Google Glass 2 Release Date, Features & Price: Competitor Icis Has Better Looks & Specs than Google's?

Google Glass now has a valid competitor in the form of Laforge Optical's smartglass called Icis, which the company CEO describes as "fashion-friendly" prescription glasses.

"Our biggest competition is Google Glass but our approach is different, because we focused on creating a device that people don't mind being seen in," Laforge Optical CEO and Founder Corey Mack toldCNet.

"Style is a subjective thing and currently the bar is set pretty low," Mack continued, obviously referring to Google's smartglass.

According to its website, Icis is available in three styles: Semi-Rimless, Flat Top and Classic, with more designs to be added soon.

Instead of requiring users to look up to the right like Google Glass, Icis displays information outside of the user's central gaze, on the peripheral vision.

The prescription eyewear displays notifications from the user's smartphone via the device's very own app called SocialFlo. According to Icis' website, the app "enables you to choose which applications your smartspecs will communicate with."

Icis users also won't have to mutter to themselves for the smart glass to function. "Swipe the temples (side of the frames) to do a variety of things including taking pictures, recording video, and changing display modes," says the device's website.

Just like Google Glass though, Icis is still a work in progress. Laforge Optical, the makers of the Google Glass competitor, has started raising funds for their wearable device via indiegogo.com. The fund-raising started February 18 and will end March 20.

Funders can choose among several funding options, from as low as $25 for 5 NFC Quick Tags to as high as $820 for an Icis early beta kit. With an estimated delivery date of August 2014, the Icis early beta kit includes a pre-production prototype of the device which the funder will have for 6 months.

Icis early beta kit funders will have free upgrade to the Icis beta kit when it is released but will have to add $200 for an Icis BOLD upgrade. The Icis BOLD is Laforge Optical's higher end smartglass which, according to their website, "offers a higher resolution display than that of Icis, as well as finer degrees of customization."

Read More

HTC offers free cracked screen replacement for One owners

Taipei, Feb. 19 (CNA) Taiwan's HTC Corp. announced Tuesday in the United States a new after-care service for customers there that will offer a one-time, free cracked-screen replacement for every new purchase of any phone in its HTC One flagship series.

HTC said it heard from customers that there was a need to make sure the money spent on premium devices went further at no additional cost and decided it was time to act and take care of the phones.

"Cracked screens with us are in every way a NO -- we want yours to always look great so we'll replace your screen within the first 6 months you own it," HTC said in a statement e-mailed to U.S. customers.

The service, called "HTC Advantage," also promises that owners of the HTC One, HTC One mini and HTC One Max can receive major Android updates for two years from the day they purchase the phone, along with free additional online storage of 25GB to 50GB, the statement said.

The Taoyuan-based company did not say, however, whether the new policy would also be applied to its future flagship devices or mid-tier products.

Also on Tuesday, HTC sent media invitations for press conferences in New York and London on March 25, where the handset maker is expected to unveil the successor to the HTC One codenamed "M8" within the company.

The M8 will reportedly feature the same metal casing design, a 5-inch full-HD display, an improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, the new Sense 6.0 user interface and a twin camera on the back.

HTC is banking on the new phone to help reverse a recent slump. HTC posted its first quarterly loss as a publicly listed company in the third quarter of 2013 and recorded its second straight quarterly operating loss in the October-December period.

The struggling Taiwanese phone vendor has projected consolidated sales of between NT$34 billion (US$1.12 billion) and NT$36 billion for the first quarter of 2014, with net loss per share of between NT$2.1 and NT$2.6.

The projected sales would be the lowest of any quarter in five years. 

Read More

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air

While Apple releases just one or two tablets each year, Samsung has been positively flooding the market with them in all different shapes and sizes. Despite that the South Korean giant has never hit quite the same heights with its tablet sales as it has with its smartphones and the iPad has remained the slate to beat.

But now Samsung’s bringing out a new ‘Pro’ range of tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. It’s a top tier device, but can it match up to the iPad Air? Read on to find out.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air – Build quality

At first glance the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 seems a lot like the Galaxy Note 10.1. Aside from the fact that they’re both 10.1 inches they also both have a faux-leather back, which looks good but feels like plastic. The real difference comes when you hold the Pro 10.1 though, because at just 469g (or 477g for the 4G version) it’s remarkably light for a slate of this size, making it a joy to carry around and use for extended periods. Its dimensions of 243.1 x 171.4 x 7.3mm are perhaps slightly bigger than they need to be, thanks to its fairly wide bezels, but it’s impressively slim.

