Google I/O keynote roundup: Project Glass, Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly Bean

Did you keep up with everything Google announced at today's I/O keynote? Believe us, we had a difficult time too. Covering everything from Jelly Bean to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, there was plenty to keep the audience oohing and ahhing. It makes sense to have this plethora of news in one handy place, right? After the break you'll find every piece of action that Sergey and Friends covered in Moscone West this morning -- as well as the video of the keynote -- so make sure to save a little extra time for yourself to enjoy every last bit of it.

Analyst predicts Apple iPhone 5 to be a true world phone when launched

With the Worldwide Developers Conference out of the way and Apple successfully unveiling their MacBook Pro with a Retina Display, all eyes are now focusing on the brand’s next hardware announcement, which is highly expected to be that of the iPhone 5. Since Apple stuck with the same design for the iPhone 4S, a lot of talk surrounding the design of the upcoming iPhone has been surfacing. However, there is also interest generating as to what other features will be thrown into it. Commenting on this is a report by CNET, which states that the next iPhone will be a true 3G/ 4G world phone, along with having significant improvements over the iPhone 4S.

The report states, “The sixth-generation iPhone is expected to sport three big improvements, says analyst Shaw Wu. Picking up intel from suppliers, Wu sees a new form factor, a slightly larger screen, and 4G LTE support built into Apple's next flagship phone. These features should help the upcoming iPhone outscore the iPhone 4 and 4S at picking up new customers and enticing existing ones to upgrade.”




There has been a lot of talk about iOS 6 and how it will benefit China. The country has the biggest smartphone market in the world and Apple plans to offer services that cater specifically to the country. At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple had announced that Siri could now understand Mandarin and Cantonese, so one would expect the iPhone 5 to adopt specifications that can work well on a global scale and not just cater to the U.S audiences. According to the report, “The phone (iPhone5) will work with China Mobile's proprietary TD-SCDMA 3G network, says the analyst. Both China Mobile and China Unicom have been testing 4G LTE. But full adoption of LTE is a few years away, so support for 3G is crucial if Apple is to gain further traction in the Chinese market.” Wu goes on to state that by combining iOS 6 with the iPhone 5, Apple will be a few steps closer to offering the iPhone on China Mobile.

The other major news surrounding the upcoming iPhone pertains to the redesign that it is expected to feature. The screen size of the iPhone has remained the same, since it was first launched. Apple is expected to increase the size of the display to 4-inch diagonally. While the width will not change, the brand will raise the height, thereby giving it an aspect ratio of 1136 x 640.

Other major changes include the relocation of the headphone jack from the top to the bottom, the redesigned speaker grille and the connector dock. With the possible change in design, we can also see that Apple will change the design of the dock connector at the bottom and it will be a lot smaller in comparison. This change is believed that is to be implemented is done in order to fit the handset with LTE capabilities.

Military hunting smartphone safety to hold off enemy bugs, spooks

Ah, smartphones -- the delightful little slates carry our contacts, our content -- even our cash, and they still fit right in our pockets. No surprise then, that a lost or stolen phone can be a minor disaster -- or a major security risk (just ask the President). Now that soldiers are packing them to send GPS coordinates or situational images in the field -- on top of using them at home -- DARPA has enlisted security company Invincea to fortify the devices. Its first effort, encrypting OS files and filling the memory of a lost phone with worthless data, has already been deployed to 3,000 troops in Afghanistan. Its next target is to cloister apps into virtual rooms within the OS, locking off access to sensitive parts of the phone like its GPS or contact lists. That would keep any nasty bits of malware from potentially gaining root privileges so soldiers can fight, and Facebook, without compromise.

Firefox teases something 'big' coming for Android next week

There's been a steady flow of betas for Firefox's Android offering and now the official Twitter account promises something "big" on the way next week, along with this image. The size declaration plus a lack of updated features (specifically Flash support) on tablets so far has us looking there for something new, although the image clearly shows a phone with the words "Fast. Smart. Safe." Also curious is an update for the Firefox beta on Android today which the Twitter account also admonishes those looking for an early preview of next week's news to check out. Finally, there's the timing, as Firefox's main browser rival Chrome has been rumored to be taking over as the standard bearer in Android Jelly Bean next week during Google I/O. Leave all relevant speculation or information in the comments below.

