Half Monk

In what could be described as a small win, New Zealand’s Court of Appeal has ordered local police to provide MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom with copies of data from all of the electronic devices that were confiscated during the raid on his Coatesville mansion back in 2012. The Court believes that Dotcom and his legal team should have access to information on the seized devices in order to properly prepare for his upcoming extradition hearing. Said hearings were supposed to take place this year but have since been delayed until February 2015. The Court instructed law enforcement officials to return the clones “as soon as reasonably practicable.” Even still, however, Dotcom won’t be getting all of the data back right away. Prosecutors told the Court last month that they haven’t yet handed over the data due to the fact that some of it was encrypted, making it impossible for police to verify its contents. The Court said it understood the prosecution’s concern with regard to the encrypted data and as such, they only have to hand over the non-encrypted data right now. The encrypted data will remain in police custody until Dotcom agrees to give the encryption key to two nominated police officers. These officers will be prohibited from sharing the encryption password with anyone, especially any representative of the US government. No word yet on whether or not Dotcom plans to give up the encryption password.

Until now, Qualcomm has mostly focused on the mid-range and high-end smartphone segments, while the lower-end market has been dominated by MediaTek, a chipset manufacturer based out of Taiwan. But the California-based company is now hoping to change that by offering an LTE-enabled SoC specifically aimed at the entry-level market. Dubbed Snapdragon 210, the SoC features four Cortex-A7 CPU cores running at up to 1.1GHz alongside an Adreno 304 GPU, and supports 8MP cameras, display resolutions of up to 720p, 1080p video recording and playback, Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11n WiFi, NFC, GPS, as well as Quick Charge 2.0 for replenishing your phone's battery at a much quicker rate. On the cellular radio side, the chip supports multi-mode 3G as well as dual-mode LTE and dual-SIM. According to Qualcomm executive vice president Cristiano Amon, the company is specifically aiming at the off-contract sub-$100 smartphones. The processor could help Qualcomm expand its business in emerging markets like India, China, and Latin America, where more and more people are buying smartphones. Additionally, Qualcomm is also trying to push the processor into tablets as well; the company said that it will start offering technical blueprints, known as reference designs, for LTE-enabled tablets. The Snapdragon 210 SoC would be available in commercial devices in the first half of the next year. Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) reference tablets based on the SoC would also be available during the same time-frame.

Microsoft is reportedly close to purchasing Minecraft creator Mojang. The Redmond-based company has been holding advanced discussions with founder Markus “Notch” Persson and company with an offer of more than $2 billion on the table according to a person with knowledge of the matter as reported by The Wall Street Journal. A deal could be finalized as early as this week, the person said. If true, an acquisition would certainly be a surprise as Persson has traditionally turned his nose up at outside investors and big corporations in general. For example, Persson severed all ties with Oculus VR following its acquisition by Facebook earlier this year. At the time, he said the social network’s motives were too unclear and shifting and they haven’t historically been a stable platform. Persson added that there was nothing about their history that makes him trust them which makes them seem creepy. Differences with corporations aside, there’s no denying that Minecraft is an unprecedented success. Since its initial release in 2009, Mojang has sold more than 50 million copies of the game across multiple platforms. Just last year alone, the company raked in more than $100 million in profits from sales of Minecraft and related merchandise. Bloomberg’s Dina Bass said on Twitter that she’s also hearing the same acquisition talks from her sources. These sources also added that Minecraft would remain a cross-platform title if a deal is indeed hammered out.

HGST on Tuesday announced half a dozen new products including the world’s first 10TB hard drive in a standard 3.5-inch form factor. To pull off this feat, the Western Digital company had to utilize a pair of newer drive technologies that you may be familiar with. The as-yet unnamed 10TB drive uses shingled magnetic recording, a technology first announced last year that takes advantage of blank "guard space" between individual tracks in order to increase capacity without increasing the number of platters in a drive. It basically lays down tracks in an overlapping fashion like the shingles on a roof. It does have a tradeoff, however, in that some rewriting still needs to occur – impacting overall performance just a bit. But for the types of enterprise users that’ll likely employ HGST’s new drive, that shouldn’t really matter much. The other trick up HGST’s sleeve with the new drive is its HelioSeal technology. By removing the air inside a drive and replacing it with helium (then sealing it shut), HGST is able to reduce power consumption by 23 percent and lower operating temperatures by 4°C. What’s more, this allows them to stuff even more platters into a single drive chassis. The drive isn’t quite ready for sale just yet although HGST tells us they are currently sampling it with select clients. Once ready, however, it’ll be destined for cloud and cold storage applications.

