Huawei’s Dual-Boot Windows Phone Allegedly Emerges Online

Huawei has been rumored a while ago to plan on bringing to the market a smartphone featuring dual-boot capabilities, supposedly capable of providing users with support for both Android and Windows Phone, and the device seems to have made an appearance online this week.

Courtesy of a photo that leaked online on weibo, we can now allegedly have a look at the device that Huawei was supposedly set to bring to the market with said dual-OS capabilities loaded on top. Just as GforGames (which has discovered the aforementioned photo with the device) notes, the Huawei smartphone was clearly destined to run Windows Phone, based on the buttons present on its front, but it shows Android on the screen instead. Dual-boot smartphones are already available for purchase, and it would clearly not come as a surprise if Huawei indeed released such a device sooner or later, though rumor has it that the company might have actually cancelled the phone already. However, with no official confirmation on the matter, we’ll have to take the info with a grain of salt for the time being, as the supposedly leaked photo could very well prove to be fake.

Should Huawei indeed plan the release of a new Windows Phone device, especially one that would also sport Android, it would certainly provide additional details on it sooner rather than later, so stay tuned to learn more on the matter.

Huawei's allegedly leaked dual-boot Windows Phone
Image credits to Weibo via GforGames

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Gigabyte Releases Extensive 9-Series G1 Gaming Motherboard Collection

In order to support the latest Haswell refresh central processing units from Intel, and the upcoming Devil's Canyon high-end, unlocked K chips, Gigabyte has launched its G1 Gaming motherboards based on the Intel Z97/H97 Chipset.

There are thirteen of them in total, from mini-ITX to full-ATX. Some of them have surfaced before, others have only got hinted at, but they should all be selling now. Here's the list:

• Z97X-Gaming G1 WIFI-BK
• Z97X-Gaming G1
• Z97X-Gaming GT
• G1.Sniper Z97
• Z97X-Gaming 7
• Z97X-Gaming 5
• G1.Sniper Z6
• G1.Sniper H6
• Z97X-Gaming 3
• Z97MX-Gaming 5
• H97M-Gaming 3
• Z97N-Gaming 5
• H97-Gaming 3

The special microsite dedicated by Gigabyte to this line has all the relevant data on them, but some things bear mentioning: “extreme” multi-GPU support (on the larger mainboards at least), M.2 onboard SSD support, SATA Express (for 700-800 MB/s HDD/SSD performance), AMP-UP Audio Technology, gold-plated audio and HDMI connectors, Gigabit LAN, black solid capacitors (last for 10 thousand hours) and UEFI Dual BIOS.

Some mainboards may lack one or more of these features, but it's a rare thing. Gigabyte wanted for even the mini-ITX motherboards to support gaming, so it made it happen. And since gaming hardware is high-end hardware, price is not as great a concern as on the mid-range segment, so the company could afford to add some other perks, not all of which were specified in the list above. Images gallery below, click for larger image.

Gigabyte unleashes 9-Series gaming motherboards
Image credits to Gigabyte

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Nokia X2 Hardware Specs Allegedly Emerge Online

Earlier this week, info on the possible upcoming availability on a successor of the Nokia X Android smartphone has emerged online, and some more details on the device appear to have been made public.

The smartphone, supposedly set to arrive on the market as Nokia X2, was said to be a bit better than the predecessor, and the newly leaked info on it appears to confirm that, to some extent. Nokia X2 is said to have made an appearance on AnTuTu with model number RM-1013 attached, and what seems to be a screenshot with the app showing its hardware specs is now available for your viewing pleasure (courtesy of MyNokiaBlog). According to the screenshot, the upcoming device will hit shelves with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering an 800 x 480 pixels resolution. Moreover, the mobile phone appears set to arrive on shelves with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor packed inside, paired with Adreno 305 graphics. Previously, the phone was said to be powered by a quad-core processor, though it appears that this might not happen in the end.

