Engineers who used to work for Nokia are hoping to grab a share of the lucrative and highly competitive smartphone market with a new handset, which is based on the former world No. 1 cellphone maker's old software and is faintly reminiscent of its recent models.

The Jolla handset's Sailfish platform has been developed from the MeeGo operating software, Nokia's last open-source platform which it abandoned in 2011 when it switched over to using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows system.

The sleek 4.5-inch phone, which almost looks like it could be part of Nokia's Lumia range, features an eight megapixel camera, supports fast 4G Internet connections and includes the well-received Nokia's HERE mapping services that cover more than 190 countries.

But, unlike Nokia's phones, Jolla is also compatible with more than 85,000 apps provided by Google Inc.'s Android, the popular and dominant operating system that has helped Samsung overtake the former Finnish bellwether to be the world's largest cellphone maker.

Marc Dillon, head of Jolla software and one of four founders of the company in 2011, spent 11 years working for Nokia after moving from the United States. He says Jolla's open operating system gives it an edge over rivals.

"We are providing a world-class choice ... that is an alternative for consumers (and) that can be very agile and powerful," Dillon said in an interview in a Helsinki office block previously occupied by Nokia employees before it laid off thousands. "For our operating system business we have a huge opportunity because there is currently one choice really available to every global mobile manufacturer and that's Android."

Other systems, such as Apple's iOS or Microsoft's Windows, can be carried only on handsets manufactured by those companies.

In a consumer test, the Jolla, which has a price tag of 399 euros ($540), didn't seem to have much to make it stand out among other smartphones. Its camera is standard; it uses a MicroSD card; has 16GB of memory storage, with a talk time and battery time of some 9-10 hours. But it has nice touches, including multiple swipe features and a useful user-replaceable battery, unlike many other models.

Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics near London says the Jolla is not "an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy killer" although it but could find a niche in the relentless smartphone race.

"At some point people will start looking for an alternative to Android and Apple so there might be an opportunity in this very cyclical market for Jolla to grab market share," Mawston said. "But I think it will be two or three versions down the line before we really know whether Jolla or Sailfish is worthy of challenging Apple or Android or Microsoft."

Finnish telecoms company DNA, which started selling the Jolla handset on Wednesday evening as hundreds lined up outside the Jolla-DNA marquee in the city center, said it had "thousands of preorders" in 136 countries, led by Finland, Germany and Britain.

The company Jolla, which now has more than 100 employees in Finland and Hong Kong, has found backers among Finnish and foreign investors, including Hong-Kong based China Fortune Holdings Ltd., but Dillon declined to give more information.

Samsung Galaxy S5 speculated to launch in early 2014 will feature Group Video Calling.

It’s fair to say that Samsung is the best in the game when it comes to manufacture high-end Android smartphones with plenty of software features to suit all needs, with the upcoming Galaxy S5 likely to amaze us all with new gizmos and be a huge risk to the survival of competing companies such as HTC and LG.

One particular feature will allow users to make conference calls (with video support) between multiple persons. We have learnt it from a document that has been filed to the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, which shows what the interface of the feature might just look like.

Looking closely at the sketch of the feature, it’s observed that users will be able to contact their family and friends, using both the front and back cameras – at the same time, as well as, the caller will be able to see the video feeds of the participants taking part in a call at the bottom of the screen, a design feature that we have already seen with the likes of Google Hangouts – which may not exactly be good for Samsung as it means that there is something similar out there already.

The feature will potentially launch as a new application within the Korean firm’s TouchWiz user interface, although there is a possibility that it could just release as an update to ChatOn, which already allows users to perform and take part in one-way conference calls.

What is nice, though, is that this sort of feature hasn’t yet been implemented by other smartphone makers, despite already being a feature within Google Hangouts. This could potentially be a winning point for Samsung when the Galaxy S5 is unveiled to the world sometime in 2014.

Being more logical, it’s something that would be a benefit to people who enjoy talking to their friends and family face-to-face, which means that if Samsung was to make it a success, keeping these type of people in mind, then we could see more and more smartphone manufacturers implementing it into their user interfaces – be that on the Android operating system or on iOS. It’s such a popular trend, too because teenagers are a fan of communicating with each other at the same time. However, could this be a dangerous point in that sense? Still, it’s certainly 

Another Xbox One model coming in 2014?

Microsoft is expected to have a new Xbox One model next quarter.

It’s just a matter of few days from now when Microsoft launched the Xbox One in thirteen major markets, and now yet another console from Redmond is reportedly in works.

According to sources, Microsoft is preparing another Xbox One model, which is likely to arrive in stores during the first quarter of 2014. The Asian’s website has learned the information from Taiwanese suppliers, who are the chosen one for the production of the console, were asked to finish the production of new Xbox One as early as the first quarter of next year.

