described it as a "potential game-changer" and hasn’t stopped raving about it ever since.

Whether the new tablets will be enough to reverse Surface’s fortunes remains to be seen, certainly they’ve generated some interesting conversations in our newsroom.

Anyway, if you’re interested in seeing the presentation, hit play, sit back and enjoy.

And then as always leave your thoughts and comments below.
9 million iPhone sales is good, not great

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 4:41pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

First-weekend iPhone sales look good at first glance, and they're surely nothing to snicker at. But the numbers are not as big as they might seem. A year ago, iPhone 5 racked up 5 million sales, which compares to 9 million combined for successor 5s and the new 5c. Five is more than nine right?

But the math isn't so simple. The 9-million figure should stand on its own, and not -- as many blogs and news sites state today -- suggest sales surge. Don't be fooled by Apple marketing. What's good isn't great.

1. In the past, older iPhones filled the $99 price niche the 5c now takes. Apple can count more sales as new rather than lose in the assessment older, discounted models pulling up lower price points. iPhone 4s remains at $0, but at $99 there's new option, in five colors, that is counted as new.

2. T-Mobile sells iPhone in the United States. Apple didn't have the carrier for launch of iPhone 5. So in the handset's strongest market, all major carriers now sell the device.

3. New iPhones are available in more countries than last year's launch, and that includes China, the world's largest cell phone market. iPhone 5 debuted about 3 months after launch last year, racking up 2 million initial sales.

4. Apple doesn't break out 5s and 5c numbers, which is crucial to accurately assessing who's buying what, how margins spread and whether the pricing strategy makes sense.

5. Spot checks of launch-day lines indicate the majority of sales went to existing iPhone customers. That's good for Apple, as customer retention is an enviable goal every company wants to reach. But the real measure of success, particularly in a global market glutted with Androids, is customer churn. Apple can only resell to the same customers for so long, particularly with 2-year cellular contract commitments hanging over them.

6. iPhone 5c sales of any kind mean lower margins at launch, unless Apple makes them up somewhere else, such as sales of cases and other add-ons. Cost of initial manufacturing and distribution is greatest for new iPhones and decreases over time, as economies of scale and other factors kick in. When Apple moved iPhone 4s into the $99 price point last year, for example, the big margin hit was already over. iPhone 5c should initially generate smaller margins, comparatively, because of startup costs bringing the device to market. The point: More sales isn't necessarily more profit. It's too early to make that assessment.

As I predicted last week, Apple uses sleight-of-hands to give the impression demand is greater. By restricting preorders, Apple led more people to line up to buy iPhone 5s than the last two models. Rumors about supply shortages fed the demand beast and interest in being one of the lucky few -- another incentive to line up outside stores.

But don't be fooled by Apple. The company chose not to brag about iPhone 5c preorders, which reveals much more. Buzz about people standing outside retail stores or daily online reports about iPhone 5s availability is not measure of success. Nor is boasting about 9 million phones sold, when the year-ago comparison doesn't mesh and there is no breakout for the two new models.

I don't suggest 9 million is bad, just nowhere as good as the Apple marketing machine -- and all the company's online prognosticating lapdogs -- would have you believe.
Moto X bests iPhone 5s, 5c and Galaxy S4 in breakability test

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 3:27pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Smartphone reviews today usually revolve around specs, benchmarks and feature comparisons, with little emphasis being placed on long-term usage scenarios. As a result, it is difficult for consumers to figure out which handsets they should buy knowing that their new purchase is likely to get into a couple (or more) accidents down the road.

According to a new breakability test, conducted by insurance company SquareTrade, if you are looking for the most durable new smartphone available on the market then you should get the Motorola Moto X. The handset surpassed the Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and Samsung Galaxy S4 in a series of tests which involved a five-foot drop, sliding the devices on a slippery table and submerging them in shallow water.

Alongside the iPhone 5c, the Galaxy S4 was one of the most affected smartphones in the five-foot drop. The screen almost detached itself from the body and was found to be nonoperational after the big fall. The iPhone 5c also sustained heavy damage, as its display cracked in multiple places. It, however still worked afterwards. The iPhone 5s and Moto X sustained the least amount of damage, with only nicks showing up. The explanation for the results is likely that the last two devices may feature a stiffer chassis, which doesn't allow the body to shear like with the iPhone 5c and Galaxy S4.

