The NSA is tracking the location data of hundreds of millions of phones worldwide

The NSA is tracking the location data of hundreds of millions of phones worldwide

Thanks for another one, Ed

The National Security Agency is looking at more than just our Google searches, emails and text messages.

The NSA also tracks the location data from hundreds of millions of mobile phones around the world, largley by tapping into the cables that connect mobile networks globally, according to the Washington Post.

In all the agency collects and stores five billion call records a day, the Post reported.

This latest leak comes from documents provided by leaker Edward Snowden as well as interviews with US intelligence officials. Clearly, the revelation has some disturbing implications.

Hide your kids, hide your phones, they're tracking everybody out here

The location data that the NSA is said to collect allows the agency to track people's movements and map out their relationships in ways never before seen.

Since phone users' location data is "metadata" that's collected "incidentally," it's not considered to be protected by the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution.

The amendment is meant to guard against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be sanctioned by a judge and supported by probable clause.

What's more, officials reportedly claimed that the bulk of location tracking occurs outside the US.

US officials said that the location data collection programs the NSA uses are within the organization's legal rights, and that they're "intended strictly to develop intelligence about foreign targets."

A bigger boat

But the NSA is collecting so much location data that it's reportedly spent the last year and a half upgrading its systems to provide greater storage capacity (its database is rumored to be around 17 terabytes already).

The agency apparently needs to collect data on a planetary scale for its algorithms to be able to accurately track targets' relationships.

The report claimed the data is collected with the help of corporations around the world that are referred to in internal NSA documents by awesome codenames like "ARTIFICE" and "WOLFPOINT."

Did the Washington Post just leak the plot of the next Bond movie, or are things really this bad?


Source : techradar[dot]com

The NSA is alleging tracking the locations of millions of phone

The NSA is alleging tracking the locations of millions of phone

Thanks for another one, Ed

The National Security Agency is tracking more than just our Google searches, text messages and phone call metadata, according to a new report.

The NSA also tracks the location data from hundreds of millions of mobile phones around the world, according to the Washington Post.

In all the agency collects and stores five billion call records a day, the Post reported.

This latest leak comes from "top-secret documents and interviews with US intelligence officials" provided by leaker Edward Snowden, and it has disturbing implications.

Hide your kids, hide your phones, they're tracking everybody out here

The location data that the NSA is allegedly collecting every day allows it "to track the movements of individuals - and map their relationships - in ways that would have been previously unimaginable," the Post wrote.

Apparently phone users' location data is not considered to be protected by the Fourth Amendment because it's "metadata" that's collected "incidentally."

And officials reportedly claim that the bulk of location tracking occurs outside the US.

US officials said that the location data collection programs the NSA uses are within the organization's legal rights, and that they're "intended strictly to develop intelligence about foreign targets."

A bigger boat

But the NSA is collecting so much location data that it's reportedly spent the last year and a half upgrading its systems to provide greater storage capacity (its database is rumored to be around 17 terabytes already).

The Agency apparently needs to collect data on a planetary scale for its algorithms to be able to accurately track targets' relationships.

The report claimed the data is collected with the help of corporations around the world that are referred to in internal NSA documents by awesome codenames like "ARTIFICE" and "WOLFPOINT."

Did the Washington Post just leak the plot of the next Bond movie, or are things really this bad?


Source : techradar[dot]com

Xbox One with Nokia Lumia 1020 deal joins PS4 on O2's console contracts

Xbox One with Nokia Lumia 1020 deal joins PS4 on O2's console contracts

The Microsoft lover's perfect Christmas bundle?

Just last week we brought news that mobile network O2 would be flogging PS4s with new mobile contracts and now those in Microsoft's corner can also take advantage of a console plus smartphone deal.

From Thursday, the bubbly network will be offering an Xbox One and Nokia Lumia 1020 contract bundle, which will net buyers 1GB of data, unlimited texts and a year of Xbox Live and a copy of FIFA 14 to boot.

For that veritable grotto of Microsoft-centric goods, folks will need to fork over £100 up front, plus £52 a month for the next two years. New and current customers can sign up as part of the O2 Refresh plan.