Presumably, the console could debut by the end of March. Lately, Microsoft also asked the supply chain to start massive production by 1 million units per month, in prior to the Xbox One launch, in the last quarter.

At the moment, we don’t know much about the differences between the console and the unit already on sale. However, it may be a hardware revision or a slim version of the current model, although the latter seems unlikely since it would be too soon. Please note that Microsoft is currently facing some hardware issues that are afflicting several units of the Xbox One, related to Blu-Ray player.

Microsoft has also acknowledged the problem with disk drive and said this problem is confined to a small group of gamers. In some cases, when we insert the disk in drive, it starts making loud noises and sometimes it’s not even reading discs.

In related issue, Microsoft said, “We’re working directly with those affected to get a replacement console to them as soon as possible through our advance exchange program. Rest assured, we are taking care of our customers. While a replacement console is on its way, we want to ensure our advance exchange customers can stay in the game. We will provide each of them with a free digital download of one of the launch titles published by Microsoft Studios.”

Though Microsoft hasn’t given any comments on the rumor of new console, the sources say “the new version of Xbox One” might be more expensive than the model on sale from November 22, which has already surpassed its predecessor “day-one” sales record and available for $499.

GTA San Andreas coming to

iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Amazon Kindle in December

Like last year with the launch of GTA III for iOS and Android, Rockstar will be launching one of the most significant and top-selling titles of the franchise for mobile platforms.

This time though, the game will be available for Amazon’s Kindle tablets as well as Windows Phone, and Rockstar has promised a lot of enhancements in terms of graphics and gameplay.

According to the company, the particular version of the game will be the best looking version of San Andreas. Moreover, the game has been remade from scratch thus being completely mobile friendly; integrated controlling system whilst driving or wandering, and there will be three different schemes for driving. In addition to that, some of the buttons will disappear when not needed in order not to captivate useful screen space. Rockstar is revising the checkpoint system so it will be easier to progress through the game.

Furthermore, since the vast majority of GTA players rock the game on a console, the mobile version will be compatible with third party controllers, such as the Logitech PowerShell and the Moga Ace Power which are made specifically for iOS 7 on the iPhone and iPod touch.

It’s quite exciting to see such titles to hit the mobile app stores that feature so intensive graphics because the user will be finally able to make use of powerful mobile GPUs. Rockstar’s strategy might induce other famous game developers to follow suit as well. The game maker hasn’t confirmed anything about pricing yet, though we believe it will retail for around six to ten US dollars.

San Andreas was announced back in 2004 for PS2 – feel old yet — hence it will be fascinating to go through one of the best campaigns in the industry, with advanced graphics while using our fingertips. So here comes December, let’s be patient and keep checking respective mobile app stores.

Microsoft Xbox One vs Sony PS4

We have seen the arrival of both next-gen consoles, the Xbox One and PS4. These machines are built to revolutionize the gaming experience. Since they are very new and the demand is sky high, both the Xbox One and PS4 won’t come cheap. So how much are Microsoft and Sony earning for every console sold?

The PS4 has a price tag slightly above $400. For every PS4 sold, Sony makes on $18. As for the Xbox One, the profit varies. The hardware cost for Microsoft’s latest console is about $457. The manufacturing cost on the other hand is $14. Adding them together will get a $471. This is the wholesale price of an Xbox. However, the Xbox One is sold at $499 on retail stores. That gives a profit of $28 which is $10 more than Sony’s PS4.
However, the retailers must want a cut for selling the Xbox One. On top of that, there is the delivery cost and other miscellaneous fees to consider so that’s why it varies.

Both Sony and Microsoft are not expected to make a profit on the next-gen consoles. Both adopt a business strategy to land their machines on as many homes as possible. So why do it if it only means losing your money?

As for Microsoft, they will get their profit from other sources thanks to the Xbox One. They will focus more on getting royalty on games and feed on the Xbox Live subscription charges. The same goes for Sony. However, since Microsoft has made the Xbox One an all-in-one home entertainment system, future devices like the Televisions and smartphones can all be connected through the console.

We might see an Xbox One app being made available for a small fee soon. So is that $10 difference a big deal for both companies? Answer is no. Both Sony and Microsoft will see their profits coming from other sources thanks to their next-gen consoles.

Looking for awesome BBM Channels to follow? Here are some of our favorites

Yesterday BBM Channels left beta and was made available to everyone. Many users have already had months to play around with BBM Channels, but those of you who are just getting in on the fun may still be finding your way around. We're sure you're busy creating and subscribing to all kinds of channels, but we figured we'd help out a bit in the process. We've compiled a list of so

We've compiled a list of some of our favorite BBM Channels. Theres a bit of a mix of everything so hopefully you can find something you like. 