Apple wasted no time in unveiling a pair of new iPhones in front of a packed house at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts at De Anza College in Cupertino. The phones, officially called the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, sport a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display, respectively – just as previous leaks had suggested. The 4.7-inch display of the iPhone 6 operates at a resolution of 1,334 x 750 which is 38 percent more pixels than the 5S. The front surface is coated with “ion-strengthened glass” – no mention of the rumored sapphire glass (reserved for the Apple Watch). The handset measures just 6.9mm thin and features equal or better battery life across the board compared to last year’s flagship. The iPhone 6 Plus, meanwhile, operates in true HD at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, good for 185 percent more pixels than its predecessor. Its bigger footprint allows for substantial battery life improvements across the board. It measures a touch thicker than the iPhone 6 at 7.1mm although both phones are significantly thinner than the 7.6mm thickness of the 5S. Apple demonstrated the iPhone 6 Plus in landscape view running iOS 8, an experience that looks similar to what you’d get on the iPad Mini. By that, I mean that a number of screens support dual pane views. Even the keyboard has some additional buttons while turned horizontally. And for the first time, the homescreen can even be turned to work in landscape mode. Apple has improved the camera in both new iPhones. This time around, we’re looking at an 8-megapixel iSight camera with a 5-element lens, Apple’s True Tone flash, f/2.2 aperture, an all-new sensor, 1.5µ pixels and something Apple is calling “focus pixels” or more commonly referred to as phase detection autofocus. It’ll allow the iSight camera to focus twice as fast as the previous generation, according to Phil Schiller. Panorama shots, meanwhile, now top out at up to 43-megapixels but where things differ between the two phones is the image stabilization. The iPhone 6 features a “digital” image stabilization system while the premium iPhone 6 Plus uses optical image stabilization (optical is always preferred over digital). The new iPhones can now record 1080p video at up to 60 fps while the gimmicky-yet-entertaining slo-mo feature can now capture at up to 240 fps. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera is also new for 2014 with a larger f/2.2 aperture to let more light in and a new image sensor. As expected, both next generation iPhones are powered by Apple’s new A8 processor with an M8 motion coprocessor. The second generation, 64-bit A8 chip was built using a 20-nanometer manufacturing process, which translates into a 17 percent smaller footprint versus the A7. Apple claims its new processor is up to 25 percent faster on the CPU side and up to 50 percent faster with graphics. The new LTE chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus supports up to 20 LTE bands which is more than any other smartphone. Perhaps more importantly, however, is the fact that it's 50 percent faster than previous generation iPhones at 150Mbps. Wi-Fi 802.11ac is now standard and the phones support Wi-Fi calling (on T-Mobile in the US and EE in the UK). The iPhone 6 starts at $199 for a 16GB model and scales up to $399 with 128GB of on-board storage (with a two-year service agreement through your wireless carrier). It’ll be available in silver, black and gold color schemes just as the 5s is today. The iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 with pre-orders for all of the new iPhones going live September 12. As is the norm, handsets should arrive in customers’ hands a week later on September 19. The iPhone 5S will stick around for another year, now starting at $99, while the 5C will be free on contract moving forward. Apple didn’t spend much time on iOS 8 during the presentation as they no doubt needed to save room for the real star of the show, the Apple Watch. That said, both of the new iPhones will ship with the updated operating system while those with existing iDevices can download iOS 8 starting September 17.

The folks over at iFixit have performed one of their usual teardowns on the Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch, revealing a whole slew of components. Nothing about the device's construction should come as a huge surprise: everything is compact and layered, sealed tightly to ensure it's IP67 water resistant. There are, though, a couple of noteworthy things about the Moto 360's internals. One is that the battery inside is listed as having a capacity of 300 mAh, which is smaller than the 320 mAh Motorola reports on their website. As Motorola representative stated through Ars Technica, this is because the printed value on the battery is its minimum capacity, while the officially-listed 320 mAh is its typical capacity. Another thing, which helps explain why the Moto 360's battery life is so bad, is that it's using an old Texas Instruments OMAP3630 SoC. The chip is identical to that used in Motorola's old MOTOACTV smartwatch from 2011, and was first used in smartphones way back in 2010. Although the OMAP3630 is powerful enough to run smartwatch apps, it was manufactured using an outdated 45nm process. This fact, combined with how the OMAP 3's architecture is outdated, leads to poor energy efficiency compared to other smartwatch chips on the market. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400, found in other Android Wear devices, is built using a much newer 28nm process which helps deliver better battery life. Overall, iFixit rated the repairability of the Moto 360 as 3/10, noting that the watch bands are easily replaceable, but everything else is well sealed and tricky to disassemble.