The Apple iPad Air is in a whole other league of quality though as it has an aluminium back which both looks and feels far nicer than the Pro 10.1’s back. Its dimensions of 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm are similar though and it’s actually marginally thicker. One of its biggest selling points is its weight, which at 469g (or 478g for the 3G / 4G) made it a lot lighter than its competition when it launched, but the Pro 10.1 has come along now and it’s just as light. Still, the iPad Air’s aluminium body ensures that it has the better build quality overall.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air - Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 has a 10.1 inch 2560 x 1600 display with a pixel density of 299 pixels per inch, while the Apple iPad Air has a 9.7 inch 1536 x 2048 screen with a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch.

Both screens are fantastically high quality with sharp images, great contrast, rich colours and good viewing angles. But as the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is both larger and higher resolution we have to give it the edge. Not to mention the fact that it’s more of a widescreen format than the iPad Air, making it ideal for media.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air - Power

The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 has an Exynos 5 octa-core processor, with four cores clocked at 1.9 GHz and the other four clocked at 1.3 GHz, while the 4G LTE version has a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and both have 2GB of RAM. Whichever option you go for it’s enormously powerful, though it’s not quite Samsung’s most powerful slate as the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 has more RAM.

The iPad Air on the other hand is Apple’s most powerful tablet, thanks to a 1.3 GHz dual-core Apple A7 processor and 1GB of RAM. On paper that’s a lot less, but Apple products have always punched above their weight and the iPad Air is no exception. The reality is that there’s no discernible performance difference between the two slates, as both can handle games, apps, media and web browsing with ease.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air - Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 has an 8 megapixel main camera with autofocus and an LED flash. It’s not the best camera around, but it does a pretty good job and we can’t imagine too many people using a ten inch tablet as their main camera anyway. It also has a 2 megapixel front facing camera which works reasonably well as a webcam and can shoot 1080p video at 30fps.

The Apple iPad Air has a slightly worse 5 megapixel camera. The quality is still reasonable but the main disadvantage it has is that there’s no flash, so it’s terrible in low light. It also has a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera and can shoot 1080p video at 30fps.

Battery life, memory and connectivity

The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 has an 8220 mAh battery while the iPad Air has a slightly larger 8820 mAh battery and both are rated for 10 hours of multimedia use. With moderately heavy use they’ll both last through a day with ease and both are among the best tablet batteries out there.

The Tab Pro 10.1 comes with a choice of 16 or 32GB of storage, but it also has a microSD card slot which supports cards of up to 64GB, giving it up to 96GB of storage overall. The iPad Air has more potential storage with in 16, 32, 64 and 128GB flavours, but none of the models support microSD cards.

Both tablets support Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G LTE, while the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 also has an infrared port. However neither of them support NFC.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 vs Apple iPad Air - Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and Apple iPad Air are remarkably well matched. Both are enormously powerful, very light and have great screens and strong battery life. The 16GB WiFi-only models are also priced similar - with Apple's tablet costing £399 and Samsung's tablet will be available to buy for around £419.

Both devices also have great software, as the iPad Air runs iOS 7, which looks good and is incredibly easy to use, while the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 uses Samsung’s beautiful new Magazine UI, which brings social network updates, news and other features straight to your home-screen.

It’s incredibly tough to pick an overall winner - it depends on whether you prefer the iPad Air's better build quality, or the Galaxy Tab Pro's higher-resolution wide-screen display and superior camera. One other thing to consider is that the 128GB iPad Air costs a whopping £750, while a 64GB microSD card can be added to the Galaxy Tab PRO 10.1 for around £40.

On balance we'd just give the edge to Samsung's Galaxy Tab PRO 10.1, but both devices are a dream to use and are the two best 'large-screened' tablets that money can buy.

• Checkout the latest Apple iPad Air deals here.
• OR Read our Apple iPad Air Review here

*Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is yet to be released in the UK, but it's set to land in stores next month (March 21st)

Read More

More signs that Apple A8 chip production is approaching

Apple may be gearing up for A8 processor production if its relationship with TSMC pans out.