Our Favorite BBM Channels

• Geeks United - C00122408
• Top Apps for BlackBerry 10 - C0001CF2D
• The World of Pootermobile - C00016D75
• Misadventures of a Comic Nerd - C000E21B6 
• Geek Lite - C00123875 
• InstaVenue - C00120DBB 
• Heroes - C00076ADF 
• BB10 HD Walls - C001A8BAD 
• Entertainment News - C00111B35 
• Doctor Who  - C000142A4 
• BlackBerry Photography - C00016D81 
• Official CrackBerry - C00012B19
• ?Mercedes AMG Petronas - C00011785
• Porsche Design - C00124597
• The BBM Channel - C00124E76
• Gearheads - C0003D4CC
• You can also follow me on bbm  25A27742 if you want to keep up with our ongoings.

If you have any GREAT channels you think are worthy of our list, be sure to drop a comment below.

For readers who are considering buying the Nokia Lumia 1520 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, here is a specs and price comparison between the two devices for our Australian viewers. The comparison could help readers make an informed decision.

Display and Design

The Nokia Lumia 1520 comes with a 6 inch IPS LCD capacitive touch screen, rendering 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen, rendering 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 comes with 162.8 x 85.4 x 8.7 mm dimensions and weighs 209 grams. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm dimensions and is comparatively lighter, weighing 168 grams.

Hardware and Operating System

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is equipped with a 2.2 GHz quad core krait 400 processor and Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 chipset. It comes with 32 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded by up to 64 GB using a micro SD card.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9002 variant is equipped with a 2.3 GHz quad core krait 400 processor and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset. It comes in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB internal memory variants, which can be expanded by up 64 GB using a Micro SD card.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Black operating system and has 2 GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 runs on the Android Jelly Bean 4.3 operating system and has 3 GB of RAM.

Camera

The Nokia Lumia 1520 sports a 20 MP primary camera with Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus and dual LED flash. The secondary camera on the device is 1.2 MP. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 sports a 13 MP primary camera with autofocus and LED flash. The secondary camera on the device is 2 MP.

Battery

The Nokia Lumia 1520 comes with a non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh battery, which allows for a talk time of about 25 hours on 3G. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a Li-Ion 3200 mAh battery, which allows for a talk time of about 21 hours on 3G.

Price in Australia

The Nokia Lumia 1520 4G LTE variant is priced at around AU $959.95. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 16GB variant is priced at around AU $949.95 and the 32GB variant is priced at around AU $979.95 in Australia.

Interim BlackBerry CEO John Chen has wasted no time in overhauling the company as both chief marketing officer Frank Boulben and chief operating officer Kristian Tear have now left for other endeavors. While news of executive departures is rarely a good sign for any company, in this case it’s a much-needed showing of accountability, something the one-time Canadian smartphone dynamo has lacked in recent years. Boulben’s departure in particular signals that BlackBerry executives will no longer get away with lighting large piles of money on fire without facing any consequences.

To get a sense of Boulden’s reign of error as BlackBerry’s marketing chief, you have to step back and recall the two major marketing decisions that BlackBerry made over the last year: The hiring of Alicia Keys as a “creative director” and a Super Bowl ad that literally showed you the things that BlackBerry’s new platform was incapable of doing. Both choices were costly and both did little to stop BlackBerry’s slide in the smartphone market.

The Alicia Keys decision had “debacle” written all over it from the start, especially after the pop star showed a decided lack of commitment to the company by sending out a Tweet through her iPhone saying how much she loved BlackBerry 10. As Apple, Samsung and even Microsoft lately have shown, you don’t need an expensive celebrity endorsement to create a killer marketing campaign and tech companies that do choose to go with the celebrity spokesperson route — think HTC and Robert Downey, Jr., for example — aren’t guaranteed a good return on their investment.

While the Alicia Keys ploy falls into the category of “misguided,” the Super Bowl ad disaster falls into the category of “unforgivable.” In case you don’t recall, this is what BlackBerry spent millions of dollars to show tens of millions of viewers during the Super Bowl:

To recap, BlackBerry had a big chance to reintroduce itself as a brand to the world and it used that chance to tell you that BlackBerry 10 won’t let you set yourself on fire or give you teleportation powers.

The company’s subsequent ads for the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone weren’t any better either:

Yes, BlackBerry really produced an ad for its new flagship smartphone in which the device itself got minimal screen time in favor of… lots of people walking through different places. This may not be as bad of an ad as Microsoft’s original breakdancing, beat-boxing Surface Pro ads but it’s pretty close.

Although BlackBerry’s struggles extend well beyond the realm of marketing, it’s pretty clear that the company’s marketing department was doing it no favors in its attempted comeback in the smartphone wars. From this perspective, the company’s executive overhaul is an encouraging sign that it has lost its patience for self-inflicted errors.

Facebook is making users miserable

Facebook is the world’s largest social network with more than 1.15 billion monthly active users. From users’ standpoint, the service serves an important purpose by helping keep friends and family connected around the world. But for some, Facebook is doing more harm than good; a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan found that the more people log in to Facebook, the less happy they are.

