Samsung Galaxy S5: five Expected Features details leak

Speculations of Samsung's next-generation Galaxy smartphone have gained traction, shortly after the Korean tech giant revealed its flagship Galaxy Note 3 phablet along with the much awaited smartwatch, Samsung Galaxy Gear earlier this month.


Samsung has been criticised for its use of plastic smartphone cases which were considered cheap by many tech pundits. The company is reportedly planning to change its design philosophy by incorporating an aluminum frame for its next iteration, Galaxy S5.

According to design concepts and patent on designs shown by samsungsvi.com, Galaxy S5 will come with a sleek profile and do away with the plastic chassis. The smartphone is expected to come with a plethora of high-end features and specifications under the hood.

Below are five expected features of Samsung Galaxy S5, which is rumoured for a global launch in 2014.

64-bit Chip processor: Samsung has revealed that its future devices will be equipped with a faster 64-bit chip Exynos processor, according to galaxysv.com. Currently, Apple's recently launched iPhone 5S is the only existing device to carry an A7 64-bit chipset.

Android 4.4 KitKat OS: The upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat OS is expected to make its debut on Galaxy S5. Few features which might come with Android 4.4 KitKat is lower RAM usage, battery saving, Bluetooth 4.0, low-energy usage, new interface and visualisation tweaks.

16 Megapixel Camera:  Galaxy S5 may come with a 16-megapixel camera sensor with optical image stabilisation, reported Android Beat citing Korean website ETNews.

4K Video recording:  Galaxy S5 is rumoured to come with a 4K video recording feature. Since the recently launched Galaxy Note 3 is the first device to bring 4K video recording to customers, chances are that Galaxy S5 may also bring the new level of HD recording, according to Design Trend.

IGZO Screen Display: Earlier this year, Phonearena reported that Samsung has been spending a whopping $110 million on getting Sharp's IGZO screen technology. With this groundbreaking innovation, one can expect the high-resolution thin panels to be fitted inside Galaxy S5

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Make Your Android Mobile to Read your SMS For you

Police are really cracking down on the use of phones while driving. Everything on your phone is really a distraction, be it your navigation, music player, having a conversation or texting. One way to eliminate some of the distraction is to have your Android read out the SMS to you. ReadItToMe is just the app to do that for you. The name kind of gives away what the app is all about, but there are some really cool and helpful features available in the free version and even more in the paid version.

The Basics

The first thing I noticed is a feature I disliked other apps for not having. You can choose when you’d like the messages read. For example, you can have the messages read to you when you only have your headphones in. An example of this being handy is if you are a working out and don’t want to break your rhythm to see if the arriving message is the one you are waiting for. Similarly, you can have the messages only read to you when you are hooked up to a Bluetooth device. Make sure you are comfortable with anyone in your car hearing your messages being read aloud if you use Bluetooth in your vehicle.


Another really handy option is to be able to choose the delivery method for each contact individually. This lets you set the global setting to do not read but have messages from important people like your spouse or kids read aloud.


Using ReadItToMe

To get started using ReadItToMe, download the app from the Google Play Store. Once installed and started, you will be asked if you want to learn to use ReadItToMe or just wing it. Take the time to go through the tutorial. It really explains the basics and you can see how easy it is to use and what it can do for you.

Go through the settings and tick the boxes you’d like to enable. Here is a screen shot of what I chose.

The settings are pretty well laid out. You will see different tabs. Accessing them is a simple scroll left or right to get to the column you’d like to see. Some of the tabs are only accessible with the pro version. The pro version opens up access to other apps. What I mean is, if you have the pro version, you can have your messages read in your third-party apps like Google Hangout. Also, you can reply via voice with the pro version.

Final words

I tried out ReadItToMe for a few days before starting the review. What I found was, it worked really well overall. I had no troubles with the Bluetooth and headphone only options. I also used it for specific contacts who I chat with a lot. It worked well.

