Smartphone makers desperately chasing Apple

At the biggest annual trade show for the world's mobile phone industry, the biggest news might not have been the new Galaxy S6 phone released by Samsung that finally answers critics of Samsung's design skills.
Nor indeed might it have been the world's slimmest smartphone, the 5.5mm-thick Gionee Elife S7, or even the Runcible smartphone, which looks like a large fob watch.
The biggest news might have been the changing of the guard in the global phone industry. Apple, the one big phone company not represented at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, has just regained number one spot in global smartphone sales, after three years playing second fiddle to Samsung, research company Gartner
said.

Copycats in China offer "Apple Watch"

BEIJING — A month before Apple's smartwatch hits the market, China's thriving copycat manufacturers are selling lookalikes, some openly advertised as Apple copies.

"Apple Smart Watch with Bluetooth Bracelet," says one vendor on Alibaba Group's popular Taobao e-commerce website.

Photos on the vendor's page appear to be the real Apple Watch. It says features on the Chinese version include text messaging and a music player. It starts at $45, or one-eighth the $349 price of the cheapest Apple Watch.

Alibaba, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange last year after a record initial public offering, has faced criticism in the past for hosting the sale of counterfeit goods. It says it has been taking steps to reduce the problem. The flood of "me too" smartwatches reflects China's mix of skilled electronics manufacturers and a growing consumer market for bargain-price style.

At least eight vendors on Taobao advertised watches as "Apple Watch" or "Apple Watch lookalike."

source http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_27702230/copycats-china-offer-apple-watch?source=infinite

Apple given time to block info in GT bankruptcy case: ruling

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will have at least three days to review and potentially move to bar any information about its relationship with GT Advanced Technologies Inc that may arise during the latter's bankruptcy hearings, the court said in a ruling on Thursday.

VIDEO: SmartMat, World’s First Responsive Yoga Mat, Launches

SmartMat is a portable yoga mat that connects to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth to help track, improve and adjust a yoga practice by learning the user’s position and suggestions corrections toward a better alignment or pose.

A user can calibrate the mat by entering height, weight, gender and age, and then by laying on the mat, it will determine a person’s “Ape Index (ratio/length of torso/arms vs. legs),” according to the company. “SmartMat is trained to recognize almost every yoga pose out there and give meaningful feedback. On some poses, balance is less relevant than alignment so SmartMat will adjust feedback accordingly,” the company’s website states.

“We built SmartMat because we wanted a way to receive personalized yoga instruction without having to go to an outside class or hire a private teacher,” SmartMat’s founder Neyma Jahan told CNET.com. “SmartMat synchs with and analyzes each user via a unique calibration process, providing the kind of custom biofeedback once exclusive to private lessons.”

The mat needs to be charged via a wall socket or micro USB and USB charger for 90 minutes, and will hold a charge for six hours of practice. It can also be programmed for multiple users, each with his or her own initial calibration needed.

The company launched a Indiegogo campaign to raise money, and people can purchase a SmartMat at a discounted price of $297 for a limited time here.

Drone footage of the new Apple headquarters in Cupertino is stunning

by John-Michael Bond

Construction is still underway on Apple's new campus, expected to be open in about two years. We've been following the spaceship shaped campus' construction for a while now, but it's been a bit since new images have become available. How much progress has been made in the meantime?

Wonder no more, thanks to this new beautifully-shot drone footage of the campus. Even with the incredible amount of work that has already been completed, the massive scope of the project becomes apparent when you realize how much space is left to develop. You can view the video below.

Android L hits November 1, newest Nexus tablet coming mid-October

 

By  Derek Walte

With all the iPhone 6 hoopla, Google must be eager to get its newest Nexus devices and Android L out into the wild. If another rumor is to be believed (this time from Android Authority), we could see an HTC-built Nexus tablet by October 16 and Android L on November 1.
The story behind the story: Google typically unveils its newest Nexus hardware to showcase a major Android update. Nexus phones and tablets run an unskinned version of Android, free of hardware and carrier bloat, and are free from carrier lock-ins. Google partnered with Asus on the first two generations of the Nexus 7 tablet, but all rumors indicate that this time it's HTC's turn.

A whale of a phone?

With HTC making the newest Nexus tablet, we may soon hear more about the follow-up to the Nexus 5. Google is reportedly partnering with Motorola on a whopper of a phone, a 5.9-inch phablet codenamed Shamu. 
Google could go with an enormous device, given there are plenty of non-supersized Android phones out there, but it's hard to see something close to the Galaxy Mega held up as the latest and greatest of Android. Some rumors put the newest Nexus phone at a more modest 5.2 inches.
Regardless of the specifics, we are definitely getting close to seeing how Google is going to step up its game in the face of record-setting iPhone sales. Though iOS 8's troubles could leave an opening in the minds of many who had thought about abandoning their larger Android-powered devices for the not-so-bendproof iPhone 6 Plus.
 

Xbox One Coming to China On September 29

By Timothy Swartz
Xbox One will be releasing in China September 29th, with 10 games upon launch, Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Dance Central Spotlight, Neverwinter Online, Rayman Legends, Trials Fusion, and Naughty Kitties (a Chinese developed ID@Xbox game).
This will be the first console sold in China in fourteen years. Microsoft has GameFY, Skype, and Game DVR functionality available on launch, with 70 other games awaiting approval for it after its release. The bundle with Kinect will cost ¥4299 RMB (a little over $700), and ¥3699 RMB (a little over $600) without Kinect.
The Xbox One will be sold at over 4,000 retailers and across 37 cities in China. Finally allowing a way to purchase a console and games in a legitimate way.