Hasta La Gadget!

Apple is investigating claims that an iPhone 5 owner was killed while answering a call, with Chinese police confirming the user, 23 year old Ma Ailun, was indeed electrocuted. The woman was charging the iPhone 5 at the time of the alleged incident, Chinese site Xinhuanet reports, and according to comments by her sister was killed by an electric charge through the handset. Apple has said it is cooperating fully with authorities, though declined to comment on any specifics.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the Ma family” Apple said in a statement, Reuters reports. “We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter.”

According to local police, Ma was indeed electrocuted, and that is believed to be the cause of death. However, they would not confirm whether or not her iPhone 5 was involved.

Ma’s older sister has already pinned the blame on the Cupertino firm, however, suggesting that all smartphone owners should avoid using devices while they’re plugged in. “[I] hope that Apple Inc. can give us an explanation” she wrote on messaging service Sina Weibo. “I also hope that all of you will refrain from using your mobile devices while charging.”

One possibility is that the charger itself could be at fault, particularly if it was not an official unit. Last December, a UK iPad user received an electric shock from a fake Apple charger, the Birmingham Mail reported, with a local trading standards spokesperson confirming that a similar incident had caused the death of a young boy some months earlier.

Meanwhile, US product testing and verification company UL was forced to issue a warning earlier this year after identifying counterfeit iPhone chargers that had faked its approval label. “These USB power adaptors have not been evaluated by UL to the appropriate Standards for Safety,” the company said in a statement at the time, “and it is unknown if these power adaptors comply with any safety requirements.”

Apple investigates iPhone 5 electrocution death claim in China is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft’s Surface team has taken on development of the company’s upcoming smartwatch, it’s reported, with the wrist-worn gadget supposedly running a modified version of Windows 8. The Surface smartwatch is being built on an original design by the Xbox team, The Verge‘s sources claim, which had been tinkering with a “Joule” heart-rate monitor prototype for the Xbox 360.

Speculation as to the capabilities of the watch have varied, though Microsoft is believed to be making its wearable more functional than some of the existing designs we’ve seen. A modified version of Windows 8 is an ambitious strategy, where existing alternatives like Pebble are more accurately remote displays for the user’s phone.

According to the leaks, the Surface smartwatch is intended to be integrated with other Windows-powered devices, which presumably means both Windows 8 on desktops, notebooks, and tablets, and Windows Phone on handsets. Already suggested is a 1.5-inch display, making the watch bigger than Pebble and other options.

Meanwhile, there’s also talk of customization support with different colored watchbands. AmongTech claimed last week that Microsoft would offer red, blue, yellow, black, white, and grey straps, something The Verge says it has independently confirmed.

Still in the air are other suggestions from the site’s sources, which include a casing made of Oxynitride Aluminum that, as well as being tougher than glass, is also transparent, and both 6GB of storage and integrated LTE. The latter seems a tall order, given the power consumption of 4G radios and the minimal space for batteries in smartwatches, though it’s said to be part of Microsoft’s attempt to integrate the Surface watch with its various cloud services.

One workaround to the power issue is Microsoft making the smartwatch particularly easy to recharge, something implied by rumors back in April that it would use the magnetic Surface connector already used on the detachable keyboards.

Microsoft isn’t the only company believed to be working on a smartwatch. Intel has confirmed it has a design in R&D, while Dell too has said it is investing in wearables.

Most frequently rumored, however, is the Apple iWatch, which is believed to be the Cupertino firm’s attempt to bring iOS to the wrist. That, however, isn’t expected to launch until sometime in 2014.

Surface smartwatch tipped to clad tweaked-Windows in transparent metal is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

HTC’s next variants on the HTC One could begin launching within the next two weeks, leaks suggest, with the HTC One Mini due imminently and a larger model shortly after. The HTC One Mini – expected to have a 4.3-inch display, versus the One’s 4.7-inch panel – will be launched before July is out, MobileGeeks sources in Taiwan claim, while the HTC One Max is supposedly due before the end of Q3 2013.

The One Mini is tipped to be HTC’s attempt to distill down what makes the original One special, into a more affordable and compact device. While leaked images indicate it will share the same aluminum unibody styling of the One, the specifications are generally more humble: the 4.3-inch LCD display runs at 720p, for instance, rather than 1080p, and there’s a mere Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.4GHz dualcore at the helm.

