Lumia 850 cases leak out confirming the phone's design

Microsoft's upcoming upper-midrange smartphone, the Lumia 850, has been leaking quite a lot lately. So far we've seen it portrayed in leaked press renders, and we even had a couple live images to look at. This time around we're treated to some shots depicting the Lumia 850 inside some protective cases. And while these pictures obviously don't show us the entirety of the phone, they do seem to confirm the design of the Lumia 850 in those leaked renders. Microsoft Lumia 850 The handset will allegedly feature a metal frame, and according to a spec leak from back in July, it will also sport a 5-inch 1,280x768 touchscreen, a 10 MP main camera with Zeiss optics and LED flash, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 SoC powering things, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,650 mAh battery. It will obviously run Windows 10 Mobile. If these shots of it inside the cases are accurate, then you should expect one of the Lumia 850's colors to be blue. While it was initially thought to arrive in 2015, it's now very likely that this smartphone will only get official next...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lumia_850_cases_leak_out_confirming_the_phones_design-news-15770.php

Patent reveals Samsung's plan for a smart ring

It seems that the next arena for wearables will be rings. Patents reveal Samsung's ideas about what a smart ring can do. Essentially, it can be used as a controller for smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and even smart home devices. The main method of operation is rotation - rotating the ring left or right can trigger predefined functions and if you have a screen on hand (e.g. your smartphone), the ring can be used to navigate more complex menus offering more functions. Samsung sees the ring changing channels, turning off the lights and raising the blinds, even some unique (but unspecified) functionality for social networks like Facebook. The Samsung Gear S2 has a rotating bezel, the smart ring will have functionality based on that. Other tech companies have smart ring patents too, but they are all very different. Microsoft is thinking of a ring that recognizes gestures (e.g. sliding your finger over some surface) instead of rotation. Google sees the ring as a controller for Glass (what the Wiimote is to the Wii). Apple just wants a smaller...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/patent_reveals_samsungs_plan_for_a_smart_ring-news-15766.php

Intel just acquired fellow chip maker Altera - plans to leverage its know-how for smarter chips

Intel just completed the biggest acquisition in its corporate history - a $16.7 billion deal to buy the US-based Altera. Тhe company is largely unknown in the end-user realm and understandably so, as it specializes in delivering programmable logic devices (PLDs) and mostly what is knowns as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). We won't be going into too much technical detail, but a simple introduction to the technology in question and why it is important is necessary. Most of the processors we have grown accustomed to in our lives are versatile, general purpose units that can perform many tasks. This goes for Intel's chips as well as the silicon found inside our smartphones. However, in some cases, you don't really need an all-encompassing solution, but rather a more efficient custom one designed for one purpose. This is where application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) come in. Right in the middle ground there are FPGAs, which allow some logical reconfiguring at the client side depending on current needs. Intel hopes that it can leverage this technology to better meet the needs of its corporate clients like Facebook, Google and Microsoft, specifically to improve complex tasks like facial and other pattern recognition. Said companies already use Intel's Xeon server processors, so it makes a lot of sense to strive for complete end-to-end solutions. In fact, the company's long-term vision is to actually combine both tech in a single chip solution, but as CEO Brian Krzanich explains, that is still a little way off. In the meantime, starting 2016, Intel will be offering Altera chips alongside its own lineup. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/intel_just_acquired_fellow_chip_maker_altera__plans_to_leverage_its_knowhow_for_smarter_chips-news-15764.php

Samsung Bio-Processor can track muscle mass and body fat

Samsung delivered more info on the Bio-Processor it unveiled a while back. The chip aims to make health-tracking wearables both more capable and smaller. The Samsung Bio-Processor integrates analog front ends, a digital signal processor, a power management circuit, a microcontroller and eFlash. This means it can do all the necessary processing itself, without external components (other than the sensors). If discrete components are used for the same functionality, they will take up four times as much space. The chip can measure skeletal muscle mass, body fat, heart rate and rhythm, skin temperature and stress level. Combining these individual measurements can enable new use cases for health tracking apps. Samsung has prepared a wrist band, board and patch reference designs and says that the chip will hit mass production soon. You can expect wearables with the Bio-Processor to be available in the first half of 2016. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_bioprocessor_can_track_muscle_mass_and_body_fat-news-15762.php

HTC One E9 and One E9+ are getting the December security update

Google has begun working on more regular Android updates after the 'stagefright' exploit. The latest security patches are integrated into the so-called December security update. HTC has been working fast to incorporate those fixes within its phones and recently has begun seeding the update on the HTC One A9. As of today the One E9 and One E9+ are also getting the December Security Update. The first market to get the update is HTC's homeland - Taiwan, but we expect the update to roll out in even more markets very soon. The new firmware weighs about 360MB and includes all new security fixes, squashed some bugs and improves on the overall performance. If you own an HTC One E9 or One E9+, you should be getting this update any moment...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_e9_and_one_e9_are_getting_the_december_security_update-news-15763.php

Check out this gorgeous Samsung Galaxy S7 edge concept video

Samsung Galaxy S7 rumors are definitely in season and as 2015 draws to a close, leaks and speculations are only intensifying. We are sure to learn more about Samsung's next major flagship release as we draw closer to the alleged Q1 release, but for now, we are left with the daunting task of sorting through often conflicting renders and information on the range of screen choices. Last we heard, the basic Galaxy S7 will have a flat 5.1-inch and 6" options, while the S7 edge will come in 5.5 and 6 inches. This was apparently enough for one eager fan to produce a gorgeous render of what he believes the S7 edge will look like and have it star in a short concept video. Jermaine Smit's clip has truly great looks. It showcases the alleged unit in Platinum Silver, Gold Platinum, Pink Gold, and Sapphire Black colors and could actually be mistaken for the real deal, which deserves some credit. It is definitely worth checking out. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/check_out_this_gorgeous_samsung_galaxy_s7_edge_concept_video-news-15761.php