GoPro names Apple designer as VP of design

(Reuters) - Wearable camera maker GoPro Inc named Apple Inc designer Daniel Coster as vice president of design, effective the end of April.

Coster was a core member of Apple’s industrial design team for more than 20 years and is credited with contributing to devices such as iPhone 4 and iPad wireless keyboard, the company said in a statement.

GoPro has faced increasing competition from enhanced video-shooting capabilities of Apple’s iPhone 6 range.

GoPro shares rose 16.3 percent to 13.58 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday.

Sony extending closure of image sensor plant in quake-hit southern Japan

(Reuters) - Electronics giant Sony crop on Sunday said production at its image sensor plant in Kumamoto, southern Japan, remained suspended as it assessed damage from a powerful earthquake.

Operations at its image sensor plants in Nagasaki and Oita, also on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, fully resumed, the company said.

The Kumamoto plant has been offline since Friday, while operations at the Nagasaki and Oita plants were partially suspended on Saturday.

A 7.3 magnitude tremor struck early on Saturday morning, killing at least 32 people, injuring about 1,000 more and causing widespread damage.

It was the second major quake to hit Kumamoto province on the island of Kyushu in just over 24 hours. 

Apple extends iPhone production cut for another quarter: Nikkei

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will continue its reduced production of iPhones in the quarter ending June in light of sluggish sales, the Nikkei business daily reported, citing parts suppliers notified of the plan.

Apple apparently does not plan to make enough of the newly launched iPhone SE model, the Nikkei report said.

The company’s shares fell 1.8 percent to $110.05. Shares of some Apple suppliers also fell following the report. Skyworks Solutions Inc was down 1.4 percent, Broadcom Ltd fell 2.4 percent while Jabil Circuit lost 1.7 percent. The Nikkei reported in January that the technology giant was expected to cut production of its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models by about 30 percent in the quarter ended March, but production was expected to return to normal in the current quarter.

The production cut could last longer than the one it implemented in 2013, when Apple cut production orders for its cheaper iphone 5C a month after its launch, the Nikkei said.

Apple has told parts suppliers in Japan and elsewhere that it will maintain the reduced output level in the current quarter, the Nikkei report said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In January, Apple said it expected a fall in revenue for the quarter ending March - its first forecast for a revenue drop in 13 years - as the critical Chinese market showed signs of weakening. It also reported the slowest-ever increase in iPhone shipments.

Global smartphone sales in 2016 are expected to grow at their slowest rate - in single digits in percentage terms, according to research firm gartner  Inc.

Facebook brings 'chat bots' to Messenger

San Francisco (AFP) - Facebook extended its reach beyond online socializing by building artificial-intelligence powered "bots" into its Messenger application to allow businesses to have software engage in lifelike text exchanges.

The move announced at the leading online social network’s annual developers conference in San Francisco came as the number of monthly users of Messenger topped 900 million and the Silicon Valley company works to stay in tune with mobile Internet lifestyles.

"We think you should be able to text message a business like you would a friend, and get a quick response," Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zucker berg said as he announced that developers can build bots that could even be better than real people at natural language text conversations.

Bots are software infused with the ability to "learn" from conversations, getting better at figuring out what people are telling them and how best to respond.

The bots could help Facebook over time monetize its messaging applications and get a start on what some see as a new way of interacting with the digital world, potentially shortcutting mobile applications and sidestepping search.

"Our goal with artificial intelligence is to build systems that are better than people at perception -- seeing, hearing, language and so on," Zucker berg said while laying out a long-term vision for Facebook.

A look at the number and types of services that titans such as Facebook, Google and Apple have rolled out in the last couple of years, it appears the companies are "trying to dominate the customers’ mobile moments," Forester analyst Julie Ask told AFP.

GETTING SMARTER

Artificial intelligence is already used in Messenger to recognize faces in pictures, suggesting recipients for messages and for filtering out spam texts.

"Soon, we are going to be able to do even more," Zucker berg said.

He promised a future in which Facebook AI would be able to understand what is in pictures, video or news articles and use insights to recommend content members of the social network might like.