The deal is only available in O2 stores, 65 of them to be precise, rather than online, with the company saying it has limited stock to go around.

Limited stock

The Xbox offer follows O2's decision to hawk the Sony PS4 with the Sony Xperia Z1 phone on a similar deal, with a year of PlayStation Plus and a copy of Killzone: Shadowfall.

"With our new Xbox One and Nokia Lumia 1020 bundle customers will be getting one of the best consoles and one of the best camera phones in time for Christmas," said David Johnson, General Manager Devices for O2.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Are these the Galaxy S5's specs (or just a specter)?

Are these the Galaxy S5's specs (or just a specter)?

The Galaxy S4 was a winner, but the world waits for the S5

A new Samsung phone has appeared online in spectral specs form, and it looks like it could definitely be the Galaxy S5.

The handset, model number SM-G900S, popped up in a benchmark test on GFXBench, though it appears it's since been taken down.

According to FoneArena when the listing was live it revealed a Samsung handset with a 2560 x 1440 display, a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, an Adreno 330 GPU, and Android 4.4: KitKat.

Nothing else is known about this mystery Samsung phone, but the site speculated that given the resolution it might have a 5.25-inch screen with pixel density at 560ppi, as rumors last month said.

Then again

Of course there's no guarantee at all that this Samsung device is the Galaxy S5.

Considering Samsung has a total of four or five new phones planned for early 2014 already, this could actually be any number of devices.

But even if it's not the Galaxy S5 that we're seeing, Samsung's unlikely to let its flagship Galaxy S series be beat, so the S5 will probably at least match these specs.

Other rumored Galaxy S5 features include a possible metal frame, a 64-bit chip, and even an eyeball scanner.


Source : techradar[dot]com

YotaPhone: 10 things you need to know

YotaPhone: 10 things you need to know

Its the YotaPhone, although we'd have preferred a Yoda Phone...

Dual screen phones aren't an entirely new concept. Samsung, for instance, has decided that it is going to create a dual screen flip phone.

The idea of a dual-screen tablet has also been floated, although this too relies upon the idea of a hinged device. The YotaPhone changes all that though, and now you can actually go out and buy one.

1. The YotaPhone: e-ink display

If you didn't know that the YotaPhone comes with a kindle-esque e-ink display then where have you been? Christmas shopping? Did you buy us anything nice? You know what we want right?

With access to information driving the modern smartphone revolution, smartwatches have appeared out of nowhere. Never has so much been available to many from their pockets and we all want to be connected to it.

The 4.3-inch 360x640 e-ink display does a lot more than just displaying text on screen, it is intended to be a hub of all your important information, whilst providing little drain on the battery. Whilst Yota state that it is ideal as an e-reader, there is a much larger appeal.

As the e-ink display is always on, a quick glance down gives access to Facebook and Twitter feeds via RSS, as well as showing the time and all your notifications without having to load up a power hungry LCD screen.

YotaPhone

2. The YotaPhone: LCD display

The e-ink display is merely the secondary screen on the YotaPhone, with the Russian device coming with a more standard 4.3-inch HD screen on the front.

It's not a Full HD experience, a mere 720 x 1280 capacitive screen. This means that the YotaPhone comes with 342ppi, someway off the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4's whopping 441ppi.

As a mid-range device though, the YotaPhone does beat the Galaxy S4 Mini's 256ppi whilst matching the HTC One Mini.

3. The YotaPhone: CPU and storage

To keep everything running smoothly, the YotaPhone comes toting a dual-core 1.7GHz processor, backed up with 2GB of RAM.

This means that it comes out more powerful than both the Galaxy S4 Mini (with 0.5GB less RAM) and the HTC One Mini (smaller CPU and less RAM).

32GB of internal storage is also provided, although those looking for a microSD slot will have to look elsewhere.

YotaPhone

4. YotaPhone: OS

YotaPhone comes packing a customised version of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, complete with a BlackBerry style gesture system to replace the use of hard and soft buttons.