Motorola has quietly unveiled a new charging accessory that promises to deliver eight hours of battery life from a 15 minute charge. The Motorola Turbo Charger uses Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology to pull off the feat but you’ll need to meet a very specific set of criteria to realize its full potential. As Neowin points out, the devil is in the details. For one, the battery must be substantially depleted in order to get the quickest possible charge from the Turbo Charger due to the fact that charging rates slow as charging progresses. Furthermore, Motorola’s fine print says battery life claims are based on both usage and standby time. On top of that, Motorola goes on to note that actual battery performance will vary and depends on many factors including signal strength, network configuration, age of battery, operating temperature, features selected, device settings and voice, data and other application usage patterns. So in other words, you won’t be getting anywhere near eight hours of usage time from a quick 15 minute recharge. That said, Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 is certainly a step forward for battery technology. With phones that support it (the new Moto X being one of them), you’ll certainly see speedier recharge times if you're the type to run your battery down pretty low. Just don’t expect the sort of jaw-dropping claims that Motorola’s marketing team is pushing on a consistent basis.

In this day and age, when smartphones have wiped out the need for devices like wristwatches, cameras, and more, the TI-84 graphing calculator, first released back in 2004, stands as an exception, as it continues to sell even today. In an article titled The unstoppable TI-84 Plus, Matt Mcfarland from The Washington Post takes a look at how the calculator has managed to maintain a firm grasp on the education market for so long. The calculator is available in three models: the TI-84 Plus, the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition, and the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition. The base model, which sports a 96×64 pixel screen, 480 KB ROM, and 24 KB RAM, generally sells for between $90 and $125, and is the No 1 best seller on Amazon. TI says that the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition, which was released in 2013, is the company's best-selling calculator this year, featuring a high-resolution 320x240-pixel color screen, a modified version of the 2.55MP operating system, and a rechargeable battery. It's available for between $100 and $135. Agreed, the price doesn't justify what's under the hood, but with essentially a monopoly on graphing calculator usage in classrooms, the Texas Instruments' offering remains unchallenged. “There are alternatives but TI became the dominant player in school calculators as schools needed to standardize on one design and TI won out”, said Curtis, who follows Texas Instruments for Barclays. According to NPD Group, out of the approximately 1.6 million graphing calculators sold in the US from July 2013 to June 2014, 93 percent were TI calculators, while Casio made up the other 7 percent of sales. While TI hasn't yet disclosed its costs and profit margins for the TI-84 Plus calculator, according to Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis, the device has a manufacturing cost of $15-20, which means a profit margin of over 50 percent for the company.

The mystery surrounding how the FBI managed to trace the geographic location of Silk Road web servers, which were supposed to be obscured behind the anonymity service Tor, has apparently been resolved. According to former FBI agent Christopher Tarbell, Silk Road's login page employed a CAPTCHA that pulled content from the open Internet, revealing the online black market's IP address and thus its physical location. Tarbell said that while examining the individual packets of data being sent back from the website, he along with another member of the CY-2 squad of the FBI New York Field Office noticed that the headers of some of the packets reflected a specific IP address that was not associated with any known Tor node as the source of the packets. When they entered that IP address directly into an ordinary (non-TOR) browser, the Silk Road’s CAPTCHA prompt appeared. "Based on my training and experience, this indicated that the Subject IP Address was the IP address of the SR Server, and that it was 'leaking' from the SR Server because the computer code underlying the login interface was not properly configured at the time to work on Tor", Tarbell said. For those who aren't in the know, the Tor network disguises your identity by bouncing your traffic across different Tor servers, but as clearly stated in the Tor how-to, it protects only those applications that are properly configured to send their Internet traffic through it. Tarbell made the revelation in response to a request for information from defense lawyers, who had accused the government of carrying out searches in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and asked the agency to reveal if the operation involved NSA wiretaps. The revelation comes around a year after the FBI shut down the Silk Road and arrested Ross Ulbricht, alleged owner of the website, who was charged with narcotics trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.