“On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection,” social psychologist Ethan Kross told The Telegraph. ”But rather than enhance well-being, we found that Facebook use predicts the opposite result – it undermines it.” In other words, the more people used Facebook, the more miserable they grew.

While scientifically, the study was not an extensive one — only 82 young adults were observed by Kross and his team while research was being conducted. A link to the full study can be found below.

Source: 

PLOS ONE

Microsoft sells 1 million Xbox Ones in 24 hours

Launched on November 22nd in 13 markets, the Xbox One has sold in more than one million consoles in less than 24 hours, setting a new record for Microsoft and matching Sony’s launch numbers for the PlayStation 4. In a post on the Xbox.com site, Microsoft announced thatXbox One day one sales surpassed Xbox 360 sales and that the console is sold out at most retailers. The Xbox One console is priced at $499.99, while the PlayStation 4 costs $399.99.

In addition to providing sales numbers, Microsoft offered some gaming stats for the first 24 hours of game play. According to the company, over 60 million zombies have been killed in “Dead Rising 3,” over 3.6 million miles have been driven in “Forza Motorsport 5,” over 7.1 million combos have been performed in “Killer Instinct,” over 8.5 million enemies have been defeated in “Ryse: Son of Rome” and over 43.3 million Fit points have been earned in Xbox Fitness.

However, the Xbox One launch was not flaw-free, as several early buyers discovered various issues with their brand new consoles, from performance issues to actual physical damage to the console. The Xbox One problems aren’t widespread though, at least according to a statement that Microsoft has released, and the PlayStation 4 ran into its own difficulties at launch so this all looks like a regular part of major product launches.

The issue is affecting a very small number of Xbox One customers,” Microsoft said, adding that it’s “taking care” of its customers and that it’s working “directly with those affect to get a replacement console” as soon as possible.

While we have seen more Full HD displays added to smartphones this year we have also seen some with different shapes courtesy of LG and Samsung, and today we have an LG G drop test video for your viewing pleasure where a curved display doesn’t mean unbreakable.

We have seen a number of drop test videos over the last few months with a whole range of desirable mobile devices possibly meeting their maker after crashing down to a hard service, and the latest punishment is dished out to the LG G Flex.

The video is courtesy of the guys over at Android Authority and the device features the self healing rear, so we get to see how this stands up in testing. To start with the smartphone is dropped onto its back at a height of around 4 feet and as usual the sound of the device hitting the solid floor is not for the fainthearted.

This leaves some small marks close to the edge of the rear cover before we move onto the drop onto the bottom edge of the device, which produces an even more horrible sound upon impact. The device bounces quite high travelling some distance away from the point of impact.

We see fragments coming away from the device which soon become apparent that these came from the display, which is left with some long cracks running the length of it. This may have been the result of the high bounce and not the initial impact and the device still works.

The video now moves onto the dreaded screen drop which causes more cracking to the display that does still work but you now run the risk of cutting your fingers though from the cracks. Towards the end of the video we get a look at the self healing back to see how it stands up but we won’t spoil this for you.

Everyone is talking about Coin right now and for very good reason, this smartcard may well replace all the plastic you've currently got stuffed in your wallet. How? It's a smartcard that takes the place of all of your other cards, both debit and credit, in one intelligent card that can be swiped at any register, anywhere.

What is Coin?

Coin is a regular looking swipable card that is like a database of all of your debit and credit cards. It's $100, which isn't cheap, but with the included card reader, you can add any cards you want to Coin and never use the old ones again. As you add cards to Coin, you can enter information and even a photo of the old plastic card to your smartphone to help you keep track. Because Coin is connected to your phone via low-energy Bluetooth, you can always keep track of the card so you won't lose it. The smartcard's tiny screen lets you swipe between the cards stored on it for different purchases and you can also check the picture of the card you're using on your smartphone.

Why is it so cool?

This one is pretty self-explanatory really. Coin replaces all of the cards in your wallet, it's that revolutionary. It's not rocket science, it isn't reinventing the way we make payments, it simply perfects the current system in a graceful idea: why have ten dumb cards when you could use just one smartcard? It not only works at cash registers and point-of-sales, but also at ATMs, so you can also withdraw money on it. The idea started as a crowdfunding project, as so many do, and quickly hit targets thanks to the awesome video below and became a reality. The Coin smartcard should ship next summer, but it is still available for pre-ordering at a reduced price of $55 on the company's website. Link to Video

The project's initial funding goal of $50,000 was achieved in the ridiculously short time of 40 minutes. Needless to say things have been going from strength to strength for the fledgling startup, based in San Francisco. The additional support will see the team add more features to the smartcard, like fraud alerts and a tracking system to keep tabs on how many swipes your card has made. Coin can even replace gift cards and membership cards. How cool is that?