This brings the advantage of keeping the display looking clean and uninterrupted and navigation is done with a series of gestures. These aren't performed on screen however, with a space under the screen reserved for your fingers.

Swiping right takes you home, and left takes you back, with a two fingered down swipe taking a screen shot and sending it to the rear screen so you can save battery power whilst viewing important information.

This OS also houses some specially developed apps to help in reading books, a multi-language dictionary and mapping app.

5. YotaPhone: Camera

The Russian device doesn't lack in the camera department, smashing its mid-range competitors and competing at the top table alongside the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG G2.

A 13MP sensor adorns the rear, sat just below the e-ink display. Yes, you read that right, the camera is at the bottom of the handset. This is backed up with a 1MP front facing sensor to take all those fabulous selfies that populate social media sites.

The YotaPhone camera also comes with an interesting feature with thanks to the e-ink display; it can tell your subjects to smile. It doesn't add a lot of functionality, but is a nice novelty feature.

YotaPhone

6. YotaPhone: Connectivity

In order to be able to show off all the right data at the right time on its e-ink display, the YotaPhone has to be well connected. Thankfully, it comes with a large array of features to keep your hips joined to the mobile world.

You'll be able to wander around knowing where you are, streaming music and reading lots more interesting tech as 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS are all supported.

Wi-Fi is also supported, to a/b/g/n standards, although there is no word on whether DLNA streaming is enabled.

7. YotaPhone: Design

Following nigh in every smartphone design before it, the YotaPhone comes with an all glass front, with a glass back to support that e-ink display.

This is all fitted into a chassis measuring 133.6 x 67 x 10mm, weighing 146g. This makes it considerably larger than the 107g S4 Mini and 122g One Mini.

There are no buttons to speak of on the front or back, with only a volume rocker on the side. The YotaPhone also curves in slightly at the back, giving the top a slight wedge look.

YotaPhone

8. YotaPhone: Battery

An 1800mAh battery sits inside the YotaPhone, putting it on par with its mid-range brethren. They don't have a second screen to power though.

Yota claim that the YotaPhone comes with 7-10 times more battery life than its competitors, at least whilst in reading mode. This isn't too hard to imagine, as the original Kindle had a quoted battery life of a month.

Whether or not the battery will be sufficient to last a whole day we'll have to wait to see, but if we're spending less time looking at a power hungry LCD display, that can't be bad thing.

9. YotaPhone: Price

The YotaPhone will be available across Europe at around €499 (around £400). This makes it a little more expensive than both the HTC One Mini and Galaxy S4 Mini.

It also makes it around 3 time the price of the Moto G, the wallet friendly mid-range handset which sports a better processor, similar display and a lower res camera.

YotaPhone

10. YotaPhone: Release Date

If you're currently living in, or holidaying to Russia or Germany this Christmas, you'll be able to get your hands on the YotaPhone. It will be available across 20 European and the Middle Eastern markets by the end of Q1 2014, including the UK.

As far as the likes of Australia and US are concerned, there's currently no timetable for an international release in these areas.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung has four or five phones lined up for early 2014, including the Galaxy S5

Samsung has four or five phones lined up for early 2014, including the Galaxy S5

TechRadar has its own idea of what the S5 should look like

Seems Samsung is gearing up for a hell of a busy 2014 – and that's just quarter one.

According to Korean site etnews, Samsung is set to release four or five new smartphones in the first quarter of next year.

While etnews has been a bit hit and miss in the past, this fits with everything we've been hearing from the Samsung rumour mill in recent months.

According to the report, the Samsung Galaxy S5, rumoured to be here by the end of March, will be among the devices.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite, which is also expected to show up at MWC in late February, is also on included on the list of mooted phones.

Grand designs

If these sources are anything to go by, Samsung will start firing out its new devices starting in January 2014 - bang on CES time.

While it's not mentioned in the report, we suspect that the Galaxy Grand Lite might also feature on the roster.

