HARD TECHNOLOGY GROUP HTG NEWS TIPS

In commercial terms, BlackBerry's much-hyped BB10 phones barely made a dent. The manufacturer's financial health has actually been propped up this whole time by sales of its older classics, Bolds and Curves running on BB7. It's pretty incredible how long those models have lasted, but BlackBerry's latest earnings report reminds us that nothing lasts forever: BB7 sales have fallen 50 percent year-over-year to 2.3 million units, which is double BlackBerry 10 sales, but not nearly enough to help the company stay in the black. Of course, the collapse of legacy hardware isn't news to the CEO, John Chen, who has promised to support BB7 devices "for as long as there's demand," but who has also set about rebuilding BlackBerry as fast as he possibly can. Fortunately, the earnings report also gives us a glimmer of hope for Chen's efforts: 54 percent of revenue is now coming from selling services rather than phones, and Chen also claims that BlackBerry ha...

If you've wanted to know what Nokia's entry-level Lumia 630 looks like in real life, today is your lucky day. Both a Coolxap video (below) and a handful of photos from @Umit have shown off the smartphone in all its Windows Phone 8.1-based glory, including the on-screen navigation, Action Center and the updated camera interface. Previous rumors have suggested that the 630 will be relatively powerful for a low-end device with a 4.5-inch (albeit 800 x 480) display, a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. Don't get too attached to the way the phone looks in these images, though. The 630 in the still pictures is likely using a protective case or prototype shell, and we wouldn't count on the video reflecting the final design, either. With that said, the new media may represent our best clue yet as to what Nokia might reveal at its event next week. SOURCE

Tesla's Model S may have a good safety record, but even two accident-related battery fires are too many for the perfection-obsessed (and image-conscious) automaker. Elon Musk has revealed that every Model S built from March 6th onward has both aluminum deflector plates and a titanium underbody shield, the combination of which should prevent battery punctures and deflect debris. Any existing owner can get the shields as a free upgrade, and Musk promises that all the extra metal won't hurt performance in a meaningful way -- you'll lose 0.1 percent of range, he says. While the upgrade is unlikely to completely silence EV doubters, it might reassure Model S buyers who'd rather not lose their cars to detritus on the road. SOURCE

When we first booted up the new HTC One, we were greeted by a "Powered by Android" logo near the bottom of the screen; Samsung has done the same thing with the Galaxy S5. At first this may not seem like a very big deal, but thanks to some internal documents and verification from sources familiar with the matter, there may actually be a lot more to this simple logo than meets the eye. We've confirmed with sources that Google now requires that manufacturers add the "Powered by Android" logo to their splash screens in order to get certified for its Mobile Services. Most people likely won't even notice the logo, nor will they care. However, making it a requirement on all devices running Google Mobile Services is just another indication that the software giant isn't pleased with its mobile OS getting the bad end of the branding stick. Given how upset Google was at Samsung's recent moves to add an excessive number of TouchWiz features to the Note Pro,...

Although the Office for iPad suite is relatively full-featured, it won't print hard copies. That's a glaring omission even in this increasingly paperless era, we'd say. Not to worry, though: Microsoft tells PCWorld that printing support is coming as part of future app updates. The company hasn't said just when those upgrades are due, but Office general manager Julia White promises to "iterate very fast" on the fledgling productivity software. In the meantime, don't toss out your conventional PC -- you may need it to print out that next contract or term paper. SOURCE

If you've ever argued that your new smartphone is more reliable than what you're replacing, you now have some evidence to back up your claims. Crittercism has posted a study showing that apps running in newer versions of Android and iOS (such as KitKat and iOS 7.1) are considerably less likely to crash; you're practically inviting headaches if you stick with a phone running Gingerbread or iOS 6. The research also suggests that the Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5 are the most trustworthy devices, while tablets of all kinds are relatively crash-happy. The findings aren't shocking when both Apple and Google have both spent years fixing bugs, and it's notable that the study only covers crashes with third-party apps -- they don't address first-party software glitches. Still, this data is as good an excuse as any to upgrade an aging handset stuck on an old platform. SOURCE