In the slide test, the Moto X came out on top (it travelled the least on the slippery table, after being pushed). It was followed by the iPhone 5c and Galaxy S4. As you can tell, all three devices feature a plastic case, which seems to be a better choice compared to the metal on the iPhone 5s. Apple's latest flagship slid off the table, taking the last place.

In the submerging test, all smartphones passed with flying colors, except the Galaxy S4 -- its display stopped working after being pulled out of the water. Considering that no device in the test touts waterproof credentials, it's likely that Samsung's handset features internals which are poorly isolated from the outside.

SquareTrade crowned the Moto X as the winner of the test, followed by the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and Galaxy S4. The insurancy company also conducted a similar test, in late-May, and the hierarchy was the same for Apple's and Samsung's flagships (the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, at the time).
Microsoft Surface event liveblog

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 3:22pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

On an unassuming street, next to a strip-club, a small line forms in front of a building. It is comprised of tech-writers carrying backpacks. The smell of bleach is in the air as a maintenance worker frantically scrubs the sidewalk to clean what appears to be vomit. Yes, this is New York City and I am attending the Surface event.

Today, Microsoft is expected to announce updates to its Surface line of tablets (two models -- RT and Pro -- are likely to be unveiled). If Steve Ballmer is here, it may be his final product event before he heads off into the sunset (the man will retire within a year).

I will be taking pictures, videos and live-blogging from the event. What would you like to know? Tell me in the comments.

All updates will be in reverse chronological order. The latest ones are first and first ones are last. You will need to hit the refresh button in order to see the newest updates.

11:34am. Both tablets available in 21 markets on 10/22. Pre-order begins 9/24 at 8am EST. Surface 2 starts at $449 and Surface Pro 2 starts at $899.

11:31am. The Surface Remix Project Blade is the show-stealer. A potential game-changer.

11:27am. "Blades" is a new type of touch cover which can be customized for different usages. Surface Remix Project is a music-producing pressure-sensitive touch cover. Very innovative!

11:24am. Touch Cover 2 supports gestures!

11:22am. Surface 2 will be $449. Touch Cover 2 is backlit and has 1092 sensors. By comparison, Touch Cover 1 only had 80 sensors.

11:20am. Surface 2 comes with 200GB free SkyDrive for two years.

11:13am. Surface 2 front camera has improved light-handling so Skype always has bright video. Surface 2 and Pro 2 comes with free international Skype calling.

11:09am. Surface 2 has a 72-core GPU for gaming.

11:05am. There are now 100,000 apps in Microsoft app store.

11:03am. Microsoft says Surface 2 is sexier.

11:02am. Surface 2 (RT) has 1080p display, adds USB 3.0 -- includes the new lap-mode kickstand. It is faster, thinner and adds 25-percent better battery than Surface RT.

11:00am. Surface 2 is white!

10:59am. Now onto Surface 2; it is a revamp of Surface RT. They are playing a artsy movie about the design.

10:54am. Type Cover 2 is 1-mm thinner than Type Cover with improved key-switches -- almost as thin as the original Touch Cover. It is silent which makes it ideal for a classroom. And it is backlit!

10:46am. Surface Docking station revealed. It turns the Surface Pro 2 into a desktop workstation. Ethernet, 3x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, Mini Display Port, Audio In, Audio Out.

10:44am. New power cover, Type Cover 2. A keyboard cover with an embedded extended battery. It increases battery live 2.5 times.

10:42am. Haswell has been added, with cooler, quieter performance with 75-percent improved battery life. 75-percent!

10:40am. The new kickstand has two modes -- Lap mode and desk mode. The kickstand now extends further for use in the lap.

10:38am. Microsoft says Surface Pro 2 will have 50-percent faster graphics, 20-percent overall improved performance over Surface Pro.

10:35. The event has started. Two tablets are confirmed as Surface 2 and Surface Pro.

10:14am. Still waiting for something to happen. This dance music is giving me a headache. It is amazing how many journalists are using MacBooks here. I havent seen one Windows machine yet.

10:02am. There is dance music playing and purple light illuminating the room. I may start dancing.

09:42 am. The line of journalists is beginning to stretch far down the street. Electricity is the air.

09:05 am. The new Surface tablets appear to be inside.
Apple breaks its sales record, sells 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c models in opening weekend

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 3:17pm CEST par Wayne Williams

With queues stretching around Apple stores and talk about stock sell-outs dominating the tech news, it comes as no surprise that the iPhone 5s and 5c enjoyed brisk sales this launch weekend. The only question was exactly how many units the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant would shift of its new devices.