We're also expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 early next year, quite possibly sharing the stage with the Galaxy S5.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung Galaxy Mega review

Samsung Galaxy Mega review

Ratings in depth
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Samsung Galaxy Mega

Samsung's Galaxy range must now officially cover every single corner of the smartphone and tablet market. With the tiny and purse friendly Samsung Galaxy Fame right through to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 via the Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega needs to push itself into that line-up somewhere, and the name gives a little clue as to where it sits. We questioned the original phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note, over its 5.3-inch screen size, and the Note 2 just pushed that further to 5.5 inches whilst remaining incredibly popular.

Samsung Galaxy Mega
Mega by name...

At 6.3 inches, we are again left questioning just how far the Koreans can push smartphones before it borders on the ridiculous. First impressions of the Galaxy Mega do suggest that Samsung might well have found that border.

Hitting price tags of free on a two-year £33pm contract, or £490 (around $800/AU$880) SIM-free means that the Galaxy Mega looks to fight it out against the big boys, if you'll forgive the size pun. The five-star-rated HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 all square off at these price points, so the Galaxy Mega has a fight on its hands.

Samsung Galaxy Mega
Like other Galaxys, only bigger

The Galaxy Mega will also have to fight to gain custom from potential Galaxy Note 2 customers, as well as from the upcoming Xperia Z Ultra and Galaxy Note 3.

In order to stand any chances of winning this fight, the Galaxy Mega is going to need to bring something pretty special, other than just a massive screen. That screen is also going to need to be impressive, thankfully this is an area that Samsung is famed for.

The 6.3-inch 1280x720 'Super Clear LCD' does a very good job, although we can't say we wouldn't have preferred a Full HD Super AMOLED Plus screen, especially given the Mega's price tag.

Behind *that* screen, the rest of the specifications leave a little to be desired, if only because they aren't as impressive at the first look. If a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB RAM seem familiar, that is because they match the lower priced, smaller Galaxy S4 Mini.

Even the 1.9MP front and 8MP rear camera sensors, and 8GB internal storage are drawn from the S4 Mini. The Galaxy S4 Mini is also around £7pm cheaper on 2 year contracts, so it really does start to appear that you are paying for the size.

Samsung Galaxy Mega
Fits well in the pocket

The Galaxy Mega does come with all the other features that you would expect from the modern mid to high end smartphone, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, 4G and Android 4.2 to keep things running. There is also the Infra-Red blaster that seems to be making appearances across a variety of smartphones.

This is all packaged into a frame that measures 167.6 x 88 x 8mm, and weighs in at 199g. The Galaxy Mega unsurprisingly then, sits a little awkwardly in one hand, although the narrow depth and lighter weight make it a lot easier than we first expected. The Galaxy Mega even sits rather comfortably in the pocket, providing you're not wearing anything that fits a little tight.

Design wise, the Mega sits well within the existing Galaxy range, with the thinner bezel and curved edges giving it a clean look, and Samsung's standard button lay out giving an air of familiarity. The false chrome plastic wrapping also helps to make the Galaxy Mega feel more premium, although the plastic chassis suffers from the familiar problem of feeling a little cheaper than all metal devices like the HTC One.

Hidden behind the removable (and fairly flimsy feeling) back cover sits a 3200mAh battery to keep the Galaxy Mega running. The microSIM and microSD slots are also located behind the cover, and we didn't have the same trouble putting them in that we did with the Galaxy S4 Mini.

The microSD slot is somewhat necessary on the Samsung Galaxy Mega, with only around 5GB of the 8GB storage free. For a smartphone that has clearly been designed around media consumption, this is a bit of a surprise.

Samsung Galaxy Mega
Micro SD cards fit near the battery

Camera wise, we've already mentioned that the Galaxy Mega comes with a 1.9MP sensor on the front, providing clear imagery for those selfies and Skype calls, and an 8MP rear sensor for all your other snaps.

The 8MP sensor might seem a little small, although Samsung has a habit of making every megapixel count, with the identical sensor on the Galaxy S4 Mini providing some more than decent shots. Thankfully, there is also a flash, albeit a single LED.

The menu and return soft-keys sit either side of the physical home button, with the volume rocker sat on the left edge, with the power/lock button sat directly opposite on the left. Both sets of buttons were easy enough to hit one handed, a plus for a device of this size.