After a lengthy two-year legislative process, the UK is nearly ready to drag its copyright law into the digital era. The country's Intellectual Property Office has published the final version of copyright exceptions that make it legal to rip CDs and otherwise shift formats. As of June 1st, Brits can copy media as much as they like for personal use. Institutions can also make duplicates for backups or research, and the Secretary of State can tell copyright holders to make content accessible if paying for an alternative format isn't practical. Out-and-out piracy is still forbidden, of course, but the new measures should let locals modernize their media collections without feeling a twinge of guilt. SOURCE

Massive sporting events like the Olympics are becoming increasingly tech-charged, but the games themselves remain unchanged for the most part. A new event called Cybathlon, however, wishes to fully integrate technology into its events, for what's billed as "The Championship for Robot-Assisted Parathletes." Due to be held in Switzerland in 2016, races will feature "pilots" outfitted with powered limb prosthetics, exoskeletons and wheelchairs that can be either commercial products or research prototypes. There will also be a bike race for competitors with muscle stimulation devices, and a fully computerized event pitting brain-controlled avatars against each other on a virtual track. While there'll be medals and glory for some, it's hoped Cybathlon will raise awareness of assistive tech and encourage development in the area. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to moisten an engineer's brow. SOURCE

It's been a tough week for Ryan Seacrest: first, American Idol ratings hit an all-time low, and now, a judge has ruled against his iPhone accessory company in court. BlackBerry has won a court order that bars Typo from selling its very familiar physical keyboards after convincing a judge that the products might've infringed on its patents. As Bloomberg reports, the presiding judge said that the Canadian smartphone manufacturer is "likely to prevail" on the infringement claims, and that Typo hasn't done much to prove that BlackBerry's patents were invalid. The judge continued to show no quarter by out-and-out dismissing Typo's worries that a temporary sales ban could put the company under. If you were on the fence before, maybe this will be the push to grab a Typo while you still can. SOURCE

As part of an ongoing major redesign on mobile, Shazam has just rolled out a new version of its iOS app. Adding to the changes we saw last month, today's update focuses on offering improved social sharing features, an even better lyrics experience and a more polished UI throughout the application. Users will now see in-depth artist biographies, redesigned album and song pages, as well as the inclusion of videos for songs. Shazam also points out that the app was also tweaked to have enhanced audio recognition and suck a little less power out of your iDevice -- much like Skype did recently with one of its apps. The update is initially only available for iOS, but the Android crowd can expect these revisions to come "in a couple of weeks." SOURCE

Yahoo's reportedly planning to launch a web video platform in the next few months, and it intends to fill it with familiar faces and professionally made clips. How? By poaching some of YouTube's biggest stars, at least according to Recode. The website's sources say Mayer and her crew are trying to win over popular YouTubers with the scent of money. Yahoo's apparently offering them (presumably) large guaranteed rates or bigger ad revenues for their videos, in an attempt to benefit from YouTube users' increasing discontent about how little they're earning on the platform. The company even promised them extensive marketing and the chance to promote their clips on Yahoo's well-trafficked home page. Before you prepare to switch platforms, know that Yahoo's video service supposedly won't be open to everyone. If what Recode's saying is true, it won't be like YouTube where anyone can upload anything, even grainy, vertical clips -- it'll be e...

We've known for a while that the NSA has spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other international leaders, but it now looks like that surveillance was just the tip of the iceberg. Der Spiegel and The Intercept have published an Edward Snowden leak revealing that the NSA snooped on as many as 122 foreign heads of state in 2009, ranging from Merkel to Ukranian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. A custom search system, Nymrod, helped the US agency both locate transcripts of those leaders' communications as well as secret reports. The National Security Council tells The Intercept that President Obama's administration hasn't tracked Merkel and doesn't plan to start, but it also didn't deny that the German leader had once been under close watch. That's far from the only espionage to have taken place in Germany, however. Der Spiegel adds that Britain's GCHQ reportedly conducted wide-scale surveillance of German communications firms, including satelli...