Bot-building capabilities will be in a test mode with Facebook approving creations before they are released, according to vice president of messaging products David Marcus.

Some of the latest tools include one for the creation of "high-end, self-learning bots," along with ways for them to be brought to people’s attention at Messenger, Marcus said.

"If you want to build more complex bots, you can now use our bot engine," Marcus told a packed audience of developers.

"You feed it samples of conversation, and it’s better over time. You can build your bot today."

The list of partners launching Messenger bots included Business Insider, which said it will use the technology to deliver news stories to people in real-time.

"We are excited about this new offering because we know that messaging apps are exploding in popularity," Business Insider said in a story at its website announcing the move.

Cloud computing star Sales force planned to use the platform to help businesses have "deeper, more personalized and one-to-one customer journeys within the chat experience," said Sales force president and chief product officer Alex Dayon.

BRIDGES, NOT WALLS

Zucker berg laid out a future for Facebook that, aside from Messenger, included ramping up live video streaming and diving into virtual reality.
"We think we are at the edge of the golden age of video," Zucker berg said.

Facebook opened its Live platform to allow developers to stream video content from their applications to audiences at the social network.
Zuckerberg demonstrated with a drone that flew over those seated, streaming live video to Facebook while he spoke.

Messenger and Live will be built out further in coming years, along with virtual reality technology at Facebook-owned Oculus, according to Zuckerberg.

When his daughter takes her first steps, Zuckerberg said he planned to record it in 360-degree video so family and friends can experience it in virtual reality as if they were there for the moment.

At one point, Zuckerberg’s comments took on a political tone, with the Facebook chief maintaining that the mission to connect the world is more important than ever given rhetoric about building walls and fearing those who are different.

"If the world starts to turn inward, then our community will have to work even harder to bring people together," Zuckerberg said.

"Instead of building walls, we can build bridges," he added, in an apparent reference to the fiery rhetoric of Donald Trump

Samsung flags better-than-expected Q1 profit rise

The profit figure was substantially higher than the 5.53 trillion-won average of analysts' estimates

 SEOUL (AFP) - Samsung Electronics on Thursday posted a better-than-expected 10 percent increase in first quarter profits, on robust sales of the South Korean electronics giant’s new Galaxy S7 smartphone.

The world’s largest smartphone producer said operating profit in the January-March period was expected to reach around 6.6 trillion won ($5.6 billion), up from 6.0 trillion won a year ago.

The profit figure was substantially higher than the 5.53 trillion-won average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg News, and up from the 6.1 trillion won posted in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The result will encourage shareholders after a disappointing 2015 that saw Samsung lose more than $8.0 billion in market value, with its flagship smartphone business sandwiched by top-end rivals like Apple’s iPhone and lower-end devices from fast-growing Chinese outfits like Huawei and Xiaomi.

In an effort to defend its smartphone share, Samsung rolled out the latest version  of its flagship Galaxy smartphone in March -- a month earlier than the previous year and ahead of new launches by its competitors.

The combined shipments of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are estimated to have reached 10 million units within 20 days after the launch.

"We expect the Galaxy S7 to be the world’s best-selling Android smartphone in 2016," said Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics Inc.

"Samsung’s range of lower-cost models, like the J series, is also selling well," Mawston said.

Foreign exchange boost

At the same time, the South Korean won has weakened against the dollar, providing a pricing edge for exports.

Samsung estimated overall sales for the first quarter at 49 trillion won, up from 47.1 trillion won a year before.

Thursday’s forecast, which comes ahead of audited results to be released this month, did not provide a net income figure or breakdown of divisional earnings for the company’s mobile, TV, semiconductor and display units.

After the estimate release, Samsung shares climbed 0.5 percent in early trading on the South Korean stock market.

The performance of the Galaxy S7 is expected to have pushed the mobile division back up to top spot as Samsung’s largest earnings source.

In recent quarters that position had been taken by the conglomerate’s chip business, which had picked up the slack when the once all-conquering mobile unit started to flag.

As well as providing the chips for the company’s own handsets, Samsung’s semiconductor unit also makes the processors for a number of other companies -- including Apple.

Real momentum?