Microsoft Corp aims to upstage rival Sony Corp with a console that goes well beyond gaming and helps transform media viewing, a long-cherished but elusive goal.

The software giant is betting its first new video game console in eight years, which goes on sale on Friday, will help sustain its position as a dominant player in gaming hardware. It also hopes to build a high-margin, rapid-growth business that plays a bigger role in how people watch television and consume media content.

The console has received early positive reviews for its performance, interface and exclusive launch games. Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing and strategy officer for Xbox, said preorders for Xbox One were running at twice the rate of 2005's Xbox 360 but declined to elaborate.

"We continue to be on track for the biggest launch in Xbox history," Mehdi said. "We're building the largest volume of consoles that we've ever done." He added that the company is anticipating an adequate supply to meet demand.

Revenue from Xbox games and consoles, including the blockbuster "Halo" game franchise, yielded 10 percent of total Microsoft sales in the last fiscal year. A successful launch could give a much-needed lift to the software titan, which is trying to become a significant player in hardware.

Microsoft wants to become a "devices and services" giant as it struggles to find the right formula and hire a new chief executive to take on Google Inc, Apple Inc, and Amazon.com Inc in a mobile-computing era.

Japan's Sony, which launched its new PlayStation 4 gaming console last week, and Nintendo Co Ltd, which has struggled with slow sales of its next-generation Wii U console, have also crammed media apps and content onto their machines, but analysts say Microsoft is taking it a step further.

The Xbox One, which will launch in 13 markets worldwide, will cater to its loyal gamer fan base with exclusive titles like "Forza Motorsport 5" and "Ryse: Son of Rome." Beyond that, the company hopes the device crosses over to the mainstream and becomes a family entertainment center.

IN THE LIVING ROOM

To entice TV viewers and simplify their viewing experience, the new device comes with features like voice control via its Kinect input device - ostensibly in place of a remote - and the ability to integrate it with cable boxes.

As with the PlayStation and Nintendo's Wii U, the Xbox One comes loaded with Netflix and other popular media apps. But Microsoft has started its own studio to produce exclusive video content, meaning the new device could become a gateway to much more than games.

To bolster its entertainment offerings, Microsoft launched its Xbox Music app, a digital music service that vies with Apple's iTunes, last year.

"The profit margin of that business is more defensible than the current PC business. Microsoft has a more solid shot at the living room, by way of Xbox, than it does through PCs," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

"There's a lot of monetization possible if you can take over the living room, so Microsoft is highly motivated to make that game platform as versatile as possible."

Microsoft is battling Sony, which sold 1 million of its PlayStation 4s within the first 24 hour of its November 15 release in the United States and Canada, and is currently sold out in many retail stores and online. At $499, the Xbox One costs $100 more than its rival console.

TANK OF SHARKS

Robert W. Baird & Co analyst Colin Sebastian has said he expects shipments of 2.5 million to 3 million units for both the Xbox One and PS4 in the fourth quarter.

Microsoft is pulling out the stops on marketing, producing creative stunts such as immersing the first Xbox One console to go on sale, in New Zealand, in a tank of 20 sharks.

"With everything they're going through ... one shining light there that they really feel good about" is the Xbox franchise, said Peter Moore, chief operating officer of Electronic Arts Inc, who led the launch of the Xbox 360 when he was at Microsoft.

"It's a great company with a lot of good businesses, but the real sparkle right now, particularly this week on campus right now ... will be the launch of the Xbox One."

Microsoft hopes to avoid the glitches that plagued Sony, whose PlayStation 4 launch was marred by problems while booting up the machine and units being damaging during shipping.

Selling something more than a game console is imperative, with more and more potential customers gravitating to free online and mobile games, analysts say.

Over the last eight years, Sony and Microsoft both sold more than 80 million PS3 and Xbox 360 units each, while Nintendo sold over 100 million Wii consoles. The industry has debated whether the console heyday is over, with hardware sales in decline for the past four years.

But analysts expect new consoles to reignite the sector. The PS4 is currently in short supply at many retail stores and online after a robust launch.

"All of those questions have been put to rest by the strong pickup this weekend of the Sony platform, and we're very confident Xbox will have a strong launch this weekend as well," EA's Moore said.

EA games like "Battlefield 4" and "FIFA 14" had strong sales as PS4 machines flew off store shelves, Moore said. The same titles will be released for Xbox One, in addition to some upcoming exclusive titles like sci-fi shooter "Titanfall."

In a rare display of solidarity, Xbox sent a congratulatory tweet to Sony shortly after the PS4 hit store shelves.

"This isn't so much a competitive effort. It's really about how we grow the broader market ... that should really be the focus and a little bit of that was the spirit behind congratulating Sony for the good work they've done," Microsoft's Mehdi said.