While Apple predictably doesn’t break the number down into 5s and 5c sales, we now know thanks to an official announcement that combined the devices sold some 9 million units worldwide in the three days since they launched on 20 September. This beats the previous record for first weekend iPhone sales, which was 5 million for the iPhone 5 last year.

In addition, Apple says over 200 million iOS devices are now running the redesigned and divisive iOS 7, making it the fastest software upgrade in history.

"This is our best iPhone launch yet -- more than nine million new iPhones sold -- a new record for first weekend sales," says Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone".

In a piece he wrote last week, my colleague Joe Wilcox said, "Expect the company to combine both phone sales, when boasted in PR, to give greater sense of demand. That's a way to hide whether or not sales of one is weak. Apple does this with iPad, by not breaking out mini sales, which by all analyst estimates cannibalize sales of the larger tablet", which of course was spot on. However, early indications suggest the iPhone 5s is outselling the 5c by at least 3 to 1.
Firefox Aurora adds support for Windows 8's Modern UI

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 1:44pm CEST par Nick Peers

Mozilla has rolled out Firefox Aurora 26.0a2 and Firefox Beta 25.0b1. While the Beta has few noteworthy features to talk about, the Aurora alpha release has a number of major new talking points.

Chief among these is support for running Firefox in the Modern UI. This marks the first appearance of Mozilla’s Windows 8 touch-optimized app in an alpha build, it having previously only been available as a standalone pre-alpha release.

To see the new app in action, Windows 8 users must set Aurora as the default browser on installing it (note Firefox Aurora will install alongside any existing final or beta build, allowing users to switch back to a more stable release). The Modern UI app has a tile-based start screen and supports Firefox Sync, Windows 8 touch and swipe gestures, Snapped and Fill views and Windows Share integration.

Mozilla is keen to point out that the build is still a preview, and while nearly feature-complete contains a number of bugs. With this in mind, it’s not certain whether the Modern UI app will migrate with Firefox 26 to the Beta build in six weeks’ time.

There’s plenty more to get interested in with Firefox Aurora on the desktop front -- all plug-ins (except Flash plug-ins) are now defaulted to "click-to-play" by default, meaning users must manually approve their use the first time a plug-in is evoked.

Aurora also allows users to run more than one service at a time using the Firefox SocialAPI -- users currently have to switch between them. This includes support for multiple notifications and chat. The password manager also now supports script-generated password fields.

Also added is H.264 support on Linux with the appropriate gstreamer plug-ins, and MP3 decoding is now supported on Windows XP to complete support across all Windows builds. There are also a number of developer enhancements and fixes.

Firefox 25 Beta meanwhile sees all the features previously previewed in Aurora migrate across to the Beta build. This includes the Find bar no longer being shared across multiple tabs, while users can now reset Firefox without clearing the browsing session. Users will also be prompted to migrate settings from another browser when returning to Firefox after several months’ absence.

Both Firefox Beta 25.0b1 and Firefox Aurora 26.0a2 are available now as a free open-source downloads for Linux, Mac and Windows. Also available is the latest stable build, Firefox 24 FINAL.
Tesco launches low-cost Hudl tablet to compete with Nexus 7

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 1:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

UK supermarket Tesco launches its own 7-inch tablet undercutting the price of just about everything else on the market. The Hudl may be cheap (just £119), but the specs are surprisingly high -- the budget price doesn’t seem to have meant having to make too many cutbacks. A 1.5GHz processor powers a 1440 by 900 display, and the 16GB of integrated storage can be expanded through the use of the microSD slot. The tablet runs Android 4.2.2 and Tesco wants it "to open up a world of entertainment and connectivity to all". It is priced well to compete with the likes of the Nexus 7.

Heading to the supermarket may not be where you'd first think to buy your next tablet, but Tesco's new Hudl is likely to change that. The tablet has been designed to be very family friendly; it looks approachable and has been configured so that parents are guided through the process of setting it up for use by children. The Hudl will be available in four colors -- red, blue, black and purple.

At first glance things look very much like any other tablet, but look to the lower left of the screen an there's a Tesco T. This is more than just a branding logo -- tap the icon and users can gain access to Tesco services such as on-demand films through Blinkbox, shopping, banking and more.