Greg Noh, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities, voiced doubts that the first-quarter profit jump would be extended to the rest of the year.

"It will be difficult to carry on the momentum," Noh said, noting that the strong initial performance of the Galaxy S7 was driven by sales to distributors rather than consumers.

"From the next quarter, there will be a rise in marketing costs for consumer sales. Samsung will probably not see a higher rise in profit than it did this quarter for the rest of the year," he added.

And Samsung will face a fresh challenge following the launch Thursday of Huawei’s P9 smartphone -- the Chinese maker’s first foray into the high-end segment of the market where it hopes to take on the iPhone and Galaxy S handsets.

Huawei is the world’s third-biggest smartphone maker, with an 8.1 percent share of the global market in the fourth quarter, behind Samsung’s 21 percent and Apple’s 19 percent, according to research firm IDC.

The P9 will be available beginning April 16 in at least 29 countries, including China, several European markets and the Middle East.

Apple iPhone unlocking maneuver likely to remain secret

The White House has a procedure for reviewing technology security flaws.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The company that helped the FBI unlock a San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone to get data has sole legal ownership of the method, making it highly unlikely the technique will be disclosed by the government to Apple or any other entity, Obama administration sources said this week.

The White House has a procedure for reviewing technology security flaws and deciding which ones should be made public. But it is not set up to handle or reveal flaws that are discovered and owned by private companies, the sources said, raising questions about the effectiveness of the so-called Vulnerabilities Equities Process.

The secretive process was created to let various government interests debate about what should be done with a given technology flaw, rather than leaving it to agencies like the National Security Agency, which generally prefers to keep vulnerabilities secret so they can use them.

The government’s efforts to force Apple (AAPL.O) to help it unlock the San Bernardino iPhone have reignited a national debate about encryption, security and privacy that continues to rage two weeks after the Justice Department said it broke into the phone without Apple’s help.

The sources said the technology used to get into the phone was supplied by a non-U.S. company that they declined to identify.

Without cooperation from the company, the FBI would not be able to submit the method to the Vulnerabilities Equities Process even if it wanted to, the sources said on condition they not be named.

The FBI itself probably does not know the details of the technique - just enough to determine that it worked, according to government sources and Rob Knake, who managed the White House process before leaving last year.

The FBI said in February that it was unable to get into the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook without help from Apple, and it won a court order compelling the Silicon Valley icon to break into the device. Apple, backed by much of the tech industry, complained that the order would in effect make businesses arms of the state.

The Justice Department dropped the matter the day before a crucial court hearing, saying it had found a way to get into the phone.

At the time, Apple said it hoped the maneuver would be disclosed so that it could fix the flaw before it is discovered and exploited by criminals.

In a separate New York case, the Justice Department is trying to force Apple’s help in extracting data from a drug dealer’s iPhone 5s. For technical reasons, that would be easier for Apple to do, though it would be much harder for the FBI or a contractor, said phone security expert Dan Guido.

The two battles spotlight a long-running but seldom aired conflict over whether information about software security lapses should be kept secret by law enforcement or intelligence agencies, who want the knowledge to snoop, or disclosed to the technology companies so they can patch the holes.

After questions were raised about the Vulnerabilities Equities Process in 2013, White House cybersecurity policy coordinator Michael Daniel said it was "reinvigorated," though information as basic as which departments are involved remained undisclosed.

Daniel has written that the factors to be weighed include how easy a flaw would be for outsiders to find and how much danger would be posed to society.

But Knake said the procedure had been created in 2010 to handle situations like an FBI technologist in a lab inventing a method for circumventing security.

“It was not set up for a world of commoditized exploitation,” where major defense contractors buy and sell flaws for millions of dollars. (here)

“There is no way the government could force companies to share the methods that they are trying to sell, or any way to stop government agencies from buying from those companies,” he said.

Knake said the process could be improved if it were revamped again to deal with the reality of the exploit marketplace.

The White House referred questions to the FBI, which did not respond to emails seeking comment. 

Lost your Android phone? Just type "find my phone" into Google

Losing your phone can happen easily. Unfortunately, finding it again can often be not so easy. Google has just made the search process a little easier for Android users, however. Now they need only type "find my phone" into Google Search using a desktop browser.