Smartphones and tablets can now be used for educational purposes as well as for having fun and communicating with friends and family. In this article we will be reviewing some of the best educational apps that we have found to be quite useful and fun at the same time.

Whatchamacology

This app is useful for high school students who are studying science subjects and it is available on both iOS and Android. The basic gist of this app is it helps high school students learn the terminology used in the subjects they are studying. This terminology will be useful in school when writing tests or examinations. When using this app students have to form groups and decipher which word is being referred to using clues being given out by the app. The word they have to decipher is a technical term in that specific field of science and this helps students remember the term and its properties when being tested. The teams are competing against each other which also adds a bit of an incentive to the whole game and the learning process. This app is ideal for use in classroom situations.

NatGeo Today

This app is definitely one of the favorite educational apps but unfortunately it is only available on iOS. Nat Geo Today an official National Geographic app and is particularly useful to those studying anything to do with nature, animals and geography or someone who is just enthusiastic about these subjects. The content is provided by the National Geographic of course and the media available includes text, stunning images and videos covering a wide range of topics such as global warming, big cats in the wild etc. The content is constantly being updated which is great for users of this app. Android users will just have to be content with unofficial apps that can be found in the Google Play store such as National Geographic Apps. Hopefully National Geographic will creates an official Android app in the near future.

English Tutor by Speaking Pal

This app is most useful for people looking to learn English in a fun and interactive manner. Fortunately this app is also available on Android and iOS. It also helps for those wishing to improve on their pronunciation of words in the English language. The app itself is free and there are some tutorials that come with the free version of the app but in order to do the other exercises you have to purchase them within the app. Basically in this app, a scenario is laid out in which a user will have to listen to the conversation and then answer comprehension style questions about the conversation to make sure that they have understood what was being talked about. There is a second type of exercise where the user practices responding to questions using the right pronunciation. This app is fun to use and will be useful to those wanting to learn English.

With the PlayStation 4 releasing imminent, excitement about the future of next-generation gaming is clearly in the air. While the Xbox One doesn’t officially release until November 22, 2013, that doesn’t stop it from making news today. Craig Flannagan is the director of marketing for Xbox Canada, and he recently had some very good news for Xbox fans.

Just How Long Will The Xbox  One Last?

Here’s a direct quote from Flannigan as he was speaking to GamesIndustry about the superiority of the Xbox One:

“Xbox One is going to start ahead, in terms of the experience we can deliver. And because we’re built for the future, we’re going to stay ahead. I think there is not a better experience you can buy this holiday, and there will not be a time this generation where there’s a better experience you can buy than Xbox One…And it’s probably going to be a pretty long generation. We’re probably here for a while because we’re built for the future. This is a console that will last you, conservatively a decade, if I had to put a bet down today.”

Wow – a console that won’t simply just last for a decade, but one that will still be relevant as well! If the Xbox One delivers on both of these fronts, it will be a game changer indeed. (Pun intended)

However, starting out, the Xbox One may be a little bit behind. This is due to the fact that it is simply unusable out of the box without a day one update. For various reasons it won’t be able to launch any applications or play any games without first being connected to the internet for the required update. Once the update is completed, however, Sony may need to watch their backs.

The initial price of the Xbox One ($499.99) might not seem so high compared to the longevity of the console. What are your thoughts?

cool things you can do on Android

Last week we wrote a piece on some cool things you could do with the Android operating systemfrom Google. This week we take a look at some more things you can do on Android that you can't traditionally do on other competing operating systems like iOS and Windows.

Connect to a USB Flash Drive

Every Android phone has a Micro USB port that is used for charging and for transferring files to and from your PC. Most people do not know however, that by simply connecting a USB On The Go (OTG) adapter cable to your Android phone, you can actually access a USB flash drive on your phone and transfer files to and from the USB device on to your phone. This feature will even work with an SD card reader that connects to a USB dongle. This means you can transfer files to and from a digital camera without ever having to use a PC, and then upload them to the cloud right after.

Connect and use a wireless mouse

By using the same On The Go USB adapter that was mentioned in the tip above, you can also connect a mouse to your Android phone and use it to navigate through the phone. The phone will provide enough power for a 2.4GHz wired or wireless mouse. You can also connect a keyboard to the actual phone too, but in that case, you would have to route your connection through a powered USB hub. Still, it's a pretty cool feature if you want to use a keyboard on your phone.

Undervolting your phone for longer battery life

While one of the top Android handsets, namely the Samsung Galaxy S4, allows you to replace the battery and even purchase a new higher capacity one, some Android phones like Nexus devices and the HTC One have sealed backs which means that you can’t replace the battery. You can however, enhance the battery life of the phone by simply adjusting its CPU frequency and voltage. This process is known as undervolting and can add an extra hour to an hour and a half to your battery life. This will only work if you have rooted your phone though.