Google has issued revised rules for Google Play apps in its continuing effort to stay one step ahead of nefarious developers. This time, the primary target is apps with pop-up ads that spoof a system, service or app notification and trick you into clicking where you shouldn't. It's also cracking down on "promotion or install tactics" that cause downloads or Play store redirects without your say-so, along with apps that send unsolicited SMS ads. Finally, it's forbidding any the use of "erotic content" to promote pornography and forcing advertisers to clarify when and how they use in-app purchases. Google will allow developers a 15-day grace period before it drops the ban hammer -- by which point the bad guys will have likely found workarounds. SOURCE

While Pluto might have been stripped of its full planetary status, thanks to a shift in official definitions, a newly discovered planetoid could actually hint at the existence of a "super-Earth" in the far reaches of our solar system. The ball of rock and ice, known as 2012 VP113, is estimated to be 250 miles wide, and has the most distant known orbit of our sun -- currently around 7.7 billion miles, extending to around 42 billion at its farthest. 2012 VP113 was spotted using the Dark Energy Camera in Chile, after a series of time-lapse photos captured it moving across the night sky. It's not the first (and probably not the last) object of notable size observed beyond the Kuiper belt -- Sedna was discovered in 2003, but until now had been pretty much a lone case. Exciting as this is, it's also thought that, given certain similarities in the angle of Sedna and 2012 VP113's orbit, that there might be a much larger planet lurking in the shadows pulling on them, ...

The Galaxy S5: powerhouse smartphone, fitness guru... baby monitor? Yes, you read that right. SoyaCincau has learned that Samsung's jack-of-all-trades Android flagship includes a "baby crying detector" mode that uses the phone as a listening station. If your child is upset, the GS5 sends a vibrating alert to your Gear watch (needed for the feature) that urges you to come to Junior's aid. You probably wouldn't want to lean on the detector too often -- Samsung certainly doesn't think it's a wise idea, as you can see from the massive legal disclaimer pictured here. Still, it could come in handy if you don't have a dedicated monitor and occasionally want to keep tabs on your tyke while you run around the home. SOURCE

When Facebook said it would buy Oculus VR, many eyes turned to Oculus CTO John Carmack. Would Quake's co-creator be happy with the deal when Facebook sees virtual reality gaming as just the beginning? Thankfully, it looks like he's staying put. In a response to jitters about the acquisition, Carmack says that Facebook appears to "get the Big Picture" -- it understands the impact of VR and will help the technology grow. The executive also isn't worried about the social network's privacy issues. While he believes that privacy is important, he also sees data mining as a valuable tool for successful companies. The statements won't completely assuage fears that the acquisition could lead Oculus astray, but Carmack clearly believes that the company is still headed in the right direction. SOURCE

When Facebook scrapped the picture-heavy News Feed redesign from last spring in favor of a more conservative look, it briefly touched on screen size as a factor. As it turns out, displays played a more important role in the reversal than you might think. The company's Julie Zhuo explains that the hyper-visual layout fell apart on netbooks and other small-screened PCs -- you might only see one post at a time, and scrolling was a pain without the right mouse or trackpad. While the early 2013 feed would have boosted Facebook's revenue, it wasn't going to fly when the social network has to please hundreds of millions of users that seldom have access to big displays. SOURCE

ZTE's Grand S II already looks like a pretty fine handset with its brushed metal back and Snapdragon 800/801 CPU, as we saw at its launch earlier this year. But judging by a leak at Chinese regulator Tenaa, it could take it up another notch with 4GB of RAM -- a first for any smartphone and double the original spec. That's the maximum possible RAM on a 32-bit ARM chip, and 4GB modules were only recently teased by Samsung and SK Hynix. We wouldn't be surprised if it ends up as a high-end option for the Grand S II, in the same way that ZTE's Nubia X6 is available in a 3GB RAM variant. Take all this with a grain of salt for now, but remember that until we see a 64-bit CPU and Android OS, 4GB will be as good as it gets. SOURCE