Recently a group of Google engineers took top score in a number of categories at the annual ImageNet computer vision competition for their work with automatic image detection. The researchers have developed a new detection technology that can automatically identify large numbers of objects within an image with much greater accuracy than previous systems. The system can identify large numbers of objects within a given image, even when partially obscured, using something called a neural network. This AI network allows the system to constantly be switching between search criteria, allowing for much better item identification without the need for a massive amount of computing power. Based on the example above given by Google, it can track a TV monitor, two small domestic cats (one on the floor, one mid-jump) as well as a partially obstructed bookshelf and other things in a single image. The technology is still in its infancy but many suggest it could have major implications with self driven cars and other automated robotic services in the future. On a more immediate basis, the tech could be a major part of visual search engines and other image related user services. A recent Google Research blog post said these technological advances are "directly transferable to Google products such as photo search, image search, YouTube, self-driving cars, and any place where it is useful to understand what is in an image as well as where things are."

A new survey by research company Survata has found that amongst all three major mobile platforms, Windows Phone owners are the least likely to switch to Apple's upcoming iPhone 6. The survey was conducted using a non-traditional methodology -- specifically, Survata polled users of various websites by asking them to complete a survey in exchange for "premium content" on the site -- and while the results are close, Windows Phone still came out on top as the platform with the most loyal users. Six percent of BlackBerry users said they were 'very likely' to switch to the iPhone 6, while five percent of Android users said they were very likely, and only three percent of Windows Phone users expressed the same sentiment. While the survey itself was conducted through Survata, it was actually created by CNET contributor and tech advisor Chris Matyszczyk, who intended to test the waters for Apple's upcoming device. Only 889 respondents replied to the survey, but the most telling statistic was amongst existing iPhone 5 users, with over 36 percent saying that they were 'very likely' to upgrade to an iPhone 6. Windows Phone users coming out on top in terms of platform dedication is very good news for Microsoft, who is consistently seeking to develop their mobile and tablet-based offerings. Microsoft has seen an increase in smartphone subscribers between April and July of 2014, and with talks of a potential successor to the popular 41MP Lumia 1020, Microsoft can almost certainly look forward to establishing a further foothold in the competitive smartphone market in coming months. But, more importantly, they can rest easy knowing that they'll keep their existing userbase after Apple's announcement on Tuesday.

Microsoft was slapped with a high-profile lawsuit this week after Getty Images, one of the world's largest stock photo agencies, took issue with the Bing Image Widget's alleged copyright infringement. As a result of the lawsuit, or perhaps in preparation for court proceedings, Microsoft has bit the bullet and removed the beta version of their Bing Image Widget for all users. According to an unnamed spokesperson from Microsoft, the company has removed its Bing Image Widget so they can "take time to talk with Getty Images and better understand its concerns." Bing Image Widget was created as an embeddable media tool which helped site owners put digital images, supplied by Bing, on their website. Getty called the widget a "massive infringement" of copyright in the filing, and it seems as if Microsoft is taking their claims seriously -- at the very least, they acknowledge the lawsuit and note that they place a great emphasis on the importance of copyright law. The compliance with Getty's request to remove Bing Image Widget is the first step in Microsoft's response to the lawsuit, which will hopefully be settled out of court between the two media empires.

Although its share of the worldwide smartphone market has remained stuck at around 3% for some time, Windows Phone has seen astonishing momentum in recent weeks and months, with a huge range of new manufacturers joining the platform. Just a few days ago, KAZAM announced the first in a new range of Windows Phones, the Thunder 340W, which will come with free replacement for damaged screens. Polaroid – the brand that was once synonymous with instant film cameras – is the latest to launch a Windows Phone. The company has been through considerable turmoil and restructuring since its glory days, and now focuses primarily on digital photography products and accessories, but it also launched a small range of Android tablets earlier this year. But Polaroid’s new Windows Phone is also the company’s first venture into the smartphone space, and while it has not yet been officially announced, it was spotted on the company’s stand at the IFA trade show in Berlin by WinTouch.de. The Polaroid WinPro 5 has not been designed or built by the company itself, but is based on the ‘I7B’ reference design from ODM (original design manufacturer) JSR Technology, which also makes the same handset available to other companies that may wish to brand it as their own. Its key specs include: 5-inch IPS LCD with HD (1280x720px) resolution Quad-core processor (believed to be 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200) 1GB RAM 8GB onboard storage 8MP rear camera 2MP front-facing camera 7.2mm-thick Dual-SIM support 2400mAh battery With the exception of the 5-inch display, those specs are remarkably close to the XOLO Win Q900s and the Yezz Billy 4.7 – and the look of all three handsets is also very similar indeed, making it likely that they are all based on the same JSR reference design. ODM reference designs are not ‘fixed’, of course – brands such as Polaroid are free to customize the basic framework with spec changes and aesthetic alterations to distinguish the device from others based on the same design (this is how HTC used to make its money as a ‘white-label’ manufacturer before it began selling devices under its own brand). Reps on the Polaroid stand said that the WinPro 5 will go on sale next month for under €200 EUR ($260 USD). Check out the source link below for a few more pics and a short hands-on video with the device.

