Hasta La Gadget!

We have been hearing rumors that the next-gen iPhone could come in two-sizes: a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch model, although the latter has been rumored to launch at a later date. We have also seen alleged leaked schematics that supposedly shows off the new phone’s design and dimension, and now thanks to a photo obtained by Nowhereelse.fr, phone cases have surfaced that are apparently based on said design.

Now the photos don’t really tell us how big the phone is, but it does show two different sizes, although they are said to be of the 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch variety, which contradicts earlier reports that the larger iPhone will be of the 5.5-inch size. Interestingly enough the cases also shows a couple of different cut outs for button placements.

As it stands the placement of the buttons on the iPhone have been pretty much standard from its early inception until today. However the photo shows additional cutouts in the top left corner of the phone, and the top right side profile of the phone. The case also shows the usual cutouts so it would suggest that not only will there be buttons moved about, but there could be new buttons added as well.

This seems to corroborate earlier claims by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the new iPhone could feature a moved power/sleep button. In any case the case manufacturer could simply be basing the design of the cases on rumors and leaks, as opposed to the actual dimensions since we doubt Apple would have shared with them the details at such an early date. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but if the rumors are true, which sized iPhone are you planning on getting?

Leaked iPhone Cases Reveal New Button Cut Outs , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Cellphones, Rumors, iPhone,

We’ve been hearing about the rumored 3D Amazon phone forever , but it’s never shown up. According to the WSJ, however, Amazon is getting ready to launch this phone this year.

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Just the other day we reported that Apple could be working on revamping its iTunes Music Store, whether or not that will be happening remains to be seen, but thanks to a new rumor via a source who spoke to music blogger, Robert Hutton, it seems that this could indeed be happening and one of the changes Apple could be making is to offer up higher quality music downloads.

According to the report, Apple could start hosting lossless 24-bit audio files as early as June, and that Apple has apparently been asking labels to provide them with music files in 24-bit format for the past few years, with either 96k or 192k sampling rates. Hutton also states that the kick off to the launch will begin with the Led Zeppelin remasters. Apple is also rumored to be charging users $1 extra if users wish to purchase audio files in higher quality.

At the moment Apple’s iTunes Store offers relatively high quality files for listening, although audiophiles would most probably prefer formats like FLAC which is compatible with more media players. For those unfamiliar, such formats are considered to be “lossless” meaning that when music files are converted from audio sources such as CDs, it does not lose the quality versus “lossy” formats like MP3, APE, AAC, and more.

Apple has their own lossless format also known as ALAC although some argue that it is not as efficient as FLAC, although the upside is that if you own an iOS device or listen to music via iTunes, it will be compatible with it. In fact a couple of years ago Apple launched a “Mastered for iTunes” section in which the songs offered would be of a higher quality, higher than AAC.

Of course it should be noted that these high quality audio files might not be very noticeable by the average listener, not to mention if you truly want to get the best sound possible, there are other factors to take into consideration, like your sound system setup where a pair of $30 speakers will definitely not be able to cut it. However for audiophiles who have always felt that the iTunes Store lacked high quality audio, perhaps this will finally appease them.

High Definition Audio Files Coming To iTunes In June [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Audio, Rumors, itunes, music,

We have been hearing rumors about how Microsoft could be planning on releasing a Surface mini tablet. In fact a couple of months ago, it was even suggested that the Surface mini could be getting an official unveiling later this June, although it is only a rumor and nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft just yet.

Now according to a new rumor, it seems that additional information about the Surface mini have surfaced (no pun intended) once again. While the Surface series of Windows-based tablets are perfect at getting a variety of tasks done, whether it be watching movies, editing photographs, or creating spreadsheets or documents, the Surface mini will apparently be designed more towards note taking.

With its rumored 8-inch size, the tablet has been rumored to be marketed as a note taking sort of device and could even feature support for styluses, much like how Samsung’s Galaxy Note series of phablets gets additional functions when used in conjunction with the S Pen stylus. The rumors also suggests that Microsoft could be looking to create app designed for such tasks and that would be optimized for the smaller body, as opposed to the Surface’s 10-inch display.

It has also been claimed that production of the Surface mini has been completed, meaning that Microsoft could be close to unveiling it in all of its official capacity. In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but what do you guys think of Microsoft’s alleged plan to market it as a glorified notepad?

Microsoft Surface Mini Could Be Marketed As A Note Taking Device [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Rumors, Tablets, Microsoft, surface mini,

As it stands the latest version of Android KitKat is 4.4.2, although recently we have heard word that Google could be preparing for another update in the form of Android 4.4.3. Now according to the folks at Android Police, they have learnt that this is indeed the case and that Google is currently dogfooding the latest build.

For those unfamiliar with the term, basically it means that Google is testing the Android 4.4.3 build outside of the core Android team, meaning that it could be tested by others working at Google to get their feedback and to see if there might be some major bugs that have yet to be spotted and squashed.

No word on when exactly will Google push out the release to the public, but Android Police speculates that it could be in the next few weeks, which basically means you should not be holding your breath. There’s also no telling as to what exactly will Google include in the Android 4.4.3 update, but given that the Nexus 5’s camera issue has yet to be addressed, presumably that will be one of the fixes we can look forward to.

It is also likely that the update could include the new parking feature that we reported on yesterday. It was revealed in an APK teardown that Google Now could be getting some new cards which could help you remember where you parked your car. Considering we don’t have that feature now, perhaps it could be included in the next Android update. Either way we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more info, so do check back with us at a later date for the details.

Google Dogfooding Android 4.4.3 KitKat [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Rumors, Android, Google,