BBM for Windows Phone Beta Receives Its First Update

Last week, Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry showed the first signs that its Messenger was finally ready to arrive on Windows Phone devices, and released the BBM for Windows Phone mobile client in a beta flavor.

Initially available only to users included in a private beta testing program, the app was then pushed out to more users as part of a public testing initiative, but has yet to arrive on all devices out there. However, it appears that the first update for the application has already been released, and that the mobile software is available for download as version 1.0.0.2 at the moment. Unfortunately, we have no info on what the updated release brings along. While this means that the application is moving closer to its general availability on Microsoft’s mobile OS, no specific info on when that will actually happen has been provided as of now.

Last week, BlackBerry announced that the application would be released for all Windows Phone users out there in a matter of weeks, and this is the only release timeframe that we have for it at the moment. Hopefully, additional info on the matter will emerge in the not-too-distant future, so keep an eye on this space for more info on the matter. Those who have already enrolled in the BBM for Windows Phone beta testing program should update the app to get a taste of what’s new in it.

BBM for Windows Phone
Image credits to BlackBerry

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ASUS H97 Pro Gamer ATX Motherboard Boasts 10 Gbps SATA Express M.2 SSD Support

When you see a motherboard colored in a mixture of black and red, and boasting sleek-looking heatsinks, you know you're looking at one of the better ones out there. As it happens, the new ASUS H97 Pro Gamer is more than a few steps higher than “above average.”

The easiest way to confirm that is to look at the storage loadout. And we don't just mean the standard STA 6.0 Gbps available for SSD and HDD installation. No, what sticks out is the fact that the ASUS H97 Pro Gamer is one of the very rare mainboards and features SATA Express support and, more than that, wires the M.2 slots through the PCI Express root complex rather than SATA. You see, M.2 is a new form factor of solid state drives, as large as two of your fingers, or just one, but with the potential of working at 1.8 GB/s or more. However, that performance is only possible if the M.2 ports are wired through PCI Express technology instead of SATA 6.0 Gbps, which, as we said, is a rare occurrence still. ASUS H97 Pro Gamer does, indeed, use PCI Express lanes for the M.2 slot, a pair of PCI Express 2.0 ones to be precise, enabling 10 Gbps bandwidth.

You will have to make sure that the M.2 SSDs you buy are designed with PCI Express-based M.2 support though. The controller determines the compatibility just as much as the motherboard in this case does. Moving on, the H97 Pro Gamer motherboard also has SATA Express support, whereby SATA ports can achieve 10 Gbps. In theory, SATA Express should go all the way up to 12 Gbps, thanks to a combination of SATA III (6.0 Gbps) and PCI Express, but ASUS settled for 10 here. In addition to high-speed storage, the ASYS H97 Pro Gamer mainboard supports Gigabit Ethernet technology with GameFirst II, which reduces lag by prioritizing game data.

High-end audio is another thing, enabled by SupremeFX technology with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 115 dB and built-in amplifier. In layman terms, it means that audio quality isn't lost when you hit “play.” It helps that an electromagnetic interference (EMI) protective shield surrounds the audio chipset. Finally, ASUS' new motherboard has the kind of durability that all high-end motherboards are known for, thanks to resettable fuses (DRAM and connector ports protected by overcurrent and short-circuit damage) and other such components. Finally, ASUS included the efficiency and reliability-boosting DIGI+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) and a stainless-steel back input/output (I/O) panel plated with chromium (it resists corrosion and lasts three times longer than normal panels). Find the dry specs of the newcomer on the H97-Pro Gamer product page.

ASUS H97 Pro Gamer
Image credits to ASUS

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan II Maxwell Super Graphics Card Spotted

NVIDIA's Maxwell graphics processing unit generation was supposed to be designed on the 20nm manufacturing process, but with TSMC having big problems with the node, this won't happen. Thus, even the top chip, the one that will be used on the GeForce GTX Titan II, will be built on the 28nm technology instead.

Admittedly, we aren't totally sure that NVIDIA's next-generation top-end graphics card will be called Titan again, but since we've already had a Titan, Titan Black and Titan-Z (dual-GPU), it is highly likely. The Santa Clara, California-based IT player hasn't actually released any information about the card, or really gone into detail about the Maxwell GPU range as a whole. However, it wasn't able to completely conceal all evidence that a Maxwell-based successor to the GeForce GTX Titan Black was in the works. A shipping manifest has been discovered, one that mentioned a video card powered by the GM200 A1 graphics processing unit. Previously, we’ve heard reports that NVIDIA will start the next-generation video board series with the GM204 Maxwell, which will power the GeForce GTX 880 Ti, GTX 880, GTX 870, and GTX 860.