What I found was, there were times when I didn’t want to have the messages spoke to me but forgot to turn off ReadItToMe. Also, I had some troubles with ReadItToMe still speaking the name of the person when I asked it not to in the settings. The voice reply and everything else worked well for me.

ReadItToMe  reads out your incoming callers, sms messages and other app notifications, translating txt speak into normal language. In ANY language.

It's great for use whilst driving, cycling, running, walking, in the gym or any other time you need to be handsfre

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Samsung Galaxy S5 could come with 16 mp camera

Samsung might be getting ready to launch the new Galaxy Note III along with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch but the rumour mills have already moved on. New leaks are now talking about the Galaxy S5 smartphone. According to a report in the South Korean Electronic Times News the Galaxy S5 will come with a 16 megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilisation technology (OIS). Currently the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom comes with a 16-megapixel camera with a zoom lens. The report on the Korean website also states that the Samsung Galaxy Note III’s camera will not have OIS technology even though Samsung initially wanted to launch the device with the feature.

According to the report, Samsung expects to finish developing the new camera module by the end of 2013 and will begin testing it in smartphones next year.

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The world's 10 most expensive mobile phones

They've got the yacht, they've got the sports car, they've got the cryogenic freezing chamber and even a secret moon base. When money is not an option, what do you grab the billionaire who has it all?

A swarovski diamond encrusted smartphone of course! Why, yes! Fly in the face of fashion with these garishly garnished and stupendously expensive phones that not only make calls, but can also act as a down-payment on a reasonably sized mansion on the French Riviera.

checkout below  the world's ten most expensive mobile phones.

10 – Bang and Olufsen Serene

In at ten is the actually rather stylish Bang and Olufsen Serene, priced at 
£675. I actually quite like the sleek number key ring, and the fact that this clamshell 
phone saves you the inconvenience have having open it yourself thanks to a little built
 in motor. You'll note however that the more expensive the phones get, the f'uglier they 
get too.

9 – The Gresso



A round £1,000 will grab you the Gresso. Made of gold and African 
Blackwood, there are five different models available, each with a little individual flair from
 the Italian design team.




8 – Mobiado Professional EM



This is another one on the list that I actually quite like; the £1,027 
Mobiado Professional. Another wood build, it's mix of natural materials and titanium
 buttons give it a sort of 50's retro chic. It also features a camera, FM radio and 
Bluetooth connection, though you'll struggle to find one of the handsets as only 
200 were ever made.





7 – Nokia 8800 Gold Edition


The £1,500 Nokia 8800 Gold Edition featured in Spandau Ballet's video 
for their hit single “Gold”. No, not really. Just kidding with you. Mobile phones back in 
the 80's were so new back then they bordered on witchcraft. If you ever did see one from
 back then, they were about the size of railway sleeper too, and I doubt there's enough 
gold in the entire world to make a luxury phone that size.



6 – Motorola V220 Special Edition





OK, getting into big money territory now with the £28,000 Motorola 
V220 Special Edition. Designed by famed Austrian fashion maestro Peter Aloisson, 
it is covered in 1,200 diamonds and is made out of 18 carat gold

5 – Vertu Diamond







Here's a British entry to the list, the £50,000 Vertu Diamond. Built 
from Platinum and encrusted with diamonds, the Vertu phones have one really sweet 
feature that none of the others on this list do: a concierge button. Hit it, and you're 
connected to your personal phone bound servant who'll do everything but the washing 
up for you


4 – Sony Ericsson Black Diamond





Perhaps the most reasonably designed phone on the list is the £162,000 
Sony Ericsson Black Diamond. Made from materials including diamonds, titanium
 and polycarbonate, it's actually a reasonable phone in it's own right, with 
a Wi-Fi connection, camera and the Windows Mobile OS onboard. 




