Asus Padfone 2 may arrive sooner than expected

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's some kind of smartphone-tablet thing

The Asus Padfone 2 may arrive in stores sooner than expected after reports suggest the smartphone-tablet hybrid will go on sale in Germany on December 1.
According to German site Inside-Handy, it has received confirmation that the Asus Padfone 2 will be in stock from the beginning of December, although we've spoken to the Taiwanese firm and it is yet to confirm or deny this.
The original Asus Padfone failed to make it out of Asia but the Padfone 2 has been pegged for a European launch at least.

Christmas comes early

It's currently thought the Padfone 2 will arrive in Europe at the start of 2013 but this latest news does raise hopes of an earlier arrival.
You'll need some serious cash though if you fancy getting your hands on the Padfone 2 with the 32GB model reportedly sporting a price tag of €799 (around £642/$1020/AU$980), while the 64GB version will set you back €899 (around £720/$1150/AU$1105).
The Padfone 2 smartphone packs a 4.7-inch Super IPS+ HD display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4G connectivity, NFC and 13MP camera.
The tablet dock offers up a 10.1-inch HD display and a 5000mAh battery, which will charge the phone when it's docked.
We're still unsure if the smartphone-tablet hybrid concept will be a success - with the high asking price Asus may find it hard to shift the combo.

From Inside-Handy via UnwiredView

Google readying iOS Maps app to save beleaguered iPhone users

Has Apple Maps already reached the end of the road?

Google has apparently started distributing a test version of its iOS Maps app to certain individuals, as the firm looks to take on Apple's disappointing effort.
According to a Wall Street Journal source, several key figures outside of Google have received the test version of Google Maps on their iPhones.
The finishing touches are now being added to the dedicated application, which will mean iPhone users won't have to rely on the mobile browser version, with the app providing a more featured-packed experience – apparently similar to the one you get on Android.

Destination unknown

Apple Maps arrived alongside iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 this year, but it came under instant criticism after numerous errors, inaccuracies and bugs were discovered.
The situation was so bad it led to Apple CEO Tim Cook issuing an apology to customers and recommending that they use other mapping solutions while they work out the problems.
This leaves the door wide open for Google to come in and leave its mark on iPhones (in a similar way to Nokia Here), and if it manages to get the native app on the App Store before Apple addresses its issues, it could well be game, set and match for the search giant.
There's no word on when the final version will be available in the App Store, and Google is apparently yet to submit the app to Apple for its strict approval process.

From Wall Street Journal

Samsung hasn't screwed Apple after all

Apple and Samsung playing nice, for now.

News that Samsung is planning to hike up the price of its processors that it sells to Apple could well be false after a company official dismissed the reports.
At the beginning of the week we saw the Wall Street Journal quote a source who claimed Samsung was implementing the special 20 per cent price increase for Apple, but it looks like they may have got their facts wrong.
Seoul-based newspaper The Hankyoreh has spoken to an unnamed Samsung official who denied the Korean firm was pushing the prices up on components it sells to Apple.

Not that easy

We were slightly surprised when we heard that Apple would be forced to pay the inflated price, without so much as a whimper from the usually boisterous Cupertino-based firm.
The official noted that price changes don't happen easily, and we'd be surprised if Apple would let Samsung get away which such a cheeky ploy.
Apple relies heavily on Samsung for components found in its iPhone, iPad and iPod products and while the companies are fierce rivals, there's no escaping the fact they need each other.

From TheStreet

Intel, Qualcomm reportedly considering investment in Sharp

A new path may be in the cards for Sharp

Two chip making rivals are reportedly considering a joint investment worth $378 million (UK£238, AUD$363) into struggling consumer electronics company Sharp, according to a new report.
Citing two sources familiar with the situation, Reuters revealed the potential revival deal between Intel and Qualcomm Wednesday.
Sharp displays are found in iPads and iPhones and the company appears anxious to tap into the small screen and high-end laptop market as a way to resurrect its fortunes. Intel is apparently interested in Sharp's energy-efficient IGZO displays as it looks to profit in the growing Ultrabook scene.
A deal between Sharp and Qualcomm may come as soon as the end of November, one of Reuters' sources said. Details of an Intel deal are less firm as the company has its own murky financials to contend with.

Sharp's struggles

Sharp's situation is no secret - various reports have it cutting its workforce by almost 11,000 in two years, selling off assets and contending with $13.8 billion (UK£8.71, AUD$13.2) in debt.
Over the course of 2012, Sharp has seen three-quarters of its value whither away. Its total lose for the year could reach $5.7 billion (UK£3.59, AUD$5.4), including a $1.1 billion (UK£6.94m, AUD$1.05) restructuring charge.
The firm also reportedly struggled to meet screen supply demands for the popular iPhone 5, though it later denied those claims.
An investment by Intel or Qualcomm, or both, could lay out an entirely new future for Sharp, one that steers it completely away from TV land and wholly towards mobile technology.

Via Reuters

Samsung defiant: 'We don't intend to negotiate with Apple'

Samsung has said that it is not looking to negotiate with its fierce rival Apple, with an HTC-style settlement looking increasingly unlikely.
Speaking to the Korean media, Samsung's mobile president Shin Jong-kyun revealed the firm was sticking to its guns in its continuing battle with its Cupertino-based rival.
Jong-kyun was quoted by Yonhap News saying: "It may be true that HTC may have agreed to pay 300 billion won (£173 million/$276 million) to Apple, but we don't intend to [negotiate] at all."

