First came the model number mentions, then the pictures, and now Samsung's rumored and rugged Galaxy S 4 Active has been caught on film. In a situation that screams "controlled leak," MobileTechReview appears to have handled exactly the same tethered unit we've seen snaps of, and says the device sports a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU and an 8-megapixel main camera. Even though it's just another unconfirmed piece of the rumor puzzle, an alleged AnTuTu benchmark puts a Snapdragon 600 inside the Active, matching that of the regular S 4, which packs a 13-megapixel shooter. If MobileTechReview are correct, then it wouldn't really be a hardy version of the GS4 at all, but rather another new Samsung mid-ranger that'll put up with a bit of a beating.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: Sammy Hub

Source: MobileTechReview

It's been eight years since Microsoft and Sony announced new consoles, and tastes have changed considerably. Back then, new gaming gear was launched at E3, or using Elijah Wood-fronted MTV specials, but this time around Microsoft is pitching a tent on its Redmond campus for the world's media to huddle under. With less than 24 hours before the next Xbox is revealed, it's high time we sifted through the leaks, rumors and prognostications to see what we know, or at least, what we think we know about a little box called "Durango."

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

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Earlier today, Yahoo sent press invites to a "product-related" event in New York City Monday afternoon and there are already two separate rumors about the company's plans. The first, from Bloomberg, concerns the event specifically and cites a "person familiar with the matter" reporting we'll hear about new updates for Yahoo's once-mighty Flickr photo service. The second is from AllThingsD which has upgraded rumors of a Tumblr purchase from possible to possibly imminent, saying the company's board will meet Sunday to decide whether it will make a $1.1 billion all-cash offer for the site. Since new CEO Marissa Mayer took over Yahoo has made a number of acquisitions with a focus on improving its homepage, content and app offerings including Flickr. That announcement is also penciled in for the 20th, but whatever actually goes down you can be sure we'll have the details as they're unveiled around 4PM ET.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Bloomberg, AllThingsD

Samsung's Galaxy S 4 Active -- a dust and waterproof version of the company's flagship -- is currently just a rumor, but documentation has started popping up online to lend some corroboration. A handset going by the handle GT-I9295, which SamMobile has linked to the S 4 Active, has shown up in a Bluetooth SIG filing. Furthermore, a user agent profile for the same model lists the display resolution as 1080p, matching that of the standard GS4. With all these small clues pointing in the same direction, the existence of an S 4 for outdoorsy types is starting to look more like a dead cert.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: TechTastic, Mobileaks

Source: Bluetooth Special Interest Group

Sharp finally had something positive to report a couple of months ago when it received a much-need cash injection from Samsung, but today's news isn't so rosy. According to The Asahi Shimbun, Sharp will reveal a three-year management plan next Tuesday that'll see 5,000 workers losing their jobs as part of the company's efforts to claw its way back into the black. Many of those who are expected to be axed are said to be employed outside of Japan, but the number of empty desks at Sharp's head office in Osaka is also set to increase -- half of the workforce there will be sent on their way, including half of the company's directors. Allegedly, Sharp will also begin producing more 4K sets and 70-inch or over HDTVs for the US market, and also shift its broader focus towards making more "small-sized panels for smartphones and other devices." Who exactly are these displays being made for, we wonder?

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Mobile

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Via: TechEye

Source: Asahi Shimbun

Remember the EVO 3D? Swap out the HTC logo for an Amazon one, and you just might be onto something. According to a new Wall Street Journal report, one of the world's most famed forkers of Android is looking to expand its mobile portfolio by adding the one crucial device it lacks: a phone. As the story goes, the company has been toiling on a pair of smartphones as well as an "audio-only streaming device," all to "expand its reach beyond its Kindle Fire line of tablet computers." If you'll recall, we've heard that Amazon was dabbling in similar works since at least 2010, but the notion of expanding the Amazon ecosystem is now more pertinent. One of those phones is a higher-end device that offers up a glasses-free 3D display -- it's bruited that it would use "retina-tracking technology" to enable visuals that "seem to float above the screen like a [Tupac?] hologram." In fact, that eye-scrolling technology that was initially rumored to be a part of the Galaxy S4 may instead make its debut on Amazon hardware.

Of course, rumors of an Amazon phone have been running just about as long as rumors of a Facebook phone, but it seems that the company is (still) making a very concerted effort to further expand into the hardware arena. We're told that the prototypes are being nurtured within Amazon's Lab126 facility in Cupertino, "where each of the devices have been under development, the efforts are known as Project A, B, C and D, or collectively as the Alphabet Projects." If all goes well, Amazon could release at least some of these products in the coming months, but there's also the chance that every last one of 'em could be "shelved because of performance, financial or other concerns." Come to think of it, it's been a hot minute since Amazon threw a launch party for anything -- what say we change that, Jeff?