Flashback Friday: Microsoft’s Original Surface

If the name “Surface” seemed familiar to this week when Microsoft introduced its new line of tablets, there was a reason for that.

Back in 2008 Microsoft released the Surface which was, at the time, a table-sized interface that could be used in businesses for a host of different situations. The dream wast that some day these devices would be in homes everywhere, but that always seemed a bit far-fetched to most pundits out there.

In 2011 the name of the software changed to PixelSense and no one seemed to think too much about the name change. Now we learn in 2012 that the reason for this was the company planned to repurpose the title for another use.  With the exception of the touch interface, this doesn’t even feel like a spiritual successor to the original concept, but the name is Microsoft’s to do with as it pleases.

There is still a part of me that would like to see the Surface tables show up in more locations.

Google Doodles for Alan Turing, the father of computer science

If you go to the Google homepage today, you will see the belt of binary that will eventually spell out the word 'Google' (note, the interactivity doesn't seem to work in all browsers). The Doodle is made in honour of Alan Turing, the English mathematician and computer scientist who has been widely known as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. Turing was born on the 23rd of June in 1912 in London. His father was a member of the Indian Civil Service and Turing was actually conceived while his parents were in Orissa. However, his parents wanted their children to grow up England and therefore returned to give birth. Turing's father's civil service was still active afterwards and throughout Turing's childhood, his father travelled frequently between England and India.

Since he was young, Turing displayed signs of being a genius, particularly with mathematics and science. However, at one of the schools that Turing went to as an adolescent, he wasn't as respected as the other schools he had gone to because this school discounted the value of science and stressed the importance of learning the classics. Turing overcame this challenge and continued to educate himself in the fields that he enjoyed studying. For college, Turing went to Kings College in Cambridge where he studied mathematics. In 1931, Turing worked on what would later be called the Turing machine. He proved that any such machine would be able to make mathematical computations if they were presented as algorithms. These machines are till this day used in the study of computer science.

During the Second World War, Turing also served as a German code breaker in England. During his time doing that, he and fellow mathematician Gordon Welchman suggested a code breaking machine that was superior to the Polish machine they were using at the time. The first machine of its type, called the bombe, was installed in March 1940 and more than two hundred such bombes were in operation by the end of the war. In 1952, Turing was arrested for homosexuality, which in England was considered gross indecency under Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885. Turing was given the choice of imprisonment or chemical castration (being injected with female hormones) and he chose the latter. This conviction stripped him of his security clearance with the British government and his work in computing with the government had to stop. In 1955, Turing was found dead and an autopsy revealed cyanide poisoning.

Surface could have a poorer battery life than iPad.

It’s a little strange that Microsoft never revealed many of the critical specifications of their new Surface tablets and we can draw two conclusions from this – One is that they know some of hardware components are not up to the mark and won’t be able to compete with others or second being, they haven’t actually finalized on some of the components, which could change by the time the tablet actually launches. Many were wondering about what sort of battery life the Surface would offer? According to Computerworld’s estimates, it may not be as good as that of Apple’s iPad.

According to the Surface specifications up on Microsoft’s site, the Surface running Windows RT has a 31.4Wh rating, which is good 10Wh less, as compared to the Windows 8 Pro-based Surface, which has a rating of 42Wh. This is understandable, since the Ivy Bridge running Surface will be a bit more power hungry. When comparing the RT Surface to the new iPad, Apple’s tablet seems have a stronger battery life, since it also has a 42.5Wh rated battery. If the new iPad can last about 10hrs (according to Apple), then we should expect the Surface to clock out somewhere around 7 hrs. The Surface Pro cannot be compared to the iPad since it’s designed to take on Ultrabooks, at least that’s what Microsoft says. If we compare it to Apple’s MacBook Air, which has a 35Wh battery, then the Surface does have about 20 percent more battery capacity, so in theory, it should last longer. Ultrabooks may still have an edge over the Surface, but then again, they do come with bigger screens and bigger battery packs. CEO of iFixit, Kyle Wiens, has cautioned against reading too much into the estimates as there are simply too many unknowns that will determine Surface's battery life.

In case you missed it, Microsoft unveiled on Monday, their new tablet PCs designed as a platform to showcase the capabilities of Windows 8. These tablet PCs are designed and built entirely by Microsoft and could serve as a possible reference to OEMs designing their own tablet PCs. 

Here are some of the highlighted features of the Surface:

• Software: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.
• VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.
• Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.
• Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.