Microsoft believes the children are our future, and to prove it, it's teamed up with the  Computer History Museum to make source code available for two groundbreaking programs: MS-DOS and Word for Windows. In a blog post that outlined the deal, Roy Levin, managing director of Microsoft Research, said the company granted the museum permission to make the code public for MS DOS 1.1 and 2.0 and Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a, "... to help future generations of technologists better understand the roots of personal computing." MS DOS, originally code named "Chess," took root in 1980 when IBM asked Microsoft to produce an OS to run on its computers . Word for Windows was released in 1989, and with in four years had captured half of the revenue of the word-processing market, according to Levin. Both programs marked the beginnings not only of great successes for Microsoft, but also the PC industry as we know it today. The museum's Chairman, Len Shustek, had this...

Apple's next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8, looks an awful lot like the iOS you've already got on your iDevice. At least that's according to screens leaked on Chinese microblog site Weibo, which show what is supposedly iOS 8 in action. Yes, square icons with rounded edges are back, but that design is wrapped around some new entrants in the app world: TextEdit, Preview and Tips. It's easy to guess what the first one might be (a potential replacement for the Notes app), but Preview and Tips? Given the icon's distinct resemblance to the application of the same name in OS X, we're guessing this serves a similar function: viewing documents and PDFs. As for Tips? Well, that's probably just a solution for introducing new users. iOS 8 isn't an official product just yet, but logic and history dictate it'll be part and parcel of the next iPhone refresh. We've previously heard that health will feature prominently in the next version of ...

Is Instagram your go-to photo app on that trusty Android handset? If so, you're about see a improved performance with a new look. The filter-powered social snapshot software has been updated with a more polished UI that "feels native and at home on any Android device." This means simplified (read: flat) design elements are used throughout and the app is faster and more responsive all the way around, on larger gadgets and smaller feature phones too. The difference is immediately visible in the main navigation bar across the bottom. Some controls have been shuffled around, but the outfit promises the changes are in the interest of maximum usability, making the app "faster, cleaner and easier to use than ever." If your Android device doesn't alert you to update the app, mosey over to the Google Play store today and snag it. SOURCE

When we talk about smartphones with buttons on the back of the case, most people's thoughts turn toward the LG G2. But now the French electronics outfit Archos has decided to follow in LG's footsteps with the 64 Xenon, a 6.4-inch phablet that puts both the volume and power buttons on the rear side. Packing a 1,280 x 720 IPS LCD display, dual-SIM slots and HSPA+ radios, it's clear that this is designed to square up against the likes of the Galaxy Mega, but with a much lower price tag of 200 euros (around $275). DON'T MISS IT... CONTINUE READING

It's already March, dear readers, which means with the exception of this post right here, you're not going to find many laptop reviews on this site. Why? Because Intel's just three months away from launching its next-generation chips and besides, we've reviewed most of the current-gen models anyway. But not HP's. We haven't reviewed a Hewlett-Packard Ultrabook in more than a year. So here we are, picking up where we left off. The company's newest flagship, the Spectre 13, has a metal-clad body, much like the older models we've tested, except it steps up to an optional 2,560 x 1,440 display and an extra-wide touchpad designed to make all those Windows 8 gestures easier to pull off. It also starts at $1,000, making it a good deal cheaper than most of the other models we'll be name-checking throughout the review. So does that make it a good deal? CONTINUE READING