3 - Vertu Signature





If Jafar, the evil wizard in Disney's Aladdin, had a mobile phone, he'd 
probably opt for the £167,000 Vertu Signature. With a snake shaped grip along it's outer edge, it's crammed with pear cut diamonds, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies. There are only 8 in the world, though a cheaper version is also widely available. Well, we say cheaper. It's still £62,000, so a bit out of reach of our paper-round wages then




2 – Goldvish




Right, this one is just ridiculous. And bloody ugly to boot. Take a gander at 
the Goldvish, costing a whopping £540,000. We're guessing from it's shape and 

name that it's meant to resemble a fish of some sort, though why anyone would 

want a fish-shaped phone is anyone's guess. I've also never seen a fish made of 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds. 









1 – iPhone 3GS Supreme Rose edition







And the winner of the coveted “Most Expensive Phone Ever” title goes 
to the iPhone 3GS Supreme Rose edition. With a handmade platinum bezel, 183 .75 
flawless diamonds and 112 grams of 18 carat gold, its the most lavish phone ever 
made. It also has an app for everything, apparently. The best bit? It comes with a wallet
 made out of ostrich foot. No, seriously. It's cost? A stonking £1,930,000.

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Al Franken questions Apple on Touch ID fingerprint sensor

Although Apple has tried to allay security concerns around the iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint scanner (shown above), U.S. Sen. Al Franken is not satisfied.

The humorist-turned-politician sent an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook with a dozen questions on the privacy implications of Touch ID. The junior senator from Minnesota wrote that he hopes to “establish a public record” of how Apple has addressed these issues.

“[W]hile Apple’s new fingerprint reader, Touch ID, may improve certain aspects of mobile security, it also raises substantial privacy questions for Apple and for anyone who may use your products,” Franken wrote, noting that he personally owns an iPhone.

Among the questions Franken raises:

• Does Apple have plans to let third-party apps access the Touch ID system or its data?
• Does the iPhone 5S transmit any type of information, such as diagnostics, back to Apple or other parties?
• Is it possible to extract fingerprint data from an iPhone 5S, either remotely or in person?
• And does Apple consider fingerprint data to be “subscriber information” or a “tangible thing,” thereby susceptible to being collected by the FBI as part of a national security investigation?

Some answers

Apple has, in a sense, answered some of Franken’s questions already. At its press conference last week, Apple noted that fingerprint data is stored locally, not in the cloud, and that this data is encrypted within the phone’s processor. Apple has said that third-party apps can’t access fingerprint data, but hasn’t said whether these apps will be able to use Touch ID in the future.

An Apple spokesman also told the Wall Street Journal that Touch ID doesn’t store actual fingerprint images, just “fingerprint data.” That means hackers would have a tough time reverse-engineering fingerprints even if they had access to the iPhone’s encrypted processor. (That’s not stopping them; quite a number of parties have pooled together to provide a bounty for whoever manages to hack Touch ID.)

Still, it’s understandable that Franken would want to get Apple on the record with clear answers to privacy questions. Although fingerprint scanning isn’t new, the popularity of the iPhone means it’s about to become a lot more accessible. The questions are worth asking even if most users will never be affected by security issues. Whether Apple feels compelled to respond to Franken is another question.

In the meantime, there’s an easy solution for users who are unnerved by Touch ID: Simply don’t set it up, and use a PIN instead.

source : techhive

You can read Franken's letter to Apple below and download a copy here.

September 19, 2013

Mr. Tim Cook, CEO
Apple, Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA

Dear Mr. Cook:

I am writing regarding Apple's recent inclusion of a fingerprint reader on the new iPhone 5S. Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone. At the same time, while Apple's new fingerprint reader, Touch ID, may improve certain aspects of mobile security, it also raises substantial privacy questions for Apple and for anyone who may use your products. In writing you on this subject, I am seeking to establish a public record of how Apple has addressed these issues internally and in its rollout of this technology to millions of my constituents and other Americans.

Too many people don't protect their smartphones with a password or PIN. I anticipate that Apple's fingerprint reader will in fact make iPhone 5S owners more likely to secure their smartphones. But there are reasons to think that an individual's fingerprint is not "one of the best passwords in the world," as an Apple promotional video suggests.

