Here's how Walmart will fight off Amazon on Black Friday

The retailing giant is pulling out all stops, from free shipping to price match guarantees. And for Walmart, Cyber Monday starts on Saturday.

Walmart is going all out to ensure it is the destination for this year's holiday shopping season -- whether that may be its physical or virtual store.

Late Thursday, it unveiled a dizzying array of promotions, from a lower minimum purchase to qualify for free shipping to select Black Friday doorbuster promotions -- available online ahead Thanksgiving morning. Cyber Monday -- which Walmart will naturally be starting on Saturday -- is extended to an entire week.

Its emphasis to bolster both its online and in-store promotions comes as the retailing industry deals with the impact of online giant Amazon, which has largely eaten the lunch of the traditional brick-and-mortar players. Once staid stores such as Borders and Circuit City have already shuttered, while Walmart and others have reported falling sales and profits.

Walmart, for its part, said the decisions it has made are based on its customers. In fact, Joel Anderson, CEO of Walmart.com US, spent more than 30 minutes talking about the promotions without once mentioning Amazon, even if there were hints of the online retailer in his comments.

"We follow our own playbook, which is unique," Anderson said on a conference call with reporters.
Retailers have traditionally eyed the critical Black Friday period -- which now stretches from Thanksgiving to well beyond the following Cyber Monday -- as a major source of their sales of the year. But the online component is expected to be even more vital this year, especially as traditional retailers try to go toe-to-toe with Amazon online.

In a survey held by Nielsen, 46 percent of consumers said they would shop online on Cyber Monday, up from 30 percent a year ago. In comparison, only 13 percent of respondents said they would shop at physical stores on Black Friday, down from 17 percent in 2012.
Anderson said last year's Cyber Monday was the highest grossing day online in the company's history.

Starting Friday, Walmart online customers only need to order $35 worth of goods on nearly any item to qualify for free shipping. That's the same minimum level at Amazon, which the online retailer raised by $10 in October.

Anderson denied there was any link between its new offer and Amazon's policy.
"Customers have told us shipping cost is very important in their decision," he said.
Shoppers can also upgrade to three-to-five-day shipping for $2.97, Anderson said, adding the point that no subscription fee is required -- which could be interpreted as a veiled reference to Amazon's subscription-based Prime program.
Walmart will also match the prices of competitors such as Target and Best Buy, but the company didn't mentioned Amazon.

Several Black Friday deals slated to be found in stores on Thanksgiving evening will be available on Walmart.com that morning, although Anderson warned there would be limited quantities. The decision to add the online component was to create "anytime, anywhere access" to Walmart, and dismissed concerns that the online deals would draw people away from the physical stores.

 

  (Credit: Walmart)

Walmart.com, meanwhile, is making its big online push starting Saturday, attempting to rebrand Cyber Monday into Cyber Week, which stretches to the following Friday.
Anderson said he opted to kick off Cyber Monday on Saturday because he saw consumer traffic to the Web site spiked that day. To better take advantage of the interest, he opted to kick things off two days in advance.

He promised a large assortment of online deals -- including one-time offers and specials -- as Cyber Week rolls along. Consumers will also be able to order online and pick it up at a nearby store.
Consumers are expected to fork over some big bucks this year. Nearly a third of consumers from all income ranges surveyed by Nielsen say the will spend between $250 and $500 this season, with 20 percent spending $500 to $1,000.
Walmart is hoping a larger share of those dollars end up heading in its direction.

Waving goodbye to Winamp, paying respects to Nullsoft

With media player Winamp headed to software heaven, Crave's Bonnie Burton, who once worked for the firm that made it, looks back on workplace tensions and fun -- and Mike the llama.

A "Tron" Winamp skin. Fans often often created skins for their favorite movies, TV shows, or bands.

(Credit: d4fmac/Deviant Art) If you downloaded a song in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you most likely did it with Winamp. This week, the world said goodbye to the legendary media player with plenty of nostalgia, but for me, Winamp's death means the end of a very personal era. Here are some of my memories of working at Nullsoft, the company that created it.