Everyone knows BlackBerry is in dire straits, but that hasn't stopped the company from taking one more stab at a flagship smartphone. In many ways BlackBerry's latest creation, the BlackBerry Z30, is what the BlackBerry 10 launch device should have been. Unlike the actual BB10 debut product, the smaller Z10, the Z30 is without a doubt the company's biggest, boldest, most advanced gadget yet. Unfortunately, though, this fresh effort from the Canadian handset maker comes way too late. Arriving at just one US carrier, Verizon, this November for $199.99, I fear all those who would have considered the Z30 over iPhones and Android handsets have long since moved to greener pastures.

Sure, the Z30 is compelling. Despite boasting a large 5-inch touch screen, handsome styling, and a high-capacity battery, the device falls short compared with the competition. Specifically the $199.99 Motorola Droid Maxx and $199.99 Samsung Galaxy S4, which, thanks to the growing strength of the Android ecosystem and BlackBerry's uncertain future as a viable company, add up to much better deals on Verizon.

Design
Shaped like your typical rectangular smartphone slab, at first glance we had trouble telling the BlackBerry Z30 apart from the sea of similar-looking Android devices now flooding the market. With its jet-black color scheme, silver accents, and rounded corners, the Z30 could've been crafted by any of today's top handset makers. As a matter of fact, the phone's soft-touch back and subtle striping bears a striking resemblance to the Motorola Droid Maxx. That's a good thing, since people are fond of the Maxx's nano-coated back and soft-touch textures on phones in general.

Prominent BlackBerry logos, both on the back and on the front below the screen, give the Z30 away as device designed in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Verizon couldn't resist slapping its own moniker on the phone, either, above the display and on the rear, but at least they're stenciled in a modest gray.

On the left side you'll find ports for Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB.

Above the Z30's large 5-inch screen sits the earpiece, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and the iconic red BlackBerry notification light. The phone's left edge houses ports for Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB cables, while on the right you'll find controls for play/pause and volume-up and -down. Rounding out the Z30's bevy of physical buttons is a power key on the top edge next to a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The right side holds controls for volume-up and -down plus play/pause.

BlackBerry makes sure to tout the Z30's noise cancellation abilities and the fact that its flagship handset boasts not just two but an array of four microphones. The mics ring the phone, one on each of the Z30's four edges, and they complement the device's set of powerful stereo speakers (top and bottom). Indeed, the first time I fired up the music app and piped a tune through the Z30's sound system I was amazed. The volume this phone's tiny drivers can produce is phenomenally loud, with loads more sound than what you get from the HTC One and Motorola Droid Maxx -- both of which have muscular stereo speakers.

Screen
The Z30 is BlackBerry's biggest-screened smartphone yet. It packs a large 5-inch 720p HD resolution display, which the company says has a pixel density of 295 pixels per inch. Of course, that's nowhere near as sharp as the displays on the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, whose full HD screens offer 468ppi and 441ppi, respectively. Still, it's practically gigantic compared with the displays gracing the previous BlackBerry Z10 (4.2-inch) and BlackBerry Q10 (3.1-inch).

I have to say, though, that the Z30's display isn't very bright. For instance, the Motorola Droid Maxx, while it has the same 720 HD resolution and OLED screen technology, is much brighter when viewed side by side with the Z30. Still, one benefit of the Z30's OLED hardware is that it has high contrast and wide viewing angles.

Software and interface
A bigger screen isn't the only improvement you'll find on the BlackBerry Z30. The phone's software has been updated as well. The Z30 runs the new BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, which has a few fresh tricks up its sleeve. Along with the familiar Peek gesture that lets you quickly see your messages and the BlackBerry Hub unified inbox, both of which first debuted with BlackBerry 10, there's a new Priority Hub feature.

Priority Hub will pay attention to whom you interact with most, whether on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, or texts, then will float those conversations up to the top of a Priority Hub view. By default, the criteria for tagging messages as a priority is pretty straightforward. Priority Hub will prioritize (hence the name) conversations from contacts who have the same last name as you or those labeled as highly important. The same goes for messages you select as vitally significant. Simply long-press a conversation in your inbox to slap it with a priority icon (represented by an up arrow) to accomplish this. You can toggle these Priority Hub settings on and off as you see fit.

It seems that every OS is catching notification fever, and BlackBerry 10.2 is no exception. Just like Apple's iOS 7, BB 10.2 now supplies previews of messages as they hit your phone. No matter which app you happen to be in or settings windows you have open, new notifications appear as thin headers across the top of the screen.

Tapping these notifications will launch a full view of the message to read its full contents and respond. Hitting an "x" icon within the notification preview will dismiss it entirely. To quickly handle incoming calls, a new feature called Priority Calling lets you receive caller ID notifications then either accept, dismiss, or respond with a canned reply. BlackBerry Messenger alerts provide the extra option of responding inside the notification itself so you don't have to switch out of the app or menu you're currently viewing.