The fact that the new manifest mentions the GM200, which is supposed to be held in reserve for a good while, implies that a Titan board is what we should be looking forward to here. The discovery of the manifest, along with the knowledge that the GM200 will be built on the 28nm process, does, however, debunk the other half of the rumor surrounding the Maxwell line (the one that said NVIDIA would jump to 16nm). Anyway, the GM200 will probably measure around 620 square millimeters, which is quite large even among high-end GPUs. Inside, there will be 4,000 shader processors (probably) and a 512-bit memory interface.

Below you can see a picture of a PCB that was leaked earlier this week, but whose identity was unknown at the time. There seem to be two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors and one 8-pin port available, suggesting a truly high power consumption, not that it's a surprise, although it does make one wonder how much energy a dual-GPU Maxwell card will need. This is even more perplexing considering that energy needs are supposed to go down the more technology advances, instead of up. It is possible that the “Titan II” and the aforementioned GeForce GTX 880 are one and the same unit. However, the 700 series does have a GTX 780 Ti, yet the Titan Black is better than it, so it can actually go either way.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan II PCB (possibly)
Image credits to Guru3D

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BBM for Windows Phone Now Ready for Open Beta

A few days ago, the long-expected BBM for Windows Phone application arrived in the Windows Phone Store, only to be tagged as a private beta, but good news has emerged for enthusiasts today.

While getting ready for the full release of the application, BlackBerry has decided to make it available in an open beta, and has already started to accept applications from users interested in testing it out. In a recent post on BlackBerry’s official blog, Jeff Gadway, head of product and brand marketing for BBM, has revealed that users can already head over to the Beta Zone to register for the application. “The BBM team here at BlackBerry has been busy getting BBM for Windows Phone ready to go. We’re preparing for an external beta ahead of our launch and are ready to start accepting applications to participate,” he notes. “Now remember, this is a beta and our expectation is that participants will help us make BBM for Windows Phone great by actively participating. If you’re not ready to report bugs, respond to surveys and provide feedback – better to wait just a bit longer for the full release.”

The stable version of BBM for Windows Phone is expected to become available in the next few weeks with all of the sharing features and capabilities that the service can offer to users on other mobile platforms out there as well. The application will arrive on Microsoft’s operating system with BBM Chats, enabling users to engage into conversations with one or more contacts, while also allowing them to easily share content, including photos, voice notes, contacts and location. BBM Groups will also be available in Windows Phone, so that users could connect and share with up to 50 contacts at the same time.

Moreover, it comes with a private group chat and the option to share a photo album so that group members could chat about pics. Shared calendars and lists will also be included in the application, along with broadcast messages. “We’ll be working to quickly add more features to BBM for Windows Phone such as stickers, BBM Voice, BBM Channels and location sharing powered by Glympse in the months ahead,” Gadway says. BBM for Windows Phone will also arrive with a simplified look and feel, featuring a native user interface, in line with the clean, modern design of the Windows Phone UI.

The app will focus on three major areas, namely Contacts, Chats and Feeds, which can be easily accessible by swiping left and right. A series of common actions can be found at the bottom of the page in the footer, while clicking on the three dots will bring up a menu with additional controls. Overall, BBM for Windows Phone appears set to deliver a highly appealing experience to all users, so head over to the BlackBerry Beta Zone to sign up for the application, if you would like to test it before it rolls out to everyone.

BBM for Windows Phone
Image credits to BlackBerry

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Apple Orders 68 Million Units Of iPhone 6 while New Parts Show Up Online (Leak)

Taiwanese website Business Weekly is suggesting some good numbers for Apple's next order of iPhone. According to their sources, the Cupertino-based tech giant just places an order for 68 million units.

Same report says that the customers will have the option of choosing either a 5.5 inch display or a smaller 4.7 inch one. The production will start this month  and Apple will work with their usual manufacturing partners in China - Foxconn and Pegatron. If these numbers are anything close to reality, the iPhone 6 will be the most successful device sold in recent history. And if you only count the big touch screen devices Apple will take the lead in that business. According to the same report, the Taiwanese Topology Research Institute has predicted that the iPhone 6 will sell around 80 million units in 2014 alone. 90 percent of that number should be taken by the 4.7 inch model and the rest will be the 5.5" iPhone.

On another note, new iPhone parts come out of the Chinese plants every day. After we've seen the curved edge display and the back casing of the iPhone 6, the time has come to get our eyes on another Apple piece of technology: the LCD assembly and the home button of the future iPhone. Soon enough we will be able to put together our own working iPhone 6 just by using the parts.

iPhone 6 Lcd assembly
Image credits to 9to5mac

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Awesome Speaker and Audio Port All-In-One Patent Published by Apple

Now this is reinventing the wheel! Apple has filed a Patent Application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to show an audio jack housing that doubles as a speaker.