The tablet is likely to fly off the shelves thanks to the low asking price, but any narrow profit margins will surely be offset by the range of accessories that are going to be available. There are 6 soft touch cases and two leather cases to choose from, and a bumper case designed specifically for children. A Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable can be used to turn the tablet into a media streaming device for the family.

Tesco says that many people who do not yet own a tablet "feel that the technology is too expensive or intimidating". The Hudl is already incredibly cheap, but further savings can be had by Clubcard holders (Tesco's loyalty scheme) which will bring the price down to less than £100.

The Hudl is not available just yet -- Tesco is whipping up a little hype and interest ahead of the on-sale date -- but it can be picked up in around 1,000 Tesco stores, as well as online, from 30 September.
Who needs widescreen? LG unveils the Vu 3 with 4:3 display

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 12:09pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Most smartphones that are available nowadays sport a widescreen display, typically featuring a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. The reason for this is simple -- it works very well with multimedia content (like YouTube videos and movies), web browsing and helps with the overall usability of the device. The latter especially holds true with phablets -- or, big smartphones if you will -- where it is crucial for users to be able to operate their handset with one hand, at some basic level.

LG, on the other hand, believes that a 4:3 display would suit phablet users better, even though it practically makes the device wider than comparable handsets with a widescreen panel. As a result, the South Korean company continues the same approach with its latest entry in the niche phablet market -- the Vu 3.

LG has not provided many details concerning the hardware specifications of the Vu 3. What we know is that the device features a 5.2-inch display with a very thin bezel, similar to the G2 smartphone (it also has a 5.2-inch display, but it's a widescreen panel). LG says that this improves readability, compared to traditional displays, although I believe it has more to do with providing a unique proposition on the phablet market rather than the aforementioned reason.

The Vu 3 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor (likely running at 2.3 GHz) and features support for LTE-A cellular networks (allow for maximum download speeds of 150 Mbps). It also comes with a 13 MP back-facing camera, just like the G2.

LG also detailed a couple software features that are offered on the Vu 3. The most interesting is KnockOn, which allows users to lock and unlock their device simply by double tapping on the display. This feature neatly complements the unusual display format and will aid in improving usability. There is also Guest Mode (the name is self-explanatory) and QLink, which deals with notifications. The smartphone will ship with Android; the exact version has yet to be revealed.

There are no details concerning market availability nor pricing for the new Vu 3.
Media, communications and banking lead the charge to big data

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 12:02pm CEST par Ian Barker

Investment in big data continues to rise in 2013 according to a new survey by Gartner with 64 percent of companies investing or planning to invest compared to 58 percent in 2012.

The survey of 720 Gartner Research Circle members worldwide, which was conducted in June 2013, was designed to examine organizations' technology investment plans around big data.

Industries leading the way with big data investments are media and communications, banking, and services. Among media and communications organizations 39 percent say that they have already invested in big data, followed by 34 percent of banking organizations and 32 percent of services firms. Planned investments during the next two years are highest for transportation (50 percent), healthcare (41 percent) and insurance (40 percent).

On a regional level North America continues to lead investments with 38 percent of organizations surveyed saying that they have invested in technology specifically designed to address the big data challenge. Asia/Pacific organizations were notably ambitious with 45 percent indicating that they plan to invest during the next two years.

Despite the enthusiasm, however, most organizations take a tentative approach to investment, beginning with knowledge gathering and pilot schemes before embarking on a major rollout.

"For big data, 2013 is the year of experimentation and early deployment," says Frank Buytendijk, research vice president at Gartner. "Adoption is still at the early stages with less than eight percent of all respondents indicating their organization has deployed big data solutions. Twenty percent are piloting and experimenting, 18 percent are developing a strategy, 19 percent are knowledge gathering, while the remainder has no plans or don't know".

When it comes to the uses of big data the survey reveals that there are a wide range of business problems being addressed, although there are some clear patterns. In Gartner's 2012 and 2013 studies, business cases that improve process efficiency and business cases centered around customer experience dominate big data wish lists. In the 2013 survey, 55 percent of organizations say that they are currently addressing enhanced customer experience using big data, while 49 percent are using big data to address process efficiency.

Slightly concerning is that for 15 percent of organizations surveyed the major challenge was understanding what big data is. Nick Huedecker, research director at Gartner says, "Perhaps unsurprisingly, this concern came mainly from respondents with no plans to invest. Organizations should be sure they are educated about big data opportunities in their industry to ensure they are not missing the boat".