Samsung Galaxy Mega
Headphone port and IR blaster

The top edge houses the 3.5mm headphone port and IR blaster, with the micro-USB port (that doubles up as an 11pin MHL port) at the base.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Mega doesn't feel as large as it could, but the 6.3-inch screen is always going to be divisive. With the price range pushing the Galaxy Mega up against the flagships, we can see it struggling a little, and with the Galaxy Note 3, HTC One Max and Sony Xperia Z Ultra for company the phablet market is getting a little congested.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Crazy dual-screen YotaPhone goes on sale

Crazy dual-screen YotaPhone goes on sale

I screen, you screen, dual screen

The strange yet strangely compelling YotaPhone will actually go on sale in some countries in December.

Although the UK, US and Australia are not first in line for the dual-screen phone, the device is rolling out to more countries in early 2014 and we're confident that the UK, at least, will be among them.

For now, if you want to try the device, which comes with a screen on the back as well as a screen on the front, you'll have to pick one up in Russia, Austria, France, Spain or Germany.

Weird

The Android-running YotaPhone comes with a standard 4.3-inch 720p LCD screen on the front and another 4.3-inch e-ink screen on the back - the idea being that it's perfect for ebook reading.

The other major benefit of an e-ink screen is that it can display images and information even if the phone runs out of battery - we can think of a few times having a saved map that we could still see when our phones died could have saved our bacon.

The YotaPhone also prides itself on its touchy-feely emotional approach - kooky messages like "Smile for the camera" come up on the second screen when you're taking a picture, for example. It's not clear if these can be disabled or not.

And this is just the beginning, the company's head honchos say: "This is YotaPhone 1.0. Expect other big and new things to follow."

If the first YotaPhone takes your fancy, pricing has been announced as €499 across Europe - likely to be around £420 in the UK, and $680 and AU$750 if it makes it round the world.


Source : techradar[dot]com

HTC M8 release date outed by Judge

HTC M8 release date outed by Judge

Hey everyone, come see how good it looks!

HTC is having a hard time of it of late, with the news that the HTC One Mini and One Max are both having their UK sales blocked by Nokia.

In the same case, Judge Richard Arnold may have given the game away regarding the upcoming HTC M8, or HTC One Two as it is also known.

Court documents show that 'Nokia has adduced evidence which suggests that the launch date is in the first quarter of 2014, and possibly as early as February 2014".

This in itself holds little weight as we already knew it was on its way, but it seems that the HTC One Two will break cover in time to appear at MWC 2014.

Its all about the timing

The timing of the launch seems crucial for the Taiwanese firm, as it looks to be the deciding factor in keeping the HTC One on sale in the UK.

"I accept that there is a period between now and February or March 2014 when HTC is vulnerable" said Judge Arnold.

With the Samsung Galaxy S5 possibly launching around the same time, the HTC One Two may have to launch sooner rather than later.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Christmas gift ideas: top Christmas gifts for 2013

Christmas gift ideas: top Christmas gifts for 2013

TechRadar's got you covered for gift ideas

Christmas is approaching and no doubt there's a gadget lover in your life that you'll be buying gifts for.

So to give you some shopping inspiration, and help you avoid the busy high street, we've put together the ultimate gift guide with links to buy everything online.

We've got gifts for music and movie fans, gamers, Mac and PC users, gadgets for the kitchen and much more.

So scroll on down through our Christmas gift ideas for 2013 - you may well even find yourself buying a few gifts for yourself while you're at it.

Want something special for the photographer in your life? See our cameras gift guide.

Gifts for movie fans

Husky Union Jack Mini Fridge - £140

Husky Fridge

A fine selection of refreshments is a must for any movie night - preferably in a mini fridge such as this one from Husky, enabling you to just sit back and relax, happy in the knowledge that all your nourishment needs are only an arm stretch away.

Philips 278G4DHSD 27-inch 3D monitor - £258

Philips 278G4DHSD

If you prefer your big-screen kicks at your desk, you don't need that big a screen. This Philips 27-inch monitor is big enough to make 3D movies look stunning just a few feet from your face. It even creates an ambient glow behind the screen as the mood of the movie changes.