Imagine you only have one opening at the bottom of your iPhone - the Audio Jack and when there's nothing plugged in, you can still hear the sound loud an clear. Well, somebody at Apple has thought on that and has come up with an innovation to make his dream come true. The schematic shows how the channel for the Audio Jack Housing can be turned into an Acoustic Port. Connected to an Audio Driver, that connector has now a double function. This way, the speaker does not communicate directly with the exterior of the device. There are less openings, but you can still hear the sound and use the casing for something else. PattentlyApple notes that future iPhones may not require External Audio Grilles at all. The patent is credited to John Raff and it appears to be filed originally over an year and a half ago.

Another idea is to use the Lightning Port as a replacement for the Audio Jack. If Apple manages to combine all three of those into just one port than the iPhone 7 or 8 may only have one opening - the Lightning port. Apple recently acquired the headphones and music company Beats Audio owned by Dr. Dre. The new division may already be working at high tech audio systems to be incorporated in future iPhones. On the other hand, Apple has a hard time convincing other manufacturers to join them in turning the Lightning Port as the audio port of the future.

Computer World notes that during WWDC Apple suggested that headset manufacturers could use the connector. "This is a module that breaks out analog audio for you ... and connects straight into the Lightning connector on your iOS devices," said Robert Walsh, the manager of Apple's platform accessories."It also provides a digital interface ... so you can offer richer controls for your users, such as integration with iTunes Radio. The Lightning connector is [also] capable of powering your accessories so you don't need batteries in your headphones, for example, to power your noise cancellation."

This is not Apple's first attempt to get rid of connectors and technologies that they find old and limited. In the past, Apple has successfully taken the Floppy Disk, Optical Drive, BlueRay Disc Drive out of there agenda. 

Audio Jack and Speaker all-in-one for your future iPhone
Image credits to Patently Apple

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Android L Motorola DROID Phone Leaks in Video

Mobile phone maker Motorola has been long rumored to plan the release of a successor to the Moto X handset, but it appears that it is preparing some other devices as well, and that one of them has emerged in a leaked video.

The clip can be seen embedded below, available courtesy of TK Tech News, and the handset in it is said to be different from the previously rumored Moto X successor, which might arrive on shelves under the name of Moto X+1. Moreover, they claim that this handset might actually be released as part of Motorola’s DROID lineup, and that it will sport a screen larger than 5 inches. In fact, the phone is compared to the Nexus 5 in this clip, and you can see both of them at the 1:45 minute mark, where it is clear that the new Motorola phone is larger than the latest Google phone out there. One other interesting thing that should be noted about the phone is the fact that is has emerged in said leaked video with the Android L operating system loaded on top, which would suggest that it will be announced in the fourth quarter of the year. Of course, there is also the possibility that this is nothing more than a fake, so we’ll take it with a grain of salt for the time being.

However, it’s clear that Google has been giving the Android L operating system to phone makers out there to test it out, and Motorola is certainly one of those to receive it first, since it is part of the Mountain View-based Internet giant. On the other hand, Motorola was already expected to bring new devices to the market before the end of this year, and the handset that can be seen in the video below might be one of them, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, no specific info on the hardware specs of this mobile phone has been provided as of now, and it remains to be seen what else it might have to offer in addition to the aforementioned larger-than-5-inch screen.

Most probably, we’ll see it launched with a quad-core Snapdragon processor inside, 1GB or 2GB of RAM, and with a 13MP or higher camera on the back. Should this device be the release deal, however, we’ll certainly learn more on its capabilities in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, however, have a look at the video embedded below to get a glimpse of the upcoming device.

Upcoming Motorola DROID phone leaks on video
Image credits to YouTube

Here is the second video showing the display quality next to a nexus 5 and how big it is, Also looks to be running Android L, Stay tuned as we go to get hands on time with this device. 
New Droid or Moto X+1 we don't know. We do know at how big it is it has a front speaker on the bottom. This is no moto e as that's smaller than the nexus. anyway we got this in and decided to put it up. Let us know what you think?
Video credits to TK Tech News

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Sony Xperia Z2a Now Official in Taiwan at NT$18,900 ($632/€464)

When it comes to considering the purchase of a new Android-based Sony smartphone this year, the Xperia Z3 appears to be the device to keep an eye on, yet the handset isn’t official as of now, and other phones in the company’s lineup are currently seeing expanded availability out there.