Google made a few changes to the Chrome Web Store today to benefit developers and make it easier for them to publish to the platform. The biggest change has to do with what's actually sold in the store. Now, instead of just paying for apps, you might also pay for extensions or themes. If commitment isn't your thing, subscriptions or free trials will be offered for some extensions, and the test-drive option is also available for packaged apps (read: Chrome apps that can run offline). All this is good news for developers, who starting May 1st will no longer be able to publish extensions outside of the Chrome Web Store for Windows users. It could also be great news for users. Now that developers have the opportunity to make a little cash for their work, hopefully we'll see some even better themes and extensions headed to the store in the future. SOURCE

When is a game not really a game? When it's a Trojan horse for new music from Skrillex. Play the seemingly humdrum shooter Alien Ride on Android or iOS and you'll find that it's actually a preview for the dubstep(-ish) artist's first full album, Recess -- you can listen to the whole LP ahead of its March 18th debut. You'll still have to rely on other music services to get your wubwubwubs a more traditional way, but the app easily beats other run-of-the-mill attempts at building up hype. Just be prepared to endure an audio assault alongside the alien kind -- we doubt that the game will sway your opinion of Skrillex if you weren't already a fan. SOURCE

When UK Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech at CeBIT this year, what examples did he use to highlight tech innovation in Britain? Yes, ARM and Imagination were on his list, but he also referred to the tiny, Linux-based computer called Raspberry Pi, which has now sold over 2.5 million units. In a timely fashion, the Pi's makers, element 14, have just announced a new $33, Wolfson-powered audio card that should give the device a broader range of functions. SOURCE

You no longer have to live in one of a few fortunate countries to make a Skype call while checking your Outlook.com email: As of today, Skype for Outlook.com is available worldwide. All you need now is to download a browser plugin and link your Skype account. The global release comes alongside improved software support, too. PC users can now participate in HD video chats, while Mac users get a Safari plugin. If you're heavily invested in Microsoft's internet services, everything you need to get started is at the source link. SOURCE

See by yourself SOURCE

About Jurassic Systems is an HTML5/Javascript based recreation of the Irix and Macintosh environments featured in the original Jurassic Park film. In particular, it is a recreation of the scene in which Ray Arnold (Samuel Jackson) attempts to circumvent Dennis Nedry's (AKA Wayne Knight, AKA Newman) leet security on an old Irix desktop only to be taunted by an Elvis bodied Nedry. Features - Working command line. Current commands include: access --> Access a target environment on the Jurassic Systems grid. system --> Check a system's current status. ls --> List files in the current directory. display --> Display image files. (hint: use ls to find a 'file') help --> List all available commands. Three access attempts trigger the Nedry system lock down, e.g., - Simulated desktop environment with system sounds from the movie. - One hidden feature. TRY IT

iPhone 4 iOS 7.x.x PassCode READ. WINDOWS ONLY. I had hard time to manage this to work, but now its tested on two iPhone 4 models 7.0 and 7.0.4 iOS versions. ONLY iPhone 4 (IPHONE3,1) revision is supported !!! so.. lets get started. Download this .rar Zippyshare DL and extract it to any folder you want, in my case its c:/A folder. you will need winrar to extract. WinRAR archiver Download iphone firmware to the same folder. HERE 1. Lets Go in to DFU mode by doing as showed here How To Put Your iPhone Into DFU Mode 2. Launch "Gecko_iPhone_Toolkit.exe: From Folder, Chose iPhone 4 (GSM) and press BOOT, than OK, than choose iphone firmware we just downloaded (strictly it should be in the same directory as every other files) NOTHING SHOULD HAPPEN! 3. Leave gecko software running and launch RUN.bat from same folder and wait until redsn0w finish his job. when it tells you that it is DONE ! and start looking at your iphone screen. 4. Once in iPhone screen you will see a big white OK, Quit...