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Amazon

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Source: The Wall Street Journal

Whenever a company involved in making Apple products adds to its workforce, the internet is flooded with "cheap iPhone" and "iWatch" stories. The latest event to perk up the rumor mongers is Pegatron, which announced that it'll be hiring 40,000 more workers in China for the second half of 2013. During an investor call, company president Jason Cheng predicted that revenue from "communication products" would increase by 16 percent between July and December -- so hopefully he's seen something on his order book to make him that confident. That said, the only solid fact we have is that the company has stated it'll be producing Haswell-powered laptops for a variety of companies, but we won't let that stop you staring at your wrist and hoping.

[Image Credit: Jay Greene/CNET]

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Apple

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Source: Reuters

We've already seen Sony take a stab at a Windows 8 hybrid in the form of the VAIO Duo 11, and now a clip has appeared on YouTube apparently showing an unannounced 13-inch Ultrabook slider with a 1080p Triluminos touchscreen display. Allegedly, the video is being used for training at UK retail chain Dixons, and in addition to repeatedly collapsing and opening the slim white and silver unit, the demonstrator plays around with a stylus in Microsoft's Fresh Paint. There are a couple of text overlays near the end of clip, highlighting the "SurfSlider design," backlit keyboard, ClearAudio+ and ActiveSleep tech, as well as its 10 hours of battery life. NFC is also said to be on board, along with an 8-megapixel camera with Exmor RS sensor, Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The incredibly grainy video is embedded after the break, and although we can't verify its authenticity, we also can't ally it to any known product.

Update: There's also a handful of press images -- we've included one after the break too.

[Thanks, Aiga and Christopher]

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Sony

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Source: YouTube, Notebook Review forums

Flush from that springtime financing boost from Samsung, Sharp's reportedly readying production of new screens for Apple's next smartphone. According to Nikkan Kogyo, one of Japan's business dailies, the display manufacturer will start making LCD panels for the next iPhone in its Kameyama plant this June, although there's no specifics about size and resolution differences compared to the iPhone 5. Company team-up Japan Display (which includes Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba) and LG Display have also allegedly received orders from Apple, with production already underway. With the combined might of all those screen-makers, Apple should be able to sidestep any possible screen component delays.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple

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Via: Apple Insider

Source: Nikkan Kogyo

At the beginning of last week, we learned of a Huawei smartphone, model number P6-U06, by way of the TENAA in China (their FCC equivalent). In addition to some pictures of the handset and a few internal components listed by the TENAA, its thickness, or rather, its thinness was the most interesting spec -- at 6.18mm, it could be the super-slim P series model a Huawei exec has been teasing all year. While the company remains tight-lipped, the folks at NowhereElse have received what are thought to be some in-the-wild shots of the P6-U06, this time in black. The French site admits it can't verify the legitimacy of the pictures, and there's none of the back that should show the Huawei logo, but they do marry up with what we saw at the TENAA, and it looks pretty trim. We wouldn't be surprised if Huawei made it official sometime soon, if only to stop the leaks before we know it all and lose interest. There are a couple more pictures after the break, and luckily, it appears Mr. Blurrycam was on another job.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: NowhereElse

While we knew Nintendo was happy to hook up its newest consoles with smartphones, we thought that would only extend to social networking and shopping. Nope, it looks like the company is planning to go a step further, with a report from Japan Times suggesting that the games maker is offering high-level conversion software to app developers "so they can produce smartphone games that can be played on Wii U." A weak existing games library has been blamed for Nintendo's recent financial woes and the company is hoping the addition of some popular titles will offer enough of a reason to invest in a dedicated device. We just hope it's able to glean some fresh gaming gems -- the first Angry Birds title launched in 2009.

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

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Via: ZDNet

Source: Japan Times

Our initial look at the BlackBerry R10 quickly suggested that the smartphone would be a budget alternative to the Q10, but it wasn't clear just what we'd lose by penny-pinching. If DGtle is on the ball with its newly claimed specs, though, we won't sacrifice as much as we thought. Along with offering more photos of the R10, the site believes that the handset will have the same 3.1-inch screen size and 2GB of RAM as its QWERTY sibling. Instead, the sacrifices would mostly affect media hounds: the R10 reportedly steps down to a 5-megapixel camera in addition to previously hinted cutbacks in storage (to 8GB) and battery (to 1,800mAh). We may learn the full truth soon enough -- while there's no guarantees anything will happen, next week's BlackBerry Live conference is a prime opportunity for an unveiling.