Passwords are secret and dynamic; fingerprints are public and permanent. If you don't tell anyone your password, no one will know what it is. If someone hacks your password, you can change it—as many times as you want. You can't change your fingerprints. You have only ten of them. And you leave them on everything you touch; they are definitely not a secret. What's more, a password doesn't uniquely identify its owner—a fingerprint does. Let me put it this way: if hackers get a hold of your thumbprint, they could use it to identify and impersonate you for the rest of your life.

It's clear to me that Apple has worked hard to secure this technology and implement it responsibly. The iPhone 5S reportedly stores fingerprint data locally "on the chip" and in an encrypted format. It also blocks third-party apps from accessing Touch ID. Yet important questions remain about how this technology works, Apple's future plans for this technology, and the legal protections that Apple will afford it. I should add that regardless of how carefully Apple implements fingerprint technology, this decision will surely pave the way for its peers and smaller competitors to adopt biometric technology, with varying protections for privacy.

I respectfully request that Apple provide answers to the following questions:

(1) Is it possible to convert locally-stored fingerprint data into a digital or visual format that can be used by third parties?

(2) Is it possible to extract and obtain fingerprint data from an iPhone? If so, can this be done remotely, or with physical access to the device?

(3) In 2011, security researchers discovered that iPhones were saving an unencrypted file containing detailed historical location information on the computers used to back up the device. Will fingerprint data be backed up to a user's computer?

(4) Does the iPhone 5S transmit any diagnostic information about the Touch ID system to Apple or any other party? If so, what information is transmitted?

(5) How exactly do iTunes, iBooks and the App Store interact with Touch ID? What information is collected by those apps from the Touch ID system, and what information is collected by Apple associated with those interactions, including identifiers or hashes related to the fingerprint data?

(6) Does Apple have any plans to allow any third party applications access to the Touch ID system or its fingerprint data?

(7) Can Apple assure its users that it will never share their fingerprint data, along with tools or other information necessary to extract or manipulate the iPhone fingerprint data, with any commercial third party?

(8) Can Apple assure its users that it will never share their fingerprint files, along with tools or other information necessary to extract or manipulate the iPhone fingerprint data, with any government, absent appropriate legal authority and process?

(9) Under American privacy law, law enforcement agencies cannot compel companies to disclose the "contents" of communications without a warrant, and companies cannot share that information with third parties without customer consent. However, the "record[s] or other information pertaining to a subscriber... or customer" can be freely disclosed to any third party without customer consent, and can be disclosed to law enforcement upon issuance of a non-probable cause court order. Moreover, a "subscriber number or identity" can be disclosed to the government with a simple subpoena. See generally 18 U.S.C. § 2702-2703

Does Apple consider fingerprint data to be the "contents" of communications, customer or subscriber records, or a "subscriber number or identity" as defined in the Stored Communications Act?

(10) Under American intelligence law, the Federal Bureau of Investigation can seek an order requiring the production of "any tangible thing[] (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items)" if they are deemed relevant to certain foreign intelligence investigations. See 50 U.S.C. § 1861. 
Does Apple consider fingerprint data to be "tangible things" as defined in the USA PATRIOT Act?

(11) Under American intelligence law, the Federal Bureau of Investigation can unilaterally issue a National Security Letter that compels telecommunications providers to disclose "subscriber information" or "electronic communication transactional records in its custody or possession." National Security Letters typically contain a gag order, meaning that recipients cannot disclose that they received the letter. See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. § 2709.
Does Apple consider fingerprint data to be "subscriber information" or "electronic communication transactional records" as defined in the Stored Communications Act?

(12) Does Apple believe that users have a reasonable expectation of privacy in fingerprint data they provide to Touch ID?

Thank you for your time and attention to these questions. I ask that Apple answer these questions within a month of receiving this letter.


Sincerely,

Al Franken
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
on Privacy, Technology and the Law

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