When I first started there in 2001, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. America Online had just bought the company, and Nullsoft employees weren't thrilled with the prospect of being told what to do by a large company with a lot of rules. Many of us were young and full of "piss off" energy.
Nullsoft's story started way before I arrived. In 1996, Winamp -- short for "Windows Amplifier" -- was created and released by computer programmer Justin Frankel. He went on to start his company Nullsoft (a parody of Microsoft's name) a year later.

Nullsoft's snarky attitude was obvious from the start with its mascot -- a llama named Mike who came with his own tagline: "Winamp, it really whips the llama's ass!" (a line inspired by the schizophrenic singer-songwriter Wesley Willis). The motto rang true, considering it kicked the asses of any other media play on the market.

 

Mariachi bands interrupted meetings. Staff wore inflatable Sumo wresting outfits for the hell of it. The ultimate video game area sat in the middle of the room.

Fifteen million people downloaded Winamp in a little over a year after its release. It allowed users to not only easily play music on their computers complete with playlists, an equalizer, and Pink Floyd light-show-worthy visualizations, it also inspired fans to make their own player skins to share with others.

In 1999, AOL bought Nullsoft and everything changed. While working under AOL, Frankel (along with fellow computer programmer and Nullsoft co-founder Tom Pepper) released Gnutella, an open-source peer-to-peer file-sharing network that competed with Napster in both popularity and controversy, due to a very miffed AOL.
According to an archived Rolling Stone interview from 2004 with Frankel aptly entitled "The World's Most Dangerous Geek":

AOL ordered him to take the program down immediately, and the company put out a statement calling Gnutella an 'unauthorized freelance project.' But Gnutella, unlike Napster, couldn't be stopped. More than 10,000 people had downloaded the beta software that first day, and intrepid hackers had gone to work to reverse-engineer it and throw it into the hands of the open-source community, laying the foundation for BearShare, Morpheus, LimeWire, and other file-trading wares.

Gnutella was now impossible to shut down, and so was Frankel, though AOL tried to keep him on a short leash by forcing Frankel to get his blog posts preapproved. That backfired too. He uploaded an MP3 search engine for the masses, and AOL took it down within hours. Frankel uploaded a program called AIMazing, which replaced AOL's Instant Messenger banner ads with a musical heartbeat. AOL was not amused. Even The Wall Street Journal published a story in 2000 called "AOL's loose cannon: Justin Frankel."

So when I was hired at Nullsoft in 2001, tensions were high between the Nullsoft staff and AOL upper management. I was hired to be the editor of Winamp.com to most likely make sure nothing went "wrong" with the site. The Nullsoft team -- who called themselves "legitimate nihilistic media terrorists as history will no doubt canonize us" -- were under a microscope. But Nullsoft didn't need a babysitter, it needed a cheerleader.

The group I worked with understood the concept of working hard and playing hard. Mariachi bands interrupted meetings. Staff wore inflatable Sumo wresting outfits for the hell of it. The ultimate video game area sat in the middle of the room. Everyone there was dedicated to creating the best version of Winamp possible.

Fans flocked to Winamp.com over the years not only to download the latest player and find their favorite fan-made player skins (often created to honor favorite TV shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or stylized to reflect love for bands like Nine Inch Nails) but also to connect with the Nullsoft creators themselves. Our forums thrived. The site featured news and personalities of our employees with themed months celebrating everything from ninjas to prom. We all wrote public blogs linked to the site. We had a voice. We had fun.

"I got hired to explain 'wasabi' to the world; that 'plugin' architectures needed to change into 'component' architectures; that 'skinning' meant something far more amazing than simply 'replacing bitmaps' on things; and a wonderful skins and development community 'flourished,'" former Nullsoft employee and self-proclaimed "Hot Green Mustard Evangelist" Mig Gerard wrote in his Nullsoft job description on LinkedIn.

