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HTC will reportedly give the world a glimpse of one of its upcoming smartwatches later this month

Feb20
by on February 20, 2014 at 5:47 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, Gadgets, Product Updates, smartwatch

153655122 HTC will reportedly give the world a glimpse of one of its upcoming smartwatches later this monthStruggling Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC previously confirmed that it would release a wearable device this year — and today Bloomberg reports that the company will preview a smartwatch at Mobile World Congress later this month.

HTC will only be letting carriers have a glimpse of the smartwatch prototype, which will feature the Mirasol display technology seen in Qualcomm’s Toq device, Bluetooth connectivity and a music player, though there are no plans to unveil it publicly, Bloomberg reports.

HTC is also reportedly developing another smartwatch using Google Now, which will likely have an AMOLED screen, as well as a smart wristband that plays music and comes with activity-tracking features, though these two may not be demonstrated.

The company hasn’t decided yet if any of these devices will go into final production, Bloomberg reports. With its entrance into wearables, HTC is set to enter an increasingly crowded market — and it faces a tough challenge in trying to reverse sagging revenue and earnings performance last year. 

➤ HTC Said to Plan Smartwatch Preview Amid Declining Market Share [Bloomberg]

Image via Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms he had talks with Apple, but says sale is ‘very unlikely’

Feb20
by on February 20, 2014 at 4:42 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

170047926 Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms he had talks with Apple, but says sale is very unlikelyRumors of Apple showing interest in buying Tesla resurfaced earlier this week after the SF Chronicle reported that Apple’s M&A chief met with Elon Musk last spring. In an interview with Bloomberg TV (hat/tip MacRumors), Musk confirmed that Tesla did have conversations with Apple, but he couldn’t comment on whether they revolved around any kind of acquisition.

Musk also said that a Tesla sale is “very unlikely,” because there currently isn’t any scenario that would improve the probability of it creating a mass-market affordable and compelling electric car.

I think that’s very unlikely, because when you stay super focused on achieving a compelling mass-market electric car, I’d be very concerned in any acquisition scenario, whoever it is, that we may become distracted from that task, which has always been the driving goal of Tesla.

He did note though that if there were ever a scenario which could better its task, “then possibly it would make sense to entertain discussions.”

It’s not difficult to see why Apple would be interested in Tesla. After all, Apple announced its “iOS in the car” initiative at WWDC last year to bring its mobile OS into dashboard systems — and Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly mentioned the company’s interest in expanding to new product categories.

➤ Elon Musk: Tesla Had Conversations With Apple [Bloomberg TV]

Read – What if Apple bought Tesla?

Image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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You can now send encrypted emails in Microsoft Office 365 to anyone outside your company

Feb20
by on February 20, 2014 at 3:50 am
Posted In: Around the Web, encryption, office 365, Product Updates

Microsoft Office 365 730x234 You can now send encrypted emails in Microsoft Office 365 to anyone outside your companyIn November last year, Microsoft unveiled plans to release Office 365 Message Encryption, a new service allowing you to send encrypted emails to anyone outside your company. Today, the service has become generally available.

The message encryption service means that no matter the end destination of your email being sent via Office 365, Microsoft is adding another level of protection against unauthorized access. This would come in useful for sensitive communications, such as a bank sending credit card statements to their customers or a mortgage broker asking clients for financial information.

To start using the service, you have to purchase a subscription for Windows Azure Rights Management, which already includes Office 365 Enterprise E3 and E4. Users who already have an existing subscription to Office 365 E3, Office 365 E4 or Windows Azure Rights Management will begin to see the message encryption service light up.

➤ Office 365 Message Encryption — now rolling out! [Microsoft Office Blog]

Read – Starting early 2014, you can send encrypted emails in Microsoft Office 365 to anyone

Image via Microsoft Sweden/Flicker, thumbnail image via Mario Tama/Getty Images

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LG officially announces the G2 Mini, a smaller version of its flagship Android smartphone G2

Feb20
by on February 20, 2014 at 3:18 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, g2, Gadgets, Product Launches, South Korea

LGE G2 MINI RELEASE 00 520x245 LG officially announces the G2 Mini, a smaller version of its flagship Android smartphone G2

Earlier this month, Korean smartphone manufacturer LG teased the G2 Mini, a smaller version of its flagship Android smartphone, the LG G2. It seemed like LG Netherlands took the wraps off the G2 Mini yesterday, but now the company has made it official via an announcement on its website.

The G2 Mini comes in with a screen size of 4.7 inches — well, not really that small after all. Comparatively, the G2 sports a 5.2-inch 1080p display. The G2 Mini also comes with the rear-mounted power and volume buttons first introduced by LG with its G2 device.

The mini version of LG G2 is targeted squarely at the mid-tier segment, the company says — and will “introduce most of the G2’s premium UX features to a new global audience.” The G2 Mini comes equipped with a 2,440mAh battery and 1GB RAM, is powered by a quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

The G2 Mini will be introduced in several variations, including single/dual SIM, 3G/4G LTE and four color options, as LG says this is “because the global mid-tier smartphone was designed to meet the needs of millions of customers around the world.” It seems like LG is spreading the net as far and wide as it can with the G2 Mini, seeking to rake up overall sales of its devices.

LG is also introducing UX features from its flagship G series to the G2 Mini, including Guest Mode — which allows you to keep your content private when someone else is using your phone.

The G2 Mini will start rolling out globally in March with the 3G dual SIM model in Russia and other CIS countries, followed soon after by major markets in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia — including Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan — as well as Europe.

The device will make its global debut during Mobile World Congress later this month.

Images via LG

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