Say no to negotiation

At the start of the week Taiwanese manufacturer HTC announced that it had resolved its patent disputes with Apple, agreeing a 10 year licensing deal with the iPhone maker.
The ongoing game of one-up-manship between Apple and Samsung in the courts is well documented, and becoming ever more tedious, and this latest revelation will not help a resolution arrive any quicker.
We now lay in wait for Apple's sarcastic response, possibly in a similar fashion to the way it "apologised" for accusing Samsung of copying its products.

From Yonhap News via TheNextWeb

Motorola Xoom and Google Nexus S miss out on Android 4.2

Stuck on the first round of Jelly Bean

Google has confirmed that the Motorola Xoom and Nexus S smartphone will not be treated to the freshest version of the firm's mobile operating system, Android 4.2.
The news was revealed on Google's forum by Jean-Baptiste Queru, who is the Technical Lead for the Android Open Source Project in a post regarding the Android 4.2 update.
Details about the devices not receiving the update are at the end of the post, with Queru writing: "There is no support for 4.2 on Nexus S and Xoom. Those devices should continue using 4.1.2."

Reasoning unknown

Both devices got an upgrade to the original Jelly Bean, Android 4.1 earlier this year, and while the update from the Xoom raised some eyebrows, Google's recent acquisition of Motorola goes some way to explain why the tablet got treated.
What's possibly more puzzling is Google's decision not to bump both devices up to Android 4.2 – which itself isn't a vast leap forward in terms of development from 4.1.
Queru offered no reasoning as to why Google has taken the decision to stop the updates at Android 4.1.2 for the devices, so we've contacted the search giant to try and find out more.

From Google via TalkAndroid

iOS 6.1 could see Siri book your cinema tickets iOS 6.1 could see Siri book your cinema tickets

Wonder if it does popcorn too?

The upcoming release of iOS 6.1 could see Siri get some new smarts, including the ability to book movie tickets from your iPhone 5, new iPad 4 or iPod Touch.
9to5Mac reports that developers currently dabbling with the beta version of the iOS update have confirmed the ticket-purchasing function, which is powered by Fandango.
The devs claim a user can book a cinema ticket by simply telling Siri the movie they want to see – although the feature will only be available in the US to start with.

Still requires a tap

Although this all sounds rather magical, Siri will only take you as far as the Fandango app, with the tickets you requested on screen, but the transaction will still need to be finished with your fingers – bah!
In true Apple fashion, Siri is going to be pretty smart when it comes to deciphering what you mean, with it able to understand phrases such as "two tickets to that new Pixar movie".
We're just hoping that the feature gets pushed out around the world soon after it launches in the US, as other countries have sometimes had to wait quite a while to get certain features - such as Siri's location based searches..

From 9to5Mac

BlackBerry PlayBook 3G+ released in the U.K.

Despite having a brand new speedy LTE network to connect to in the U.K., RIM decided to stick with 3G with its new tablet release in the region. The BlackBerry PlayBook 3G+ works over 3G pipelines, obviously, and is available only with 32GB of storage. BlackBerry fans in the region will be happy to have some sort of cellular connectivity on the PlayBook, even if it is equipped with the same 7 inch 1024 x 600 resolution that earlier models had.

Some changes have been made besides the HSPA+ connectivity, including the bump up to a dual-core 1.5GHz processor from the dual-core 1GHz processor on the Wi-Fi only model. The pricing of the tablet is interesting because at £420 ($690), the BlackBerry PlayBook 3G+ costs £30 more than a 32GB Apple iPad mini tricked out with the same 32GB of storage and cellular connectivity.

The BlackBerry PlayBook should be in the mix in that competitive 7 inch low priced tablet sector with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, the Google Nexus 7 and the Apple iPad mini, but thanks to RIM's fading fortunes, the tablet seems to be just forgotten. We wouldn't be surprised to see RIM try to get rid if inventory by drastically cutting prices in a few weeks to spur holiday sales. For now though, when it comes to the BlackBerry PlayBook, it's slow business as usual for the Canadian manufacturer.

source: Electronista

Google Play store matches Apple's as it hits 700,000 apps

Google Play: now with more apps

Search giant Google has announced that there are now 700,000 applications available to download from its Google Play store.
Google Play, formerly known as Android Market, has been playing catch up to Apple's dominant App Store for years, but according to the big G it's finally caught up to its Cupertino-based rival.
Apple announced last year during the iPad mini and new iPad 4 launch event that its App Store packed over 700,000 applications, and now Google is saying the same.

Race is on

The number of apps in the App Store has always been a key boasting point for Apple at its events, and while it will still claim its offering is cleaner, safer and better than Google's all-for-one and one-for-all Play store, it's got a real fight on its hands.
It seems that Google and Apple are going head to head in almost every way imaginable, with law suits, budget tablets, mobile operating systems and next-gen smartphones all thrown in as they battle for supremacy.
Surely the next milestone is who can get 1 million apps in their store first, with Google currently the favourite thanks to the sheer speed of growth - but don't be surprised if Apple launches a fresh onslaught.

From Bloomberg