The Xperia Z2a (D6563) is one of them, and the device is now official in Taiwan, after being released in Japan earlier this year under the name of Xperia ZL2. The new device was announced there with support for the country’s full-band 4G LTE (700MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz) network, which makes it the first handset from Sony Mobile to include the functionality. According to a recent post on XperiaBlog, the new mobile phone was made public with a price tag of NT$18,900 (£369, €464, $632) attached to it, though carriers and retailers there might launch it cheaper. Apparently, wireless carriers such as Chunghwa Telecom, FarEasTone and Taiwan Mobile are set to add it to their offerings, and users will be able to choose between three different color flavors when purchasing it, including Black, White and Turquoise.

The Sony Xperia Z2a was announced in Taiwan with a 5-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a full HD resolution, while being powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) processor. Additionally, the mobile phone arrives on shelves with 3GB of RAM, as well as with 16GB of internal memory, and with a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes. On the back, the handset features a 20.7-megapixel camera with Exmor RS sensor, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution. Apparently, Sony packed the mobile phone only with a VGA front camera. As you would expect from such a phone, the usual 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and GPS receiver capabilities are also included in the package, along with the entire set of common sensors.

The same as other phones in the Xperia Z series, the Xperia Z2a too sports dust- and water-resistant capabilities, being IP55 and IP58 certified. The smartphone runs under the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, but it also boasts a variety of customizations and exclusive features coming from Sony itself. Unfortunately, Sony hasn’t provided specific details on its plans for the release of Xperia Z2a on other markets out there as well, and it remains to be seen whether the company will make such a move at all. Keep an eye on this space for more on the matter.

Sony Xperia Z2a
Image credits to XperiaBlog

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4.7" iPhone 6 Body, Shown in Hi-res Photos and On Video

A Russian-based company got their hands on a real iPhone 6 casing. The back of the device has been photographed and filmed to show all the little details of the new design.

Feld & Volk is a company that mods iPhone and iPad and occasionally turns the iDevices into luxury items. They say they worked with a Chinese supplier, who managed to smuggle a real iPhone 6 rear shell out of the factory and now they are showing it to the public. This is certainly not the first iPhone 6 part to come out of the Chinese manufacturer's plants, but it is the first one to be shown in great detail. According to Macrumors, Feld and Volk says it has been working with the same factories that make spare parts for Apple products for more than six years, enabling it to get a head start on modifying the device for its customers. Feld & Volk has been using sapphire crystal on its high-end modified iPhones for several years, and says that its sapphire suppliers are the same ones Apple has begun working with more recently. The rear shell of the 4.7" iPhone 6 is handled on video as well. However, the part is not a complete one. The camera, buttons, and connectors are missing.

Also, one interesting detail is that the Apple logo is cut out of the shell. That may indicate that Apple will install a similar logo to the one on their computers, or it may have a more durable, non-metal embedded logo just like the one on the iPad. The Russian company that released these images speculates that the logo may be the housing for a NFC like antenna. This possibility was often mentioned in the past, but so far Apple has ignored the idea of expanding their devices to work with the NFC standards and pursued technologies like Bluetooth and iBeacon. iPhone 6 is expected to be released this fall. Reports by Chinese media suggested that the new devices will be presented by Apple on September 19th and launched in stores around the world just a week later, on September the 25th, 2014.

iPhone 6 is expected to come out in two different sizes: a 4.7 inch diagonal display and a 5.5 inch one. So far there have been only leaks related to the smaller size iPhone, including a sapphire display.

iPhone 6 body
Image credits to Feld & Folk

So it finally happens. We got this real iPhone 6 body. We will show it to you with the most popular news website about Apple-tech. Check us for upd. 
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Music by Oleg Xaler https://www.facebook.com/oleg.xaler
Video credits to Feld & Folk

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Dell Venue 7 and 8 with Intel Merrifield Available in the US, Starting at $160 / €116

Earlier this month, the new Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets were spotted making a stop at the FCC, so it was pretty clear to us they were going to be making it into retail soon enough.

Well, this day has come and now Dell has announced both slates have been made available in the US. The original Venue tablets were introduced back in 2013 and now Dell is taking an opportunity to refresh the lineup by bumping their speech sheet a little bit. First off, the two tablets now enjoy the services of the Intel Merrifield platform. The 8-inch model delivers FHD resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels) while relying on a 2.1GHz Intel Atom CPU Z3480. The tablets are fitted with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card).

The 7-incher doesn’t offer the same advanced resolution, limiting itself to bringing just 1280 x 800 res to the tablet. The CPU under the hood is an Intel Atom Z3460. Both slates run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, so you won’t have to wait for any soft updates if you purchase this bunch. The 7-inch will take you back with $159 / €116, while the 8-incher will sell for $199 / €146. You can pick up both from the Dell website.

New Dell Venue 7 and 8 show up in the US
Image credits to Dell

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