Then came the announcement this week that AOL was finally pulling the plug on Winamp. Winamp's Web site posted this statement: "Winamp.com and associated Web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013. Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download. Please download the latest version before that date. See release notes for latest improvements to this last release. Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years."
Nullsoft's founders, past employees, and fans gathered on Reddit to pay their respects to the company and the player it created.

"Just wanted to thank everyone for all the support over the years," Nullsoft co-founder Tom Pepper posted on Reddit. "While we haven't been involved with Nullsoft since the early 2000s it was incredible what you all did both for us, and for music. Our only goal was ever to make the tool we wanted to use, and it seemed to resonate with you all very clearly!"
And what is to become of the loyal Nullsoft mascot, Mike the Llama? Frankel reassured fans on Twitter this week that Mike always has a home.
RIP Winamp. You will be missed by many, including me. Long live the llama's ass.

Behold the Nullsoft mascot Mike the Llama.

(Credit: Credit: Justin Frankel)

Samsung unveils Galaxy Grand 2 big-screen smartphone

The new device offers a 5.25-inch display and provides a dual-SIM to let you hop from one carrier to another.

Samsung's Galaxy Grand 2 smartphone.

(Credit: Samsung)
Samsung has introduced yet another large-screen smartphone.
Unveiled on Monday, the Galaxy Grand 2 sports a 5.25-inch 1,280x720 display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which the company touts as ideal for watching movies, playing games, and reading books. A Multi Window feature lets you use the large screen to run two apps side-by-side.
Powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, the phone includes a 2,600mAh battery that promises 17 hours of calls and 10 hours of playback on a single charge. Internal storage is a mere 8GB, but you can bump that up to 64GB with a microSD card.

A dual-SIM lets you switch between different carriers. However, the device isn't 4G LTE compatible and supports HSPA+ instead.

Samsung has enhanced the 8-megapixel rear camera with such features as Best Face, Best Photo, and Continuous Shot. The Grand 2 will also include an array of Samsung apps, including Story Album, S Translator, S Travel, Samsung Hub, and Samsung Link.

Equipped with Android 4.3, the phone will come in white, black, and pink. Samsung also said it will be available in "selective regions" but didn't reveal any specific markets, launch date, or pricing. CNET contact Samsung for more details and will update the story with any further information.

Xbox One: 20 things you need to know

Microsoft's new console may seem daunting, but here are some key points about the new do-nearly-everything gaming machine.

After months of waiting, the Xbox One is almost here.
We already posted our in-depth review, but for those of you looking for the TL;DR version of all the latest Xbox One news, here's a quick cheat sheet.

1. Price and availability
The Xbox One will be released in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK, and the US on November 22. It costs $499 in North America, £429 in the UK, AU$599 in Australia, and 499 euros in the EU countries listed above. The Kinect camera is included; you can't opt out of that peripheral.

2. You'll need an Xbox Live Gold membership ($60/year in the US) to do almost anything beyond play single-player games
Xbox Live Gold was pretty much a requirement for any online Xbox gamer before, but that's even more the case now. Any online services require Gold, from streaming Netflix to game DVR functionality (apps and game recordings are free on the PS4, with only online gaming requiring a PlayStation Plus membership).

3. It plays Blu-rays, DVDs, and (unlike PS4) CDs
The Xbox 360 only had DVD support, and -- briefly, via a peripheral -- HD-DVDs. Blu-ray playback is a pleasant addition. And sorry, lovers of 3D Blu-rays, whoever you are: the Xbox One isn't compatible with you. (There is no 3D Blu-ray compatibility on PS4 at present, either.)

. It supports limited DLNA...in theory
Microsoft's pushing its SkyDrive account -- Microsoft's own cloud-storage service -- to play back cloud-stored photos and videos, but "Play To" DLNA-supported devices could theoretically work. We haven't tested this yet, but if you're a streaming-media-server type of person, prepare to be a bit disappointed versus what was capable on an Xbox 360.