Nokia X2, provided that the smartphone is indeed released, is said to arrive on the market with 1GB of RAM, as well as with 4GB of internal memory. The phone should also sport a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, although no specific info on the matter has been provided as of now. The supposedly leaked info on the Nokia X2 also unveils that the smartphone might pack a 5-megapixel camera on the back, paired with a VGA front camera. This will certainly prove a nice enhancement over the original Nokia X, which only included a 3.2MP camera on the back, but no front camera. Apparently, the Nokia X2 handset will arrive on the market with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system loaded on top right from the start.

The original Nokia X phone was also released with the Fastlane UI on top of Android, and the successor of that device might feature it as well. Unfortunately, no official confirmation on the actual existence of the mobile phone has been provided as of now, and it remains to be seen whether it will indeed pan out in the end, so we'll take the above with a grain of salt for now. Provided that Microsoft is indeed set to release a new Android device, we might not see it go official before the end of this year. Nokia X was made official in February, at the Mobile World Congress, and there is a strong chance that the successor will be announced at the same conference next year.

Nokia X2 emerges in AnTuTu
Image credits to MyNokiaBlog

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iMessage Problem Gets Official Fix from Apple

Still can’t receive iPhone-written texts on your Droid? Not to worry. Apple is on the case. After fixing the server-side part of the issue, the company is now proud to confirm that a firmware fix is also in the works. The flaw will supposedly be gone for good really soon.

Although many users are still in the red, the problem seems to be getting rectified. Apple has started with a backend fix, and it is planning to roll out a software update that customers will be able to download and install on their iPhones to completely eliminate the flaw. A statement provided to re/code says this much: “We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update. For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.” Apple’s admittance comes late, but it’s still better than turning a blind eye to the problem, as some have suggested. According to some people’s reasoning, Apple had no incentive to address the issue because it forced customers to stay in the iOS ecosystem (rather than flee to the Android camp). The allegation was at best absurd, but you also couldn’t blame someone for thinking this way considering Apple’s restrictive approaches to certain aspects of its business.

Users will (supposedly) be prompted to download and install iOS 7.1.2 in the near future, and perhaps an incremental iOS 6.1.7 as well (for those still stuck on the old firmware). iOS 7.1.2 should also contain fixes for a recently discovered flaw that circumvents one of Apple’s security measures taken against iPhone thefts: Activation Lock. Although the bypass was possible thanks to an iCloud breach, a well-known hacker and security expert revealed that the Cupertino giant will have to also deploy a firmware fix, meaning a new incremental update for iOS 7 users. However, considering that any new iOS update must go through some thorough testing before it gets released (and that includes sending a pre-release build to the wireless carriers), customers shouldn’t expect the new firmware to arrive any time too soon.

Some users have taken matters into their own hands trying to resolve the infamous iMessage flaw. One tipster has said that you can reset your Apple ID password and then text STOP to 48369 on your Android phone to fix the issue. However, as we have warned before, these are under no circumstances official fixes, therefore using them is not encouraged.

iPhone user
Image credits to BusinessInsider.com

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Oppo N1 Mini Leaks in Live Pictures, Include 5-Inch HD Display, 13MP Camera

One of the most popular Android smartphones in China, the Oppo N1, made the jump to other Asian countries a few months ago. Given the phone’s popularity among Android users, the Chinese company seems determined to launch a mini version of the N1, which will be available for a lower price.

For those unfamiliar with the standard Oppo N1, the smartphone is a beast when it comes to specs. It boasts a huge 5.9-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory. The phablet is powered by a decent 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, an Adreno 320 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM. The bad news is that the Oppo N1 does not come with microSD card slot for storage expansion, so those who rely on internal memory should pick the 32GB model. The device packs a 13-megapixel swivel camera which can be rotated at 180 degrees to take pictures, which is why it doesn’t need a secondary camera in the front.Oppo N1 drains energy from a 3610 mAh battery and offers multiple connectivity options, including HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB with USB on-the-go support.