DOWNLOAD HERE

Lots of people have business cards, but most cards are unfortunately kind of forgettable. Not this business card, though—this one is more likely to be a time sink, thanks to the playable Tetris it features. WATCH IN ACTION GO TO ARDUBOY'S SITE SOURCE

INSTRUCTIONS: Use Odin to flash this version note what boxes are ticked and then after root manually and then use z3x and tick UNLOCK/REPAIR EFS then press repair and enter your new imei DOWNLOAD ROM used for this procedure Count supported models - 305 Android Version: 2.3.3 Model: GT-I9100 Product Code: Not Active Phone Version: I9100XXKE7 PDA Version: I9100XWKF3 CSC Version: I9100OXXKF1 IMEI: 004999010640000 Checking ROOT... FALSE Rooting Phones, Please Wait... OK Checking ROOT... TRUE Reading Data From Phone... OK Writing NV Data To Phone... OK Rebooting Phone... OK Searching Samsung USB Modem... Detected COM12 Bypass MSL... OK Repairing IMEI... OK New IMEI: 35930456234XXXX Rebooting... OK Done with Samsung Tool ver 12.4 SOURCE 

Microsoft Office is about to get more personal with something called Office Graph. The new feature incorporates your web searches and online interactions, allowing it to highlight files and projects it thinks are important to you based on who you're talking to. It can also let you know how you're connected though people or projects to others at your organization. Over time, Office Graph will come into play in a number of Microsoft's apps and services, one of the first being a standalone product codenamed Oslo -- not to be confused with the previous Microsoft Oslo. (Coming up with new names is hard!) The app will display information like who attended a meeting or what conversation topics are trending at your business on digital cards like Google Now. You can also track what files are being shared -- so you'll know if everyone's passing around a video of John breakdancing at the company party. The Office Graph will also power a new Groups function that integrates...

The National Health Service (NHS) of England has come under fire lately amid plans to share patient data with researchers and private companies, and today's revelation will only pile on the privacy concerns. The Guardian reports that the entire patient database for the NHS has been uploaded to Google servers. Patients' records -- including their addresses, hospital records and more -- were uploaded to Google's BigQuery analytics tool by management consulting firm PA Consulting, but it's unclear how the firm acquired the patient data in the first place. The fact that sensitive patient data has been uploaded -- to Google servers outside of the European Union, no less -- may be a huge breach in and of itself, but members of Parliament and patient groups are also questioning exactly how much data has been shared. PA Consulting said it produced interactive maps of hospital data, which implies that location info from patients' files was disclosed. And according to Th...

The evening of June 23, 2005, wasn't especially hot in New York City, at least by historical standards. The day's high was a mere 79 degrees, slightly below average for late June, and well below the record for the day of 96. But inside Compact-Impact, a Japanese gadget store on the city's Lower East Side, things were downright steamy. As more than 200 sweaty fans packed the tiny storefront, it quickly became stifling, crowded and noisy. It wasn't an appearance by a hot local band or political activist. It was a meetup. For a blog. Engadget had arrived. "I didn't know if anyone would come," recalled founder Peter Rojas. "The fact that people would show up and hang out with the guys from a gadget site kind of blew my mind." KEEP IT READING Ps. Congrats guys!

In case you hadn't heard, Samsung's newest phone is coming. At the Oscars, the Galaxy S5 just got a huge shot of publicity, both in a 30-second ad segment and the not-so-casual presence of its big bro, the Note 3, throughout the award ceremony. We hope you like Hollywood stars and selfies, because Ellen's going to be tweeting a whole lot of them. That's your sponsorship dollars at work, Samsung, even if DeGeneres apparently switched back to an iPhone backstage. Update: Oh, and that ensemble picture being taken in the shot above? The real thing is now the most-retweeted post, ever. Twitter Pic SOURCE

Imo has long served as a chat network aggregator, putting all your conversations in one place. However, the company believes that this strategy has led to compromises that hold back its own messaging efforts. To sharpen its focus, it's dropping support for all third-party services. The firm will start turning off the lights on March 3rd, and you'll have until March 7th to download your chat history from outside platforms. Imo argues that the narrower scope will help it create the "fastest and most reliable" communication service on the planet. The company may need to act quickly on that goal if it wants to keep and grow its fan base -- we can't imagine that many users are happy with Imo losing one of its most appealing features. SOURCE