5. The hard drive is not user replaceable (unlike with the PS4)
The Xbox One comes with a 500GB hard drive, and you're going to have to live with it. Right now, there's no plan to how, exactly, you'll upgrade that storage. The Xbox 360 used to have a proprietary snap-on hard drive; on the One, it lives inside the console. (PS4 owners can self-upgrade with a standard laptop hard drive.)

6. It won't play your old Xbox 360, original Xbox, or Xbox Live Arcade titles (discs or digital)
Bad news for Xbox 360 owners with huge game libraries: the Xbox One won't play your discs. And any downloaded Xbox games that exist on your Xbox Live account won't transfer over, either. It's a fresh start with the Xbox One, whether you like it or not -- but user settings and account details are retained and carried over.

7. Downloaded games can be redownloaded and played anywhere, but disc games need the disc to play
Disc and disc-free games alike need installation on the Xbox One, but if you go the disc route, keep in mind that you'll always need that disc inserted to start the game.

 

 

 (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

8. The Xbox One doesn't have Bluetooth support
Go figure. Wi-Fi Direct and 802.11n Wi-Fi will help address some device-to-device connections, but for wireless accessories you'll have to use official Xbox options. The PlayStation 4 doesn't work with universal Bluetooth peripherals, either, even though it does have Bluetooth onboard.

9. The Kinect doubles as an IR blaster
For any universal remote control purposes, the Kinect, when set up, will be programmed to operate your TV and cable box. Controls like volume control and channel-changing can be executed using voice, but it can get a little challenging at times.

10. The Xbox One works with universal remotes
Unlike the PS4, which lacks an IR port, the Xbox One can be controlled with a compatible universal remote. That's nice for DVD or Blu-ray playback, for folks who don't want to use the Xbox controller or Kinect voice commands.

11. The Xbox One is bigger than the PlayStation 4
It's not even close. Not only is the One the bulkier console, but it has a very large power brick adapter attached to the power cable; the PlayStation 4 just has a regular thin plug.

 

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

12. Xbox SmartGlass is back, and runs on Windows 8, iOS, and Android devices
Microsoft's second-screen SmartGlass app works on a variety of phones, tablets, and PCs, and promises to add media playback controls, in-game second-screen functions, and pop-up information viewing throughout Xbox One. Many iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches, Android 4 devices 7 inches and larger, and Windows 8 phones, tablets, and PCs can connect.

13. Kinect is not required for use, but it certainly helps
A new Kinect comes packed in with every Xbox One, making it a required purchase. It's also meant to be plugged in most of the time. You don't need it plugged in, but any automatic logging in, voice control, and gesture recognition, which is a big part of how the Xbox One works, won't function.

 

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

14. It works with cable and satellite TV, but doesn't support DVR control
An HDMI input allows you to run your cable box directly into the Xbox One, feeding it all your TV feeds. The Xbox One has its own searchable menu for TV listings, too, and can change the channel on your cable box, acting on its behalf. But, while you can watch your DVR, you can't use the Xbox One to access your recordings or the menus; for that, you're going to have to use your remote, as usual.

15. Some TVs aren't supported for Kinect
CNET couldn't get the Xbox One to recognize the Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD from CNET's Lab, which also meant the Kinect wouldn't learn commands for the set, either. Maybe additional software updates are needed, but this bears watching.

16. Game DVR only records the last five minutes of what you're playing, versus 15 minutes on the PlayStation 4
It's fun to share, but remember that the Xbox One only keeps a continuously recording backlog of the last five minutes, versus 15 minutes on the PS4. But it's easier to share a quick 30-second clip on the Xbox One.

17. Twitch exists as an app for Xbox One...but you can't broadcast using it yet
The PlayStation 4 has the ability to create your own live broadcast of your gameplay for the world to see via Twitch, or watch what others are streaming. The Xbox One has a Twitch app, but it's only for viewing streams: creating your own live stream won't be possible on Xbox until, most likely, early next year.