The mini version of the Oppo N1 will still pack higher than average specs, but it will be cheaper than the original model. According to Phonearena, the smartphone has recently been spotted at the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), which means that we should see this one being announced very soon. Dubbed R9C-N5116, the smartphone is shown in multiple pictures and some of its specs are also confirmed. For example, the Oppo N1 mini should pack a 5-inch HD (720p) capacitive touchscreen display, instead of the huge 5.9-inch one included in the standard model. The mini variant will also maintain the same 13-megapixel swivel camera, allowing users to rotate it at 180 degrees. Oppo N1 mini will be powered by a smaller 2140 mAh battery, but given the smaller display, it should be enough.

Although there’s no word on when exactly the smartphone will go on sale, we expect Oppo to make the N1 mini official in the next couple of weeks. The smartphone will certainly be available in several Asian countries, but it’s unclear whether or not Oppo will bring the N1 mini to North America. Europeans may have more luck, as Oppo has already launched its online store in this region. Stay tuned for more on this one.

Oppo N1 Mini
Image credits to FCC

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MediaTek Might Not Support Windows Phone This Year

Chinese chip maker MediaTek might not release chipsets with support for Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system this year, a recent report coming from DigiTimes suggests.

The company is determined to increase its market share in the 4G chipsets area this year, and it seems that this won’t allow it to focus on Windows Phone as well. Citing industry sources, DigiTimes claims that MediaTek is set to release new quad-core and octa-core smartphones this year, and that it will also work towards the launch of chips that offer support for 4G networks. Moreover, MediaTek is expected to launch its first 64-bit processors sometime in the third quarter of the year. Two such processors are expected to be released. However, it appears that the company is determined to grab as much market share off the 4G segment that is currently taking off in China, and that it will also come up with new 3G chips for smartphone makers in the country.

Although MediaTek might not join the Windows Phone party this year, rival company Qualcomm will expand its support for the mobile operating system. The company has decided to launch QRD (Qualcomm Reference Design) smartphones for Windows Phone this year, with the first devices built on it set to arrive on shelves in the second half of the year.

Windows Phone 8.1
Image credits to Microsoft

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Turn Your Ubuntu and Debian Jessie into Windows 7 and Windows 8 with WinAte Theme Pack

WinAte, the theme pack that will turn your Ubuntu and Debian installation into a Windows 7 of Windows 8 look-alike, has just received a new update.

There was a time when it was easy to change the look of most Linux distributions and make them look like a Windows counterpart, but that time has passed. There are only a handful that can still be modified, and Ubuntu and Debian Jessie are among them. “With this brand-new WinAte - Windows 7/8 Transformation Pack for LXDE - you will be able to get all the icons and overall appearance of Windows to your GNU/Linux box, without spending lots of resources nor having to adapt old Gnome 2 themes. Everything works just by executing the install.sh script. Just do that, logout and login again, and there should be a different feeling in the whole system,” reads the official website.

The package has a few dependencies that are very easy to meet: gtk2-engines-murrine, gtk2-engines-pixbuf, and compton. The installation is very simple and the instructions can be followed by anyone. This theme is probably the closest that users will ever going to get to Windows 7 or Windows 8 in term of look, but it ca be used to help people migrate to Linux more easily. You can download the WinAte - Windows 7/8 Theme pack from gnome-look.org.

Windows 8 or Linux?
Image credits to WinAte

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No Download Errors for iOS 8 – Apple Will Use Its Own CDN

With the Apple TV no longer a hobby, iCloud constantly acting up, and major software releases experiencing server outages, Apple is rapidly growing its own Content Delivery Network (CDN) by quietly signing deals with Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Analyst Dan Rayburn, an expert watching over the streaming and online video industry, has gathered new intel regarding Apple’s CDN initiative first reported in February this year. According to his sources, “...Apple has been very busy with their build out deploying a lot of boxes running Apache Traffic Server and buying a ton of transit, co-location, wavelengths and other infrastructure services. Their CDN is quickly growing, and it won’t be long before we start seeing a portion of their content getting delivered from their new CDN,” reports Rayburn. A fast, scalable, and extensible HTTP/1.1 compliant caching proxy server, Apache Traffic Server software was formerly a commercial product donated by Yahoo to the Apache Foundation. Currently, it is an Apache TLP.