Windows Phone has struggled to gain a meaningful slice of the mobile pie since the introduction of Windows Phone 7. Since the release of Windows Phone 8, however, Microsoft has seen some gains which lead the company to an overtaking of Blackberry in overall smartphone market-share ownership. It may feel like sloppy seconds, or thirds in this case, but Microsoft will take whatever is available since many developers and OEM partners have been hesitant to release WP content and devices. According to a recent report released by comScore, Windows Phone saw a .3% increase in smartphone subscribers within the United States between April and July of 2014. In the same report, Apple pulled a 1% jump in the US while Android saw a decline of 1% in the same market. The increase in its home territory is important for Microsoft and came in a near-dry period for handsets during that period. The release of the Lumia 530 and 630/635 handsets could be contributing to the growth as those handsets are fantastic for the prices they’re available for. The growth for Apple is also impressive given the expected announcement of the iPhone 6 and potentially other devices coming on September 9 at an Apple-hosted event - a lead-up period where users tend to hold off buying a new device until the new handsets are revealed and go on sale. The numbers could go up for Microsoft for the last half of 2014 with newer handsets being available. The HTC One M8 offers high-end performance in an attractive package despite its lesser camera performance compared to Lumia products. There’s also the new affordable Lumia 730 and 830 variants to consider, offering flagship-worthy performance and features at lower costs. What do you think the second half of 2014 has in store for Windows Phone? Can Microsoft pull more meaningful growth in its home turf?

Despite having Intel on the ropes from the late ‘90s through the mid-2000s with its Athlon line, most would agree that AMD never really had a serious shot at overtaking its rival. Intel lay to rest any chances of that happening with the release of the Core 2 Duo in 2006 and hasn’t looked back since. With AMD squarely out of the desktop CPU race by its own admission, Intel has coasted through the last several years virtually untested in the market. But during that same span of time, Intel watched with the rest of us as smartphones and tablets exploded in popularity – sending desktop sales plummeting. Intel had an opportunity to get in on the ground level before the storm came but elected to pass. It was a decision that could have drastically altered the company's prospects for the better but by the time they realized what was going on in the market, ARM already had a solid lead in the mobile race. Nevertheless, Intel reorganized its mobile business to speed up development in late 2011. The chipmaker has since found some success with its Atom SoC but they’ve yet to replicate their desktop success on the mobile gridiron. Intel’s just launched the Core M processor (formerly Broadwell Y), however, it could be the company’s first real step towards a mobile takeover. The chip is Intel’s first to be built using the 14-nanometer manufacturing process and the first in the highly anticipated Broadwell family – the fifth generation Core series. With a TDP of just 4.5 watts (that’s less than today’s power-efficient LED light bulbs) that doesn’t require active cooling and a processor package that is 50 percent smaller than the previous generation, manufacturers are now free to build incredibly thin devices without sacrificing performance. Intel says their Core M is 50 percent faster at computing tasks, 40 percent faster in the graphics department and offers 20 percent longer battery life compared to its previous generation Core chip. Core M chips will initially find their way into 2-in-1 devices – systems that double as a notebook computer with full keyboard support and a standalone tablet – from companies including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba targeting both business and casual users. Intel has a lot riding on the Core M line and although it’s not a mobile chip for smartphones, the company would no doubt like to increase its tablet market share – even if sales are beginning to level off in mature markets. Whether or not consumers are receptive to the idea of these new 2-in-1 devices remains to be seen. If nothing else, perhaps Intel can take what they’ve learned with the Core M and apply it to smartphones – an industry that doesn’t look to slow down anytime soon.

The computing world hasn’t yet moved to 4K displays in any meaningful way, but if you’re among the early adopters that have taken the plunge, I’ve got news for you: Dell is already working to make your investment obsolete. The company just announced the UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K with a whopping 5120 x 2880 resolution. That’s the equivalent of 14.7 megapixels, a significant step up from the approximately 8.3MP found in a standard 3840 x 2160 4K monitor. In terms of pixel density Dell’s monitor comes in at 218ppi, which is about on par with the 15" MacBook Pro Retina’s 220ppi but on a much larger surface. Dell's being light on technical details but it did mention a pair of 16W Harmon Kardon speakers, Dell's PremierColor technology, a media card reader, and six USB ports. Maximum PC got a quick demo of the unit and reports it needs two DisplayPort 1.2 connections to achieve its full resolution. This also gives some hints as to how Dell got to this number. Anandtech suggests Dell is probably using Multi-Stream Transport (MST) to combine two 2560×2880 panels and two outputs into a single tiled display. While there’s no mention of frame rates, taking this assumption it’s fair to say Dell will not be aiming this at gamers but rather at graphics professionals. As you’d expect, it won’t be cheap either. The Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K will be out closer to Christmas with a price tag of $2,500.