 

  (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

18. Snap is a multitasker's dream...but some apps don't work for it
Using Snap, you can create a side split-screen of live TV, NFL scores, or whatever else you can think of while playing a game...or, combine apps that involve no gaming whatsoever. Some apps don't support Snap yet, but discovering which do takes some trial and error.

19. Voice control is a mixed bag
Using the Kinect for voice commands shows how many more types of interactions you can do with the Xbox One versus the Xbox 360, but it's not perfect. More often than not you have to repeat yourself, and some TV channels and game titles require exact pronunciation, or are so hard to pronounce that the Xbox One simply won't process it easily.

20. It's always on, for better or worse
The Xbox One encourages you to run your TV and home theater through it, meaning you'll have your Xbox One on even when watching old DVR recordings or when watching a movie. The Xbox, and that Kinect. You might get pop-up Skype calls, or game notifications, right in the middle of a show. Of course, you can always disconnect it from your TV feed, too.

The Wrecking Crew: The best-selling band you've never heard of

The producer of a rock documentary about a band that played behind countless artists has a fascinating Kickstarter project.

I'm a big fan of music documentaries, but "The Wrecking Crew: The Untold Story of Rock & Roll Heroes" is easily the best I've seen in years. The band was made up of LA studio pros who would show up for a 3- or 4-hour session, and produce hit after hit. Their biggest successes came in the 1960s and 1970s, and for six consecutive years starting in 1966 the Wrecking Crew played on the Grammy Award-winning "Record of the Year." The band worked all the time, with Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, the Monkees, the Byrds, and hundreds of one-hit wonders (in those days bands didn't always play their instruments on recording dates).

I have an advance "screener" of the film, and it looks and sounds excellent. Interviews with some of the original band members were filmed in 2010, and there are a lot of historical clips of the Wrecking Crew at work in studios. The stories they tell about artists are fascinating, but the real takeaway is they all shared a passion for making great music, even though they remained unsung heroes. The stars and bands grew rich and famous; the Wrecking Crew just went in, did the job and went on to the next session.

Denny Tedesco, son of the late guitarist Tommy Tedesco of the Crew produced and directed the film. It's been shown in over 50 festivals and won a dozen awards, but to officially release "The Wrecking Crew" Tedesco needs $250,000 to cover fees owed to the American Federation of Musicians, song licenses, stock footage licensing, and an online edit. That's why he's doing this Kickstarter project, and he's got a long way to go before he reaches his goal. There's a nice assortment of Kickstarter rewards listed on the site, but just $30 buys a DVD of the film.
If you love the music of the period, "The Wrecking Crew" is a must-see; it would be a real shame if the movie remains unreleased.

Obamacare Web site mocked by, yes, insurance company

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield decides to launch three ads that tell people to avoid the Healthcare.gov Web site, because its own site works so much better.

Such a struggle.

(Credit: Wellmark/Ad Age screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
A couple of days ago, I received two letters from my health insurance company.
One welcomed me to its autopay system -- which was a touch odd, given that I had been in its autopay system for many years.
The second told me that I was about to have my health insurance cut off, as I hadn't paid my monthly bill.

Please forgive me, then, if I'm not bathed in admiration for the way health insurance companies do business. There is one, however, that wants me (and you) to believe it's the apogee of efficiency.
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield wants you to know that the Obamacare Web site is just a painful affair, while its Web site will cure you of all ills.

I am grateful to AdAge for revealing three ads that this no doubt fine, efficient, and gloriously well-priced insurance company has released in Iowa and South Dakota.

These ads portray health-related situations that somehow go wrong. There's the urine sample jar that won't open, the blood pressure gauge that insists on farting, and the reflex test that causes the wrong knee to react.

The words offer you enormous comfort in this hour of your need: "Things don't always work like they're supposed to do. Good thing the government exchange isn't the only place to buy health insurance."

It's a persuasive argument. Why stand in line at Costco when Whole Foods can look after all your needs for far more money?