The Cupertino company is reportedly signing and/or negotiating deals with some of the country’s largest Internet Service Providers to get its CDN up and running. Sandvine data showed that Apple takes up a mere 2% of total Internet traffic at peak hours, but whenever the company deploys a major new piece of software, such as iOS 7 or OS X 10.9, that figure jumps to 40%. It could also explain why so many people incurred download errors when iOS 7 was released. “So Apple does push a lot of traffic at times and the more devices they sell, the larger their traffic grows,” Rayburn writes. Some of the reasons for Apple’s incentive to own a CDN include “performance issues with iCloud, with Apple wanting to have more control over the end-user experience,” according to the analyst.

“Apple already controls the hardware, the OS and the iTunes/App store platforms. Right now Apple controls the entire customer experience, except for the way content is delivered to their devices, so it’s only natural that a company of their size would build out their own CDN,” he concludes. As noted above, the company will also want at least portions of its CDN to be up and running when iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 are deployed. With each passing year these updates have been increasingly sought by customers, causing severe strain on its servers. Apple also has problems delivering timely Support center updates (KB articles) to customers around the world.

The latest download error occurred last month when Apple released iOS 7.1.1
Image credits to Apple

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Side-Loading of Android Apps on Nokia X Explained

In February, Nokia unveiled to the world the first handsets in its lineup to run under the Android operating system, in the form of the Nokia X series, capable of providing users with brand-new experience on cheap hardware.

The Nokia X smartphones run under a forked version of Android, one that does not feature the usual set of Google services on top but substitutes them with Nokia and Microsoft ones. While this comes with its own set of advantages, a series of limitations are also present in this setup, including the lack of access to the entire range of applications available through the Google Play Store. The app portal has been replaced with the Nokia Store on these phones, which means that users receive access to a smaller amount of software than other Android users out there would. However, although the Nokia Store is the main source of apps for Nokia X users, other means to load software on the device do exist, and one of them is called side-loading.

This process involves getting hold of an application’s installation package, which is called .APK, loading it on the handset’s storage, and then manually installing it. “If you didn’t already know, side-loading refers to the process of installing an app independently of an online store. For example, you might have an Android app stored on your PC that you want to use on your Nokia X,” a recent post on Nokia Conversations explains. To install apps on Nokia X smartphones using side-loading, users will need to locate the .APK file on their computers, and then transfer it to the Nokia X.

For that, they can either use the file manager on their PC after connecting the Nokia X to the PS via a USB cable, or they can send the file via Bluetooth if they own a Mac. They can also do that by putting the file on a microSD card and then inserting it in the phone. Of course, they can also search for, find and download .APK files on the Nokia X handsets straight from the web, if they want to. As soon as the .APK file is on the device, users should make sure that they have enabled installation from unknown sources, by going to Settings > Security > Unknown sources.

Then, simply locate the file on the phone, either via Fastlane or by means of the ASTRO file manager that comes pre-installed on Nokia X, and click it to install. As soon as the process has been completed, the app can be used. “To play it safe, make sure you switch off the ‘unknown sources’ option in security settings once you’ve finished,” said post on Nokia Conversations also explains.

Nokia X Series
Image credits to The Verge

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You Can Now Unlock Moto E’s Bootloader

Last week, Motorola made official a new entry-level Android-based device, in the form of Moto E, which is actually the cheapest phone in its lineup, and the company is already providing users with the possibility to unlock its bootloader.

Only one week after it became available for purchase, the Moto E is open for tweaking, as users can easily unlock it to start loading custom software on it. Today, users interested in making such a move can head over to Motorola’s website to unlock the bootloader of their Moto E devices, though not all models are supported at the moment. For now, Motorola will unlock only the bootloaders inside the US Retail, Canada, Europe and Latin America flavors of Moto E.

Moreover, as AndroidOS notes, Moto E has already received root access and unofficial TWRP recovery, courtesy of XDA-Developers, which will allow users to already get started with tweaking the smartphone, should they want to. One thing that users will have to keep in mind at the moment is the fact that the aforementioned TWRP recovery is not an official release as of now, and that it still includes a series of bugs, as Motorola hasn’t released the kernel source for the device just yet.

Moto E
Image credits to Motorola

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