Tesla Motors has decided to build its massive battery production facility in Nevada, putting an end to a heated competition between nearly half a dozen states in the region. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval made the announcement on Thursday. Those following the story closely likely already knew that Tesla started excavating a site in Reno back in July. Reno wasn’t officially named as the host city for the Gigafactory in the recent press release but given the excavation, it’s a pretty solid bet. For those unfamiliar, Tesla signed a deal with electronics maker Panasonic back in July to build the world’s largest and most advanced battery factory. The $5 billion Gigafactory, as it’s being called, is expected to produce 50 gigawatt-hours of battery packs per year – enough to build half a million electric vehicles annually. For Nevada, the deal means the creation of 6,500 new jobs and an economic impact of nearly $100 billion over the next 20 years. The Gigafactory will be critical in the creation of Tesla’s upcoming Model 3. Unlike its existing sedan which retails for around $70,000, the Model 3 will be marketed to the masses at a price point of around $35,000. It’s expected to be based on a brand new platform that’ll transport passengers more than 200 miles on a single charge when it rolls into garages sometime in 2017.

Country music superstar Garth Brooks has made his music available for purchase in a digital format for the first time ever. Instead of signing a licensing deal with an established player like iTunes, Rhapsody or Spotify, the iconic artist has launched his own download and streaming service called GhostTunes. GhostTunes’ strategy is to do away with disputes related to compensation and control over an artists’ music by allowing them to sell their music any way they want. As such, artists working with GhostTunes have the freedom to sell their tracks individually or by album only as well as permit users to download them or limit them to streaming only. Following a successful purchase, said music will instantly show up in the buyer’s GhostTunes Locker (cloud-based storage). What’s more, buyers will also have the opportunity to download said music to their computer or mobile device in a non-proprietary format (assuming the artists allows for it). Details regarding the digital format being used or possible DRM in place weren’t provided. In Brooks’ case, he’s never been a fan of selling individual singles. It’s his opinion that the album format is what keeps the business going as all songwriters on an album get paid when someone buys the full album. To help promote the launch of the service and jump-start his new world tour, he’s offering a digital package that includes all eight of his studio albums, a pre-order for his next two albums as well as the 25th anniversary edition of his “Double Live” album – all for $29.99. Brooks isn’t the only high-profile artist on GhostTunes’ roster. Users can purchase music from artists such as ColdPlay, Maroon 5, DeadMau5, Brad Paisley, Shakira and Miranda Lambert, just to name a few. GhostTunes may not have the largest catalog of music with around seven million tracks (other services offer catalogs in the 20-30 million track range) but that’s alright with Brooks. The legendary singer said he hopes the company remains small as they don’t want corporations wagging the tail of the proverbial dog. If other services decide to adopt a similar business model and put GhostTunes out of business, he’d be fine with that because then, “music wins.”

As expected, Motorola has announced a slew of new devices today, updating their smartphone line-up for 2014 while also launching the highly-anticipated Moto 360 smartwatch. The Moto 360 goes on sale today for $250, packing a 1.56-inch nearly-circular 320 x 290 display and a TI OMAP 3 application processor. There's also a 320 mAh battery that's charged through wireless charging, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage, and the device is IP67 water resistant. Powered by Android Wear, the Moto 360's software is essentially the same as other smartwatches that launched a few months ago. Sensor-wise you get a pedometer and a heart-rate monitor, which helps make the 360 a capable fitness tracker. The $250 launch price will net you a Moto 360 with a leather strap; the metal-strap edition will launch later this year for $300. The new Moto X for 2014, officially known as just the "Moto X" (not the Moto X+1), is a significant hardware upgrade on Motorola's identically-named flagship from last year. The display size has been bumped to 5.2-inches with a resolution of 1080p, while the SoC has also been upgraded to a Snapdragon 801 at 2.5 GHz. The rear camera on the Moto X is 13-megapixels and includes an interesting ring LED flash around the lens. Other specs include 2 GB of RAM, up to 32 GB of internal storage, and a 2,300 mAh battery. Also improved from the 2013 Moto X is a new partly-aluminium frame, with new back cover options including genuine leather. The Moto X will be available in the United States (and other countries) later this month for $499 off-contract. The final smartphone Motorola announced was the Moto G: an updated version of the device that launched late last year, with a new display (5-inches at 720p, up from 4.5") and an improved eight-megapixel camera. The SoC stays the same - a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 - and the handset will launch without LTE support. Like the old Moto G, the new version will retail for just $179. It's available today in the United States, India, France, the UK, Brazil, Spain, and Germany; more nations will get the device towards the end of the year.