RAM, too, is believed to have been halved versus the original One, and there’s 16GB of internal memory though no expectation of a microSD card slot. Leaks earlier this month indicated a launch by the end of Q3 was on the cards, in silver and black, but these new rumors suggest HTC is working hard to get the One Mini out even more promptly, likely motivated by the company’s appalling Q2 financial results.

Far more interesting, though, from a tech-lover’s-perspective is the HTC One Max, the company’s first attempt at the “phablet” segment. Believed to pack a 6-inch, 1080p Super LCD 3 display and Qualcomm’s 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 chipset, the Max would enlarge the One experience for those who might ordinarily opt for Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.

The One Max is expected to have 2GB of RAM and a choice of either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, along with a 3,200 mAh battery: a fair step up from the 2,300 mAh in the original One. According to MobileGeeks’ source, HTC intends to launch the phablet in early September, which should put it up against Samsung’s Galaxy Note III.

It’s a direct challenge to Samsung we’ve seen HTC attempt before. What remains to be proved is whether HTC can muster its supply-chain to actually deliver it: the HTC One, for instance, was meant to have launched in around 80 countries before the Galaxy S 4 was announced, but production issues – particularly around the UltraPixel camera, which is expected to be carried over to these new One variations – meant many locations only got the phone after Samsung had revealed its attention-consuming flagship.

HTC One Mini tipped for July; One Max phablet readies direct Note III attack is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The rumored Hulu sale has been the stuff of talk for months now, and earlier today we reported that it had officially been taken off the market, with the company’s owners electing to keep it rather than sell. Word has surfaced over at Bloomberg, however, saying that Time Warner Cable is still in talks with those owners over a possible purchase.

The information was provided to Bloomberg by three sources who are said to be “people with knowledge of the situation.” Rather than selling the entire service, says the sources, Hulu’s owners are considering selling a stake of it to Time Warner Cable. The sources requested that they not be named, stating that these negotiations are happening in private.

Reportedly, if the deal does go through, an agreement could be reached between Time Warner Cable and Hulu’s owners – Walt Disney Corporation, Comcast, and 21st Century Fox – within the next two weeks. This isn’t the first time Time Warner Cable has attempted to buy a stake in Hulu, says the sources, having tried to nab 25-percent in the past.

Neither Hulu nor Time Warner Cable made any comments on the matter. This comes after news earlier today that the service’s owners would – rather than selling the service – invest $750 million into Hulu to continue its future growth. 21st Century Fox’s President and COO Chase Carey had been quoted as saying that “[Hulu had] meaningful conversations with a number of potential partners and buyers,” stating that some of the offers received for it were “impressive.”

Some of the companies reportedly in bid for the service included DirecTV, KKR, and Silver Lake. At the end of it all, a final price for the service could not be agreed upon, and the sales fell through. As such, with nothing official stated, the game plan is for the owners to “propel future growth” for the service, but we could end seeing a switch up behind the scenes if the sources are correct.

SOURCE: Bloomberg

Time Warner Cable reportedly still in talks about Hulu purchase is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rumors of Motorola’s upcoming smartphone are heating up. Currently known as the Moto X, the device has been the victim of numerous leaks and speculation over the last several weeks, and today we’re seeing yet another addition. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt was spotted using a mysterious device that we can only suspect to be the Google-owned Moto X device.

At the annual Allen & Co. business conference yesterday, Schmidt was seen using a mysterious device that looks a lot like Motorola’s Moto X handset, based on the handful of image leaks that we’ve seen so far. The photos of Schmidt using the phone are highly detailed, allowing us a good look at the device that he doesn’t appear to be keeping on the down-low.

The model that Schmidt is using appears to have a slightly glossy rear white shell with a curved shape. The camera module and LED flash are placed prominently in the center of the device toward the top, with what looks to be the speaker directly next to the camera. We also see that the headphone jack is dead center on the top edge of the device, rather than on one side or the other.

As for the front of the device, it appears to be a solid slate of all black, but we can’t get a good look, seeing as how Schmidt’s ear is enveloping most of the phone. The volume rocker and the power button appear to be situated on the right edge of the device with thin chrome buttons. The edges of the phone look really thin, while the center is a bit thicker with its curved look, which is a rather unique shape for a smartphone these days.

The photos of Schmidt using this phone match up almost perfectly with the latest image leak of the device that shows a black matte model. It has the same curved rear shell with the camera module mounted in the same location, as well as the centered headphone jack on the top edge. One thing’s for sure: this phone exists, but the only question is what will it be called officially? And when is it arriving?

SOURCE: Reuters

Moto X publicly dogfooded by Google’s Schmidt as leaks increase is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.