Apple has officially announced CarPlay, its new in-car interface that'll be compatible with new Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo cars unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show this week. Designed "from the ground up" to bridge the gap between your iPhone and your auto, it will offer touch and Siri-based voice navigation of your smartphone services, including contacts, voicemail, notifications, map directions and music cueing -- it will even support third-party apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio from launch. Voice controls will be activated by a button on the steering wheel, while the in-car touchscreen is populated with those familiar iOS 7 icons for easy access. The service will launch as an iOS update for Lightning-enabled iPhones (that's iPhone 5 and up), with CarPlay-compatible vehicles launching later this year. And if any of the above aren't your preferred automaker, Apple says that you can expect compatible cars from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota an...

After powering the world's most retweeted tweet, Samsung has also revealed a suite of app-based upgrades that future GS5 owners will receive, free, alongside their new smartphone. While Evernote and Linkedin's premium services only extend to three months, we have no complaints about six free months of the Wall Street Journal and year-long access to Bloomberg's Businessweek. The Galaxy S5 will also include a year of Run Keeper Premium, as well as limited-time premium services for Map My Fitness and Skimple. There's no Dropbox this time, but there is 50GB of free cloud storage -- for six months -- from Box. Also, in case you forgot about the Galaxy S5's heart-rate sensor, you'll also pick up a year's subscription to Lark's personal wellness app, which will plug into (and monitor) all your health metrics... until you're ready to pay another 36 bucks to extend the service. But then, who can put a price on good health? SOURCE

Windows and Android are such good pals, they're quite literally inseparable on a number of dual-boot devices. Aside from some old community-driven projects, however, the relationship between Google's mobile OS and Windows Phone hasn't blossomed to a point where they're officially comfortable sharing a smartphone. Well, they better pencil in a bonding session, because The Times of India reports local manufacturer Karbonn is set to launch the first such dual-boot handset by June. With the ink now dry on a deal with Microsoft -- presumably a WP license agreed behind closed doors at MWC -- plans are to offer a range of split-personality devices with professional and tech-savvy types in mind. Perhaps they'll run Windows Phone 8.1 right off the bat, too, given the new version's broader hardware support, and show that you needn't create mutant advocates to tempt consumers one way or another. SOURCE

We already know that Microsoft is set to become the last major player to launch a digital assistant, but previews of what "Cortana" will look like have been almost non-existent. Now, thanks to leaked screenshots from The Verge, we're getting our first look at what to expect when the company's Siri rival makes its public debut with the launch of Windows Phone 8.1. Confirming earlier reports, Microsoft has opted for a circular animated icon as its primary UI element, which will use the same highlight color you've chosen on your Windows Phone device. That icon will reportedly jump about the screen as it asks you questions and responds to your requests. Cortana can also be tweaked to personalize greetings, allowing you to change your name or set a nickname for when it provides alerts, offers suggestions or displays reminders. Microsoft appears to be taking a few pages out of Apple's and Google's playbooks, which is further evidenced by the inclusion of a ...

With hundreds of mom and pop shops in the New York area, it's been upwards of a decade since I've stepped foot in a Pizza Hut. But the fast food giant's latest dining concept may just have me reconsidering that self-imposed chain pizzeria embargo. The interactive table, created in partnership with Chaotic Moon Studios, lets you visualize your order as you construct it. Pick your crust, select your sauce and cheese (half or whole), then add toppings like chicken, mushrooms and peppers to your liking. You can even double down on calories by rounding out your meal with a serving of cheese sticks, Spicy Asian wings or Hershey's Chocolate Dunkers. Just keep in mind that after all that touching, your fingers will be coated in varying levels of greasy stranger danger -- be sure to wash your hands before your pie arrives! WATCH VIDEO SOURCE