The Obamacare Web site launch has been quite a stellar embarrassment, one that sadly could have been avoided. Launching a new product with such abject online incompetence is risible for an administration that prided itself on its technological brains.
Somehow, though, there's always this nagging feeling with insurance companies -- and, indeed, with the whole health industry -- that the drive for a buck (with the frequent assistance of technology) is often at the expense of its customers' mental, as well as financial, health.
I admit that, having grown up in a country where one could go to a hospital without having to produce a credit card, I am biased.

I was admitted to a New Jersey hospital a couple of years ago, after an ex tried to poison me with a piece of tainted beef. (All right, I'm making up the reason here.)
I gave the hospital my insurance details. One year later, they still claimed they didn't have these details and were demanding full payment. Every time I'd call, the hospital's technology would put me on hold and, after 10 minutes, cut me off.
Twice, I got through to a voice mail service. My calls weren't returned.
A letter to the hospital's CEO (its Web site offered no e-mail address for him) was rewarded with no reply.

So any sort of health company touting its technological ease and efficiency is treading on quite difficult ground.

A Wellmark spokeswoman told AdAge: "The ad campaign is designed to use humor to get attention so that we can share the message that there is more than one option to purchase health insurance."
How very helpful. And, perhaps, lucrative for Wellmark.

I just went to the Wellmark Web site, and it actually seems to work.
Indeed, when you go to its "What Matters?" page, you are offered answers to questions -- the first being: "Wait...Now I Need Health Insurance?" (Because before you just had a very large limit on your credit card, right?)

The next most important question: "Why Did My Premiums Go Up?"
To this question, Wellmark offers a highly objective answer: "Premiums increase because the cost of health care increases...For everyone."
No, we can't have premiums going down, can we?

Microsoft pens playful doctor's note for Xbox One gamers

The tongue-in-cheek excuse to employers says that a heavy dose of Xbox One is the only cure for people affected by zombie flu.

Planning to take Friday off to play with your new Xbox One? Microsoft has posted a doctor's note that might just convince a game-loving employer to give you a break.
As the next-generation Xbox One preps to sail into stores on Friday, hot on the heels of Sony's new PlayStation 4, Microsoft is likely expecting and certainly hoping that throngs of customers will line up to buy the new console. Eager Xbox gamers may even skip out on work for the chance to pick up, hook up, and play with the Xbox One. And it's those people for whom Microsoft's ersatz doctor's note is intended.
Signed by Microsoft's famous Major Nelson, the note reads in full:

To whom it may concern,
Due to the Zombie Flu your employee will not be able to fulfill the scheduled commitment he/she has with you. Because of the severity of this condition I'm prescribing a heavy dose of Xbox One. He needs to destroy zombies.
After a thorough examination, I've concluded that the all-in-one entertainment system is the only cure for the aforementioned condition.
This treatment may take anywhere from 1-3 days to work and will require years of accumulating achievements thereafter. If the patient is disrupted with work, I will have to double the prescribed amount of Xbox One.
If used effectively, Xbox One can help relieve the patient's entertainment deprivation and will have an increased state of happiness at all times.

You can save the note as a PDF or e-mail it directly to your employer.
The ploy might just work on an employer who's fanatical about games and has a huge sense of humor. How many of you out there would be able to pull off a trick like this?
The successor to the Xbox 360, which debuted eight years ago, the $499 Xbox One has a vaulting ambition to be not just a gaming console, but also the hub for all your living room entertainment.

Google Glass may have found a prescription lens partner

Google is in talks with VSP Global -- a nationwide eye care insurer that also make lenses and frames -- to make Glass available at optometry clinics.

Google Glass developers at a Glass hackathon in San Francisco earlier this week. Google is in talks with at least one vision care provider to integrate Glass into offered vision care services.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Google is in talks with an American vision benefits provider to get Google Glass into the hands of the people who know eyes the best: doctors.

VSP Global, which insures eye care for millions of Americans and also makes eyeglass lenses and frames, has been talking to Google about how best to integrate Google Glass into prescription glasses and casual frames, according to The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

VSP's chief executive, Robert Lynch, said that the plans discussed have included training optometrists to fit Google Glass for patients, developing prescription lenses that accommodate the wearable computer's prism, and making more fashionable frames for Glass.
Google declined to comment, saying only that the company has noted publicly that it has been working to create prescription frames for Glass "for some time."