You can get the full report on the Gartner website and big data trends will be further examined at the Gartner Symposium/IT Expo in Orlando in October.

Image Credit: Maksim Kabakou/Shutterstock
iPhone 5s comfortably outselling the plastic bodied 5c

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 11:40am CEST par Wayne Williams

Despite being the cheaper -- or rather more affordable -- of the two new iPhones, and available in a choice of bright pastel colors, the iPhone 5c was always going to struggle to win the hearts and minds of the Apple faithful, especially with the iPhone 5s grabbing most of the attention with its own new colors, 64-bit processor and fingerprint scanner.

So it should come as no surprise that the plastic 5c is currently getting trounced in the sales department by its metallic sibling, although both appear to be selling very well.

According to Localytics, which examined data from over 20 million unique iPhones, beginning on 20 September -- when the new devices went on sale -- and ending at 8 PM ET on Sunday, 22 September, the new models combined now represent about 1.36 percent of the total number of all iPhones activated in the US. AT&T accounted for 0.67 percent of all activated new iPhones (5s and 5c), Verizon 0.51 percent, Sprint 0.12 percent and T-Mobile 0.07 percent.

Localytics says, based on its findings, that 1.05 percent of all iPhones in the United States are now iPhone 5s, and just 0.31 percent are iPhone 5c, meaning the flagship is outselling the cheaper model by a factor of 3.4x.

Unsurprisingly, sales in the US are considerably higher than anywhere else in the world but Localytics says adoption patterns are similar overseas, with the 5s outpacing the 5c by a factor of 3.7x globally. In Japan the 5s is five times as popular as the 5c.

Of course, the opening weekend’s sales may not be representative of the long term picture. As Bernd Leger, VP of Marketing at Localytics points out, "those who feel the need to buy a new device the very weekend it launches are most likely the power users who want the highest-end phone experience".

Did you buy one of the new iPhones over the weekend, and if so which model did you go for?
iPhone 5s Touch ID bypassed with a fake fingerprint

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 11:39am CEST par Mark Wilson

Just days after the launch of Apple's iPhone 5s, German security and privacy group Chaos Computer Club, claims to have found a way to bypass the Touch ID fingerprint reader. The group says that this demonstrates that "fingerprint biometrics is unsuitable as an access control method" but the "hack" is longwinded enough to mean that it is unlikely to be of concern to most people.

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) goes as far as explaining precisely how it managed to bypass Touch ID using a fake fingerprint fabricated from a photo of a print.

The group has previously shown how easy it is to fake fingerprints using original prints left on glass surfaces. Bypassing the security of the iPhone 5s uses very much the same method, but relies on a higher resolution fake to help fool the high resolution sensor found on the phone.

So how does it work? CCC says that the hack can be accomplished with "materials that can be found in almost every household". After dusting a suitable fingerprint left on a glossy surface, the print is photographed, touched up and laser printed out onto a transparent slide. The toner from the laser printer gives a slightly raised representation of the fingerprint which can then be used to create a fake fingerprint. The secret ingredient? Wood glue.

The glue is smeared over the printout and lifted off when it dries. To help trick the iPhone's sensor, the latex fingerprint is then breathed upon to give it the slightly moist feel of a real finger and it can then be used to unlock the phone.

Have doubts about whether it could work or not? Check out the demonstration video on YouTube :

Does this concern you or is this a hack we don’t need to worry about?

Image Credit: NREY/Shutterstock
BetaNews takes you to the Surface 2 Event

Publié: septembre 23, 2013, 9:06am CEST par Alan Buckingham

It's September 23rd and Microsoft is holding court in New York City. The subject du jour is the brand new Surface 2, the follow up to a tablet PC much maligned for its poor sales and pricing. But today the tech giant has the opportunity to right these perceived wrongs with a fresh start.

There have been numerous rumors swirling around this "reimaging" of the flagship Windows 8 (8.1 likely) tablet, and uncertainty even about the name, at least for the lower end model -- will Microsoft keep the confusing RT moniker or go for something entirely different? -- we really don't know at this point. However, my colleague Brian Fagioli and I are currently on converging train rides headed for Penn Station and will be bringing you all of the details as the event unfolds.

Will the company pull off the comeback, or will this be more of the same? Will this be the last time we see Steve Ballmer on a Microsoft stage?

What are you hoping for, and what will it take to make you consider buying a Surface 2? Tell us in the comments below.