Oppo may have just stolen Nokia's camera resolution crown. The Chinese company has posted a whopping 50-megapixel (8,160 x 6,120) photo that was reportedly taken with the upcoming Find 7 smartphone. On a surface level, the image checks out -- there's a lot of detail here, including street signs that suggest Oppo took the picture in Barcelona (despite the likely fake Florida license plate). However, we wouldn't be too quick to praise the Find 7's photographic abilities. Oppo is known to occasionally post bogus teasers that don't translate into shipping products, so it wouldn't be surprising if the company's new flagship relies on more modest camera technology. SOURCE

If you have a Chrome OS system, you know it can be a hassle to sign out just so that someone else can borrow the computer for a few minutes. That may not be an annoyance for much longer, though. A new developer version of Chrome OS includes experimental code for running multiple profiles at once; after others sign in, you can switch between users at the drop of a hat. You can even send windows to different profiles. There's no certainty that Google will bring multi-account support to a polished Chrome OS release, but those willing to take some risks can switch to the Dev channel to try the feature today. WATCH CHROME MULTIPLE PROFILES DEMO SOURCE

Microsoft really wants Windows XP holdouts to upgrade before official support ends in a month's time, and it's providing some last-minute incentives to get those people moving forward. The company will soon let XP users download a free copy of Laplink's PCmover Express to migrate their data to newer Windows releases. The crew in Redmond isn't just hoping that users will find the tool and update on their own, though. It plans to send an end-of-support notification to most XP users on March 8th; if they didn't already know about the deadline, they likely will by this weekend. Microsoft can't force its customers to use modern software, but these latest steps will at least make its intentions clear. SOURCE PERSONAL BLOG EDITOR'S NOTE: Of course we y'al know Windows XP is the best thing which occurs to PC history, BUT also is a bit outdated thanks to new technologies. Lately no one wants to know their programs rans in older PCs, since memory resourc...

Microsoft has a new CEO in Satya Nadella, but two of his direct reports are apparently on their way out according to Re/code. Both marketing EVP Tami Reller and biz dev/evangelism EVP Tony Bates are leaving Microsoft; the company hasn't officially confirmed either departure, but is expected to announce as much tomorrow. Bates is certainly the bigger name of the two, having previously led Skype to its acquisition by Microsoft back in 2011. In a video from that era (found below), Bates said he was looking forward to what Microsoft and Skype could do together. He said he saw video communication becoming ubiquitous in the next several years, and was looking forward to combining Skype's and Microsoft's "disruptive" approaches to consumer tech. He was reported to be in the running for Nadella's CEO job as well, which certainly helps to explain why he'd be interested in leaving Microsoft right now. As far as Reller goes, it's not entirely clear why she...

RunKeeper has a solid track record when it comes to giving users new ways to interact with the application. It's no surprise, then, that the fitness-focused app is getting some fresh tidbits on Android. Most notably, you'll now see a training plan feature, which is set to coincide with the goals you've set up within the app. This version also brings a redesigned "Me" tab, an option to keep a close eye on training schedules and the ability to view your workout history. It's a very nice update, to say the least -- and given that it's Monday, it couldn't have come at a better time to inspire your next run. SOURCE

It's been over a year since Samsung released a new Chromebook, and since then the competition has been heating up: Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba all sell Chrome OS devices now, as does Acer, which has been at it from day one. Accordingly, Samsung is refreshing its lineup: the company just announced the Chromebook 2, which comes in 11- and 13-inch screen sizes, and will ship next month starting at $320 for the smaller version (the bigger one costs $400). Perhaps even more interesting than any of the spec bumps, though, is the new design. Confirming some leaked photos that began circulating two days ago, the Chromebook 2 sports a faux-leather lid with a soft, rubbery finish and fake stitching at the edges -- yep, just like the Galaxy Note III, Note Pro 12.2 and other recent Samsung devices. In-hand, it actually feels quite nice, and might even be easier for children to grip, assuming this ends up in classrooms. It also has a thin silhouette, which we're told was modeled after...