Call it dedication, loyalty or just outright insanity but some people are already lining up outside of Apple’s flagship store in New York City in order to be among the first to get their mitts on a smartphone that hasn’t even been announced yet - granted, it’s a foregone conclusion that Apple is going to announce the next generation iPhone at a scheduled media event next week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=POzzTX_ZwnA Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz arrived outside of the NYC store last month – August 31, to be exact. Ceballo told CNBC that he and Cruz, who represent electronic reseller BuyBackWorld, wanted to beat the current in-line record of 18 days. But when Jason and Moon Ray approached the duo and offered them $2,500 for their spot in line, they happily agreed. You’re probably wondering why anyone in their right mind would wait in line for what will likely be close to three weeks if Apple’s previous launches are any indication. I mean, don’t these people have something better to do? Like, a job? To these guys, waiting in line is their job - they're professional line-sitters. Ceballos and Cruz have already pocketed $2,500 this week. Ceballo estimates he has made around $7,000 waiting in line for various Apple product launches – not to mention the attention he’s received from the media and what it has done for his social media following. The Rays, meanwhile, will be spending the next few weeks promoting an app called VideoMedicine which allows users to Skype with doctors.

The UK government has warned Internet search firms like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and more that it would not hesitate to bring in a legislation if they don't stop referring people to pirate sites. Addressing senior music industry executives at the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) AGM, UK Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said that he along with Business Secretary Vince Cable had written to leading search engine companies requesting they work with record firms to come up with a way to tackle websites that infringe copyright laws. “I know some people say the IP genie is out of the bottle and that no amount of wishing will force it back in. But I don’t agree with them”, he said. Pointing to statistics from the communications regulator Ofcom, Javid said that in just one quarter of last year almost 200 million music tracks were consumed illegally, and another 100 million games, films, books and TV programs were pirated. Javid also talked about the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which is being funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and run by the City of London Police to combat intellectual property crime. “The first unit of its kind in the world, PIPCU is working with industry groups – including the BPI – on the Infringing Websites List. The list identifies sites that deliberately and consistently breach copyright, so brand owners can avoid advertising on them”, he said. Detailing the Creative Content initiative, which the government is supporting to the tune of nearly £3.5m, Javid said it retains the basic idea of the Digital Economy Act, but will be quicker, more responsive, and cheaper to enact. He also said that when it comes to tackling IP theft, the Government, the music industry, and the technology companies are "three sides of the same triangle", and all three must work together to build a fair and legal online economy.

Asus’ oft-teased ZenWatch has finally broken cover at IFA in Berlin. We’ve known for quite some time that the wearable didn’t feature a trendy circular watchface like its competitors but even still, Asus’ first smartwatch looks impressive. It all starts with a 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen display operating at 320 x 320 embedded in a curved stainless steel chassis and coated with Gorilla Glass 3. Under the hood is the same 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC you’d find in the Samsung Gear Live, the LG G Watch and the LG G Watch R. Elsewhere, we have 512MB of RAM, 4GB of onboard flash storage, Bluetooth 4.0, a microphone, bio sensor and a 1.4Wh battery. All of this comes with an IP55 rating so you won’t have to worry about the timepiece getting wet out in the rain. Asus also throws in a genuine stitched-leather wrist strap with a quick-release clasp but you’re free to add your own 22mm band should you be so inclined. The ZenWatch is powered by Android Wear although Asus has added some of its ZenUI elements into the mix. Some of the pre-loaded functionality includes “Tap Tap” which lets users toggle a pre-assigned function simply by double tapping the watchface. “Watch Unlock” allows the wearer to unlock their smartphone or tablet simply by touching the watchface while other features like “Remote Camera” and “Find My Phone” are self-explanatory. Do note that you’ll need to install the ZenWatch Manager app on your mobile device to get the most out of the wearable. I was unable to find official pricing from Asus although a couple of publications are citing a €199 (about $260) price point with availability scheduled within the next month or so. If true, that goes against CEO Jerry Shen’s promise that we’d see the ZenWatch debut under $200… or maybe he meant under 200 euros?