In order for the functionality to work, users must be logged into the same Google account on the browser as they are on their phone. They must also have the latest version of the Google app installed on their device. Assuming all that is the case, a "Find your phone" map will appear at the top of the Google Search results.

Once Google has successfully pinpointed the phone in question (as long as it's powered on, this should work), it displays the location of the device on a map and offers to ring it. Ringing it, of course, helps in those occasions that your phone has slipped behind a couch cushion or whatnot, while displaying it on map is useful if you've left it somewhere like a coffee shop or bar.

Previously, it was necessary to install the Android Device Manager app to locate a lost Android phone (assuming you hadn't turned the service off, as it's on by default). Plenty of users simply won't have been aware of those possibilities – and this new approach, which is simply a web-based version of Android Device Manager, makes it easy for anyone to locate a lost device.

BlackBerry’s Second Android Phone

I love BlackBerry. I adored the Passport when that came out and I even used a BB10 handset for a good 8 months back in the day. I wasn’t hugely impressed by the BlackBerry PRIV, but I could see the handset’s potential — BlackBerry and Android could work together well, it just needed a bit of finessing.

And this is why I am immensely excited about what the company has in store for us in 2016/17. Current word on the street suggests two Android handsets scheduled for 2016. 

Moto X 2016

Motorola, now owned by Lenovo, has been on something of a roll for the past few years. This streak of awesomeness started when Moto was acquired by Google and the two companies produced the excellent Moto X handset, a stripped down phone designed to do all the core stuff and not much else.

Moto used stock Android and has continued to do so, even though it is no longer owned by Google. The next big release for Lenovo, potentially, is the Moto X 2016 and it could drop at any moment between now and Q2. Interestingly, Lenovo has confirmed all of its 2016 phones will feature 5+inch displays and fingerprint scanners.
Beyond this the company is talking about a bunch of other stuff — adopting custom UXs for future phones — that frankly terrifies us. But, HEY, three years of excellent releases is a pretty good run for the mobile space’s biggest and most well known hot potato

Nokia’s Android Phone

Microsoft acquired Nokia’s phone business a few years ago and quickly set about doing what it does best — ruining it. But now the dust has settled on that little deal and Microsoft has stopped using the Nokia brand, the Finnish company can now start producing handsets again — and, importantly, handsets that aren’t crippled with Windows Phone software.

Nokia — that is, the NEW Nokia — is apparently looking to bring an Android-powered phone to market in 2016. This is all very rumour-tastic at present but if Nokia were to return in 2016, and with an Android handset no less, it would certainly be very interesting indeed.
I don’t know what the hell is going on with Nokia at the moment or, after a completely pointless April Fool’s joke, what is going on with their return to the mobile space, if anything. Plenty of “sources” and leaks keep telling us Espoo’s finest will return with an Android handset at some point in 2016. But the longer we’re left waiting the more it kind of seems pointless. The space is saturated as it is with the arrival-proper of big Chinese players like Huawei in the space.
Is there still room for Nokia? I’d argue, yes. But the handset they come to the table with had better be something a little different, something like it used to do way back when it was on top of the world. Get the specs and hardware right, sure, but make sure it features a HUGE USP, something that no one else is doing.

LG G5

LG used to be rubbish. REALLY rubbish. But then it built the Nexus 4 and everything sort of changed. The company regained its stride and began making some of the best phones in the business like the LG G3 and LG G4, which were easily two of our favourite releases in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

In 2015 LG returns with the LG G5, a handset that is EASILY one of the most exciting releases we've seen in recent times. The device itself is gorgeous, looking completely different to last year's G4. Plus, the damn thing is an modular phone, meaning you can attach accessories to it.
The LG G5 is easily one of the most exciting phones for 2016. Why? Simple: LG has been slowly building up an awesome reputation for producing, arguably, some of the best Android phones on the planet. Case in point: the LG G3 and LG G4, as well as the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, of course.
The company has also been pretty bullish about its plans for 2016, proclaiming it is “READY To TAKE Samsung On!” with its LG G5. I’ve argued why I think the LG G5 is a more interesting prospect than the Galaxy S7, and you can read that piece here: THIS is Why The LG G5 Is Better Than The Galaxy S7.