For all BlackBerry's efforts to breathe life into its smartphone platform, it can't hide the lack of many popular apps gracing its virtual store shelves. Sure, many of the major players have found a home on BB10, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Flipboard. The photo-sharing service Instagram isn't available and neither is Pocketcast.

Keyboard
I know many true BlackBerry adherents out there will bemoan the Z30's lack of a physical keyboard. Even so, from someone who gave up tangible keys years ago for tapping out messages on glass panels, the Z30's software keyboard is one of the best I've used. The bigger screen makes for more comfortable typing than on the smaller Z10, and I also appreciate BB10's impressive predictive text abilities.

Able to learn over time what words you're likely working toward, the phone also offers handy suggestions placed over the letter your finger (and eyes) would have to travel to. Flicking upward pushes predicted text into the body of your message. The Z30 also did an admirable job of accurately detecting what keys I hit. The end result is that this gadget lets me type fast and furiously without many errors.

Core components
Powering the Z30's software is a respectably zippy 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and quad-core Adreno graphics. It's the same thing Motorola packs into both the Droid Maxx and Moto X Android handsets.This CPU engine is backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. As I mentioned before, the Z30 also comes equipped with a microSD card slot for extra storage.

Camera
If you're familiar with the cameras on the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10, the Z30 won't offer many surprises. That's because the Z30 uses the same 8-megapixel sensor and LED flash combo as its predecessors. The camera app is also similarly appointed with mostly identical scene modes and editing options that came bundled with BlackBerry's first BB10 devices.

For example the Time Shift feature takes multiple shots at once so you can choose the best one later. Designed primarily for group photos of fidgeting people, the phone strives to identify faces of folks within the frame. You can then tap on a highlighted mug (outlined in boxes) and slide a virtual knob on the bottom of the screen. This action shifts through points in time so you can select when the person's face in question is either looking into the camera or not blinking.

BlackBerry has added an HDR mode, a function that many of today's camera phones offer, which harnesses the Z30's Back Side Illuminated sensor to brighten shadow detail in strong backlight. In addition to that, there are four other scene modes to choose from such as Action, Whiteboard (very businesslike and so BlackBerry), Night, and Beach or Snow.

Other options include stabilization to smooth out the effect of shaky hands, and burst, which fires the shutter continuously to capture multiple images in quick succession. The Z30 has the ability to process images you take through various filters as well, with examples including Black and White, Lomo, Antique, and '60s. You can also stitch video you've captured together with the Story Maker application. Story Maker lets users create custom slideshows compiled from the photos and audio tracks of their choice.

Despite all this fancy editing prowess, though, many may not be impressed with the quality of raw images I snapped with the Z30. Indoor shots turned out dark with soft details unless I had ample lighting. Additionally, photos of fast moving subjects taken indoors often looked blurry and lacked crispness.

Performance
All in all I found the Z30's new BB 10.2 software responsive enough without unpleasant delays when launching apps or flipping through settings menus. That said, the phone didn't feel quite as nimble as recent Android handsets I've reviewed

I attribute much of the Z30's lack of pep to BB10's animation-heavy interface. For instance, when you tap on an app to open it, BB10 first slides your view to the Active Frame panel, which shows windows for all currently running applications. After that happens, the device will then (and only then) present a full-screen look at your selected app. It's a chain of events that adds a fraction of a second to every app-launching process. Sorry, BlackBerry, I know you want to highlight how many pieces of software BB10 can handle at once, but I'd rather not wait longer just so your phones can prove that point.

In other ways the Z30 proved fleet on its feet. The handset's browser fired up jonesarena.blogspot.com mobile site in a quick 4.6 seconds. The full desktop version of jonesarena.blogspot.com, though, took a much longer 22.2 seconds

Battery life
One bright spot in the BlackBerry Z30's performance, along with call quality, is its lengthy run time. BlackBerry claims the Z30's 2,880mAh battery provides 25 hours of mixed use. This includes voice calls plus audio and video playback. This jived with the longevity I experienced in anecdotal testing. With a full charge bright and early in the AM, the Z30 kept it's charge through a full work day, then overnight, then again through the next day in the office before I had to charge it again in the afternoon.

Conclusion

The good: The BlackBerry Z30 is equipped with a big screen, long battery life, and excellent messaging capabilities. It also boasts great call quality plus a microSD card slot for extra storage.

The bad: The Z30’s BlackBerry 10.2 software is bogged down with unnecessary eye candy. The BlackBerry platform still lags behind iOS and Android in both app number and quality. The Z30’s camera takes unimpressive pictures. The phone is only sold by Verizon.

The bottom line: The BlackBerry Z30 lives up the promise of a flagship phone, but it' maybe too little, too late, except for the most committed BlackBerry users.