Indications are that the follow-on to the current 64-bit A7 processor is being manufactured by TSMC.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple may be getting closer to production of its A8 processor as news from Asia points to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) as the main supplier.

Taiwan-based TechNews (via MacRumors) reported that TSMC has already started production of Apple's next-generation A8 processor.

That report jibes with a source who CNET spoke to December. That person, who is familiar with TSMC's plans, said that Taiwanese contract chip manufacturer had already begun making Apple's A series processors. To date, Samsung has been the sole manufacturer of Apple's processors.

The CNET source said at that time that TSMC is in the process of becoming the primary manufacturer of Apple's processors -- that presumably could include the A8, though the source did not specify this.

But TechNews takes this a step further, claiming that TSMC is the sole manufacturer of the A8 because of the success it is having with the latest 20-nanometer manufacturing process.

On Sunday, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities cast doubt on Apple's ability -- or willingness -- to refresh the iPad Mini Retina in a big way in 2014. He also claimed that the rumored "iPad Pro" may be pushed into 2015.

If true, the A8 could appear in an updated iPad Air and an expected iPhone refresh.

It should be noted that nailing down definitive information about which chipmaker is going to make which chip for which customer is always difficult as chip production details are fiercely guarded by both the manufacturer and the customer.

And chipmakers invariably run into production problems. For example, TSMC had been rumored to make Apple chips in the past but struggled with production problems. There were also rumors of disagreements with Apple.

Read More

Apple, Elon Musk and interplanetary travel

Apple doesn't need to make cars. Its software -- iOS, Siri, Maps, and apps -- needs to be integrated into Tesla's terrestrial and extraterrestrial vehicles.

Tim Cook and Elon Musk

(Credit: Asa Mathat/All Things D)

So, about a year ago Tesla's Elon Musk reportedly met with Apple's mergers and acquisitions chief and maybe Tim Cook. What was on the agenda? The report this weekend in the San Francisco Chronicle didn't have any details on what transpired at the meeting. Perhaps Apple wanted to kick Tesla's tires.

Moving from $600 iPhones and $6,000 Mac Pros to $60,000 automobiles would be a bold move for Apple, but not a moonshot. The two companies are likely a cultural and aesthetic fit, both obsessed with creating breakthrough, eco-friendly consumer products that win design awards and become status symbols.

But the more logical move for Apple is turning the Tesla into another Apple-driven computer, integrating iOS software technologies into the stylish electric car. A partnership approach is more of a Tim Cook move. And, if Apple and Tesla were to join hands, there could be only one CEO. Elon Musk doesn't seem prone to giving up control of his creations, especially at this early stage, or to crave developing personal computing devices. While Apple is thinking $300 iWatch, Musk is launching rockets into outer space and devising 800 mile-per-hour Hyperloop transporters.

Apple might want to come along for Musk's space rides. His Space X venture, which has a goal of enabling humans to visit and live on other planets, could make use of some creature comforts from Apple. When people travel to Mars or other planets via Space X, Apple's entertainment, commerce, and communication services could be integrated into the in-flight systems. Visitors and the local population might tour the planet in a Tesla dune buggy with Siri, Maps, and Apple wearables while listening to dreamy music streamed from iTunes.

This scenario may never happen, but it points to Apple's need to gain industrial strength in vertical markets, not just geographies.

The company can continue to sell tens of millions of iPhones each quarter, especially given the majority of the people on the planet today are without a smartphone. But the bigger opportunity for Apple and its ecosystem is becoming essential not just for people texting, checking news, watching movies, and playing games, but for massive growth areas such as transportation, home automation, and health care.

Apple, as well as Microsoft and Google, wants to be in every car, not just Tesla. The company is betting that iOS users want to have their Apple-ness everywhere. Apple has been working with Audi, General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, and others to integrate iOS in the car. On the health care front, Apple has assembled an elite squad of wearable designers, medical sensor experts, sleep researchers, exercise physiologists, and fitness gurus to create a new platform that works on every Apple device. Late last year, senior Apple executives met with directors at the United States Food and Drug Administration to discuss mobile medical applications.

Apple hasn't yet given indications regarding how it plans to tackle home automation, or interplanetary travel. But it's safe to say that Apple's approach won't involve manufacturing living spaces or spacecraft.

Read More