Filed under: Cellphones, Blackberry

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Via: MobileSyrup, N4BB

Source: DGtle (translated)

Hello, what's this? While many of us were out enjoying the spring weather, @evleaks was busy posting photos of an unknown LG smartphone that, if real, represents a notable shift in the Korean company's design language. The device shares the Nexus 4's slightly curvy outline and lack of front-facing hardware buttons, but appears to have a taller screen, a new speaker grille and a different sensor layout. It's not very likely to be part of the Nexus program with that conspicuous LG logo at the front, but there are few other clues as to where it would fit in LG's phone family -- is it an Optimus G sequel, an Optimus LTE2 follow-up, or something entirely fresh? We may well see more of this mystery hardware in the near future, though, and there's already a close-up of the top bezel to be found after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Source: @Evleaks (Facebook), (Twitter)

Olympus is about to add another branch to your camera-buying decision tree judging by new images and specs that leaked out showing a new PEN E-P5 model. The classically shaped Micro Four Thirds flagship was shown in leaked photos along with specs pointing to a 16-megapixel sensor, WiFi, a 1.04 million dot tilt screen, 5-axis stabilization, 5fps burst shooting and a 1/8000 shutter speed -- if accurate. While an earlier teaser from Olympus suggests it'll launch around May 11th in China, none of the tea-leaf readers have divined a price yet -- though a look at the company's last mirrorless flagship, the PEN E-P3, might give a clue. You can catch several more photos after the break.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: 43Rumors

Source: Mobile01, 43Rumors

Samsung Gulf president Young Soo Kim reportedly made casual mention of an upcoming rugged take on the Galaxy S 4 at a press event earlier in the week, but left out any details. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim to know more of the story, and it sounds like the toughened phone won't be alone this summer. The Galaxy S 4 Active, as it's rumored to be called, would arrive in July and carry the dust- and waterproofing of spiritual predecessors like the Galaxy Xcover 2 while maintaining the GS 4's design language. A smaller, 4.3-inch parallel to the GS 4 would appear at the same time -- Galaxy S 4 Mini, anyone? The same tipsters also expect the release of a new 8-inch "Galaxy-line tablet" in June, which suggests the Galaxy Note 8.0 may get a regular Tab counterpart. We wouldn't base our buying strategies around the rumors when Samsung hasn't said anything that's truly on the record, but it might be wise to hold off if you're not in a rush.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Wall Street Journal

Last year, Olympus' release schedule danced around the E-P3: the camera maker launched the semi-pro OM-D E-M5 and refreshed its smaller PEN bodies, but didn't touch its original mirrorless form factor. We know the company won't be forgetting its roots this year, as its Chinese branch has posted a teaser for a next-generation, flagship PEN camera. There are no official details beyond superlatives about "classic" textures and "unprecedented control," but rumors suggest it will be called the E-P5 (E-P4 skipped due to superstitions) and might be joined by the mid-tier E-PL6. We won't have long to learn the full story when Olympus is showing off its new PEN in four Chinese cities between May 11th and June 1st -- in-person demos require more than just a silhouette, after all.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: 4/3 Rumors

Source: Olympus (translated)

We've seen a possible case, what could be the front portion of Apple's next iPad and this time around, Tactus has got its hands on the other half, the rear casing. Unfortunately, it's the not-so-interesting view, but we can still make out the space for the hole for the camera lens, sharper corners and the same dark blue finish we saw on both the fifth iteration of the iPhone and the iPad Mini. Tactus reckons it'll hold onto the original iPad's 9.7-inch display, but surround it with a thinner bezel. As for the rest of the specs that will eventually reside inside the redesigned shell, well, we'll have to wait for the official reveal from Apple for the full story.

Update: It's worth noting that 9to5Mac spied a similarly redesigned iPad shell at the start of the year. We've included their leak after the break. Thanks for everyone that sent this in!

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Via: Apple Insider

Source: Tactus

While everyone else speculates about new Nexii and what sweet treat the next version of Android will be named after, we're anticipating some exciting news about Now at Google I/O. Specifically, that it might be coming to both iOS and the desktop. We've already seen quite a bit of evidence that the virtual assistant app will eventually land on Apple's mobile platform and maybe even Chrome. Newly discovered code in a Google page hints that it might just become part of the standard web search interface -- provided you opt to turn it on, of course. Source code for the page in testing encourages you to, "get started with Google Now," because it provides, "just the right information at just the right time." It also offers you the opportunity to change you home and work locations because, as the explanation goes, "Google Now uses your Home location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions, and nearby places." As you dig through you'll also find plenty of references to "now_card."

If Now becomes a standard part of the Mountain View lineup, regardless of platform, it could be huge for a company which already dominates the search market. Not to mention, it might satiate those seven people out there still mourning the loss of iGoogle. We won't know anything for sure until the wraps are taken off and have reached out to the company for comment, but we anticipate the response will be predictably non-committal.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google Operating System, Google