Roku 2XS - £65

Roku 2XS

The grown-up Roku is a tiny but brilliant media-streaming box, offering on-demand entertainment from Sky, Netflix, the BBC and more over the internet. Just plug it into your TV, and you'll have access to hundreds of high-quality movies instantly.

Retro Kettle Popcorn Maker - £143

Retro Kettle Popcorn maker

This vintage-style popcorn maker turns out authentic popcorn, just like a real cinema, ensuring a constant stream of snacks to keep your energy levels up for marathon movie sessions.

Sony BDP-S790 4K & 3D Blu-ray player - £200

Sony BDP-S790

Not content with old-school DVD movies? Then Sony's BDP-S790 player offers HD Blu-ray. Need more depth? It's also 3D capable. Not enough? You'll be pleased to know it has Digital Cinema 4K built-in, which enables you to watch movies at four times the quality of Full HD. Amazing!

Toshiba Satellite U840W - £720

Toshiba U840W

Movies at the cinema are shown in super-widescreen, but most home displays aren't the right size, so you don't get the full experience. This Windows 8 laptop has a 21:9 ratio display so you get the entire picture - and you can take it everywhere.

Q Acoustics 2000i Series 5.1 Cinema Pack - £625

Q-Acoustics 2000 5.1 Series

What's a movie without incredible surround sound? Not a proper one, if you ask us. But fear not - Q Acoustics' set of speakers bring the sort of realistic sound that might make your neighbours a little envious.

BenQ W703D Projector - £415

BenQ W703D

Nothing beats the experience of having a massive screen to watch movies on, but unless you want to lose half your lounge to a big black box, a projector is the way forward. BenQ's W703D projector is not only Full HD, but it also offers 3D viewing so you really can have the cinema at home.

Sony VPL-HW50ES - £2,800

Sony VPL-HW50ES

This quiet machine throws images up to 300 inches across, with deep blacks and lush colours. Its Iris 3 technology judges optimum aperture openings, creating a dynamic image with a 100,000:1 contrast range. 3D performance falls a little short of expectations, but two pairs of specs are thrown in to distract you. For 2D, the SXRD light engine and Reality Creation processor keep things crisp. This is our choice for big movies.

Epson EH-TW8100 - £1,900

Epson

This projector's blacks could be deeper, but there's nuance in the shadows and no shortage of detail, even at the maximum 300-inch image size. Indeed, at 2,400 lumens the Epson is so bright you won't need black-out blinds, making it ideal for daytime film marathons.

It's also quiet, particularly in Eco mode, although when you engage 3D it gets noticeably louder. It does, however, deliver clean, immersive active shutter 3D. Glasses cost extra.

JVC DLA-X35 - £2,500

JVC DLA-X35

Packing a killer contrast punch, with image sizes up to 200 inches across, this is a heavyweight in every way. It has unbeatable native contrast - 50,000:1 - with no need for the dynamic iris systems employed by Sony and others.

Blacks are velvety and colour fidelity is superb. The DLA-X35 is 3D-ready, but there are issues with crosstalk. However, for 2D HD projection, it's hard to fault.

Acer K750 - £1,600

Acer K750

It may lack the brightness of rival LCD and DLP projectors, but the Acer K750 will never need a replacement bulb because it uses a revolutionary LED laser light source instead.

Picture quality is good, but you need to be in a very dark room if you want to see images that live up to the 100,000:1 quoted contrast. It's not 3D-ready, but it can handle the third dimension with help from a DLP Link processor.

BenQ W1070 - £693

BenQ W1070

Despite being the cheapest projector here, this 1080p DLP number from BenQ serves up superb images. Output is 2,000 lumens and it musters a 235-inch image from 19 feet.

Images have impressive clarity, motion resolution is good, and while it may not offer the darkest blacks, the W1070 is still capable of a snappy 10,000:1 dynamic range. It's also 3D capable, although no glasses are supplied in the box.


Source : techradar[dot]com

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