Google's 2016 Nexus Phones

Google will release two Nexus handsets in 2016 just as it did in 2015. But it will not be LG or Huawei making this year’s devices. Nope. According to reports from China, Google is keen on getting HTC back on Nexus-building duties. HTC will build two handsets for Google, the sources claim, one with a 5in display and one with a 5.5in display.

If you’re memory is half decent you will recollect that HTC built the first ever Google Nexus phone — the Google Nexus One — WAY back in 2010. The company also built the first mass-market Android handset as well for T-Mobile in the form of the T-Mobile G1. What HTC will bring to the Nexus fold in 2016 remains to be seen. Will it be based on the company’s next flagship, the HTC One M10?
Who knows. But as always: Google’s Nexus handsets are always worth the wait.

Samsung Galaxy Note 6

The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is apparently returning to the UK in 2016. Reports suggest Samsung, miffed by the weak sales of its EDGE+ handset, has opted to reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as its mid-year flagship release, picking up the slack once the Galaxy S7 has died down in and around Q2. 

“Samsung has no plans to launch a Galaxy S7 Edge+ handset and will instead reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as the brand's chief phablet in the UK,” notes Tech Radar. “That’s according to a source high up at one of the UK's major networks who cited a ‘backlash from loyal Note fans’ as one of the chief reasons for the reverse decision.”

To date not much is known about the handset, though Samsung has been filing some odd patents of late. The handset itself will likely feature QHD or higher display, Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 CPU and Android N, depending on when it is released. A lot of UK punters will be very excited about the prospect of getting their hands on this phablet after Samsung’s 2015 performance. 

Word on the street suggests Samsung is planning something pretty EPIC for its Galaxy Note 6. According to leaked information, the Galaxy Note 6 could well be the first smartphone to rock 6GB of RAM, a frankly insane amount of memory for a phone. What could all this memory be required for? It can’t JUST be for performance. 

Samsung recently filed a patent for an “upcoming” Note device that would see the phablet dock with a laptop-style device. Presumably the Galaxy Note would power the dummy laptop and all of its desktop-still applications. Could this be the reason why Samsung has included 6GB of RAM, or is it just a marketing gimmick? With Samsung you just never know

Huawei P9

After testing out the Huawei Mate 8 and genuinely being blown away buy it I am now super excited about the arrival of Huawei’s next major flagship — the Huawei P9. 

The handset will launch on April 6 and is expected to be one of the most powerful Android phones on the planet Much of this power will come from Huawei’s insanely powerful Kirin SoC and potentially 4GB of RAM. 

There will apparently be two versions of the P9, apparently: the P9 with a 5.2in 1080p display and the P9 with a 6.2in QHD display called the P9 Max. Other specs include a MASSIVE 3900mAh battery, meaning excellent battery performance just like the Mate 8. 

HIDE DATA IN MOBILE WITHOUT ANY SOFTWARE

HIDE DATA IN MOBILE WITHOUT ANY SOFTWARE

HIDE DATA IN MOBILE WITHOUT ANY SOFTWARE

Have you ever wanted to hide folders in your phone? If yes,there here is very interesting solution for you to hide folders in your phone and youdont even need any software for that. This trick can be used for any JAVA phone from Nokia,Samsung,Motorola,LG or any other company. JUST FOLLOW SIMPLE STEPS Create any new folder or you can use any existing folder that is to be hidden. Rename the folder to any name but with the extension of .jad like if I want to hide my images folder then I will name it as IMG.jad Now create a new folder with the same name in the same directory but with the extension of .jar So, I would create the folder with the name IMG.jar And thats it!! My orignal images folder which has been renamed with .jad gets hidden and only folder with.jar extension is visible which is empty.So,my data is protected/hidden from unwanted eyes. To unhide
the orignal folder you have to remove the .jar extension from the new folder and your orignal folder with all the files and with .jad will become visible.

jawadaslam24@hotmail.com