Hubris, thy name is 'Scroogled'

Microsoft breathes new heat into Scroogled, its anti-Google campaign, with a line of products that burn Google for treating your data the same way Microsoft does. Not surprisingly, Google has fired back.

Microsoft's Scroogled mug pokes fun at Google's customer data mining. Nevermind that Microsoft behaves very similarly, of course.

(Credit: Microsoft)
"Keep calm," warns Microsoft's Scroogled T-shirt and coffee mug, riffing on the World War II British motivational poster, "while we steal your data."
Wait, what? That's not very proper of them.

The new line of Scroogled outerwear and houseware (but not underwear) from the Microsoft Store cautions you against over sharing with Google, thanks to a Scroogled logo hat; a word cloud T-shirt with, as the description puts it, more than "20 synonyms for how Google is taking advantage of you;" and the aforementioned coffee mugs and T-shirts.

The description for the Spider Web T-shirt is equally sardonic. "Google is the spider. Google services are the spider web. You're the fly. You know what happens next," it reads.

A shirt featuring the Chrome browser logo wearing a fedora and a trench coat, playing off of Chrome's private browsing Incognito mode icon, sounds another alarm. "Do you use Google Search? Or Gmail? Or Google Chat? Or Chrome? Then Google is watching you...all the time."

Google, for its part, didn't let Microsoft's accusations faze it. "Microsoft's latest venture comes as no surprise; competition in the wearables space really is heating up," a Google spokesperson told CNET.
The new attacks on Google follow Microsoft's initial "Scroogled" campaign last year, but take on added weight under the US National Security Agency's spying revelations that most companies have the same practices for handling user data. There is irony in the utter lack of hubris from Microsoft's claims. Microsoft -- and Facebook, Yahoo, Apple, and most other major Internet tech firms -- treats customer data similar if not identical to Google, using it to both improve the products themselves and sell you ads.

Parker Higgins, an activist and spokesperson at the digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said there wasn't much difference between Google and Microsoft on the issue. "A campaign against Google by Microsoft on privacy raises eyebrows. In terms of security practices, Google is a little more aggressive about encryption," he said.

A Scroogled word cloud want you to associate some not-nice terms with Google.

(Credit: Microsoft)

"If you're talking about which ads you see, it's possible that Microsoft has pulled ahead," he said. "It's difficult for a company like Microsoft to say that the way they're doing it respects your autonomy more. In fact, it's just a different style."
Microsoft did not immediately respond when asked for comment.
"Aside from this being a Microsoft campaign, the point stands if it's not being comparative," said Higgins, who said he's planning on buying one of the Scroogled T-shirts. "It's just not necessarily better if you switch to Microsoft."

Verizon Wireless offers $5-a-day data for tablets

Company announces new data plan, which comes with 300MB of data capacity, for tablet and connected-device owners who want occasional access to Verizon's 4G LTE network.

Tablets are expected to be one of the hottest gadget gift items for Holiday 2013. And Verizon Wireless has a new daily data plan that will get customers hooked up to the company's 4G LTE network for $5 a day. 

On Thursday, Verizon Wireless announced the introduction of a new $5-a-day data plan for customers with tablets and other Internet connected devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy camera. The new plan will let users connect to Verizon's 4G LTE data network for 24 hours with access to up to 300 megabytes worth of data.

Customers who sign up will not be charged an activation fee. And if 300MB worth of data isn't enough, customers will get an alert to allow them to purchase another 300MB worth of data for $5. It's also easy to reactivate the service after a session has expired. Customers can simply go back to their account online after their daily session has expired to sign up again.

The way it works for customers who already have a Verizon Wireless SIM card installed in their tablet or device is that when they launch their browser, they'll automatically be routed to the Verizon Wireless