Sony on Wednesday debuted a trio of new Xperia-branded smartphones at IFA in Berlin, effectively covering the high-end and entry-level lineup. The flagship Z3 consists of a 5.2-inch display operating at 1,920 x 1,080 with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC ticking along at a speedy 2.5GHz. It’s mated with 3GB of RAM and is available with your choice of 16GB or 32GB of storage alongside a microSD expansion slot should you require more space. Sony prides itself on its mobile cameras and the Z3 is no different. It comes with a 1/2.3″ Exmor RS sensor and a 25mm G-lens capable of producing 20.7-megapixel resolution photos at the rear. The camera should be able to handle low-light conditions thanks to an ISO sensitivity of up to 12,800 although image noise will likely be a concern in the upper range. The front camera is a bit less impressive at only 2.2-megapixels but still better than most front-facing shooters currently on the market. The handset measures 7.3mm thick with a weight of 152g which is slightly thinner and lighter than the Z2 it replaces. Battery life, meanwhile, is listed at two full days on certain cellular networks. Reviewers will no doubt put that claim to the test once the phone ships. Speaking of, pricing and a specific launch date weren’t announced. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has a slightly smaller screen at 4.6 inches and a lower 720p resolution but otherwise shares many of the same specs as its bigger brother. The only notable difference aside from the screen size and resolution is that it includes 1GB less RAM. Sony’s Xperia E3 is the only budget offering of the bunch. Its 4.5-inch IPS screen operates at a resolution of 854 x 480 and is framed with a rather large and unattractive bezel on both sides. Under the hood is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip clocked at 1.2GHz paired with 1GB of RAM. It only comes with 4GB of onboard memory although the microSD card slot offers plenty of expansion. We’ll keep an eye out and update this post as soon as we hear pricing and availability on these new handsets.

The Galaxy Note 4 and curved-display Galaxy Note Edge may have stolen the show earlier today but that’s not all Samsung had to offer at IFA. The company also put some rumors to rest with by unveiling the Gear VR Innovator Edition, a virtual reality headset built in collaboration with Oculus VR. The Gear VR is more akin to Google’s Cardboard project than the Oculus Rift in that it requires users to insert a smartphone – in this case, that phone is none other than the Note 4. The handset snaps into the Gear VR behind a series of lenses used to create the 3D effect. The right side of the headset features a trackpad and back button for navigation while focusing can be adjusted up top. Interacting with virtual worlds and navigating menus is mostly done with head movements and the aforementioned controls at this point although Samsung says the wearable is compatible with Bluetooth controllers. The Verge spent some hands-on time with the Gear VR and found it very similar to using the Oculus Rift in that you’re totally immersed in the experience. They also noted it provides a better experience than Google’s solution for the simple fact that it sits on your head versus having to hold it up to your head the entire time. Samsung offered a few demos to try out but otherwise, there isn’t much VR content to speak of. That may change over time thanks to a content store that’ll launch when the device goes on sale. But seeing as the Note 4 is the only phone compatible with the headset, it could be a tough sell to get developers to create content for it when they could be spending their time on more established platforms like Android or iOS. Samsung didn’t set a price point for the Gear VR. All we know at this point is that it’ll be available sometime this fall.

Toshiba is looking to pick up where it left off with its first Chromebook offering. The aptly named Chromebook 2 may not look all that different from the original at first glance but dig deeper and you’ll find a number of noteworthy changes. It all starts with the screen: a 13.3-incher sporting a 1080p resolution. That’s a rarity among Chromebooks as most ship with a lowly 1,366 x 768 panel but I’m sure most won’t complain about the upgrade. Elsewhere, we find a dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 clocked at 2.16GHz, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of speedy flash storage. That’s admittedly not much storage for a notebook but keep in mind that it’s supplemented by 100GB of cloud storage via Google Drive, free for two years. There’s also a memory card slot should you want to expand capacity locally. Physical connectivity options include an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, a combination headphone / microphone jack and a security lock (do people actually use these?). Inside, the system is well-equipped with 802.11 ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.0 while the audio system has been tuned by the gang over at Skullcandy. Toshiba says users can expect up to nine hours of battery life on the 1080p version. They’re also planning to offer a 720p variant with half the RAM that’ll run for up to 11 hours on a single charge. The Chromebook 2 measures in at 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76-inches with a base weight of 2.95 pounds. Pricing will range from $250 to $330 depending on model. Look for Toshiba’s new Chromebook 2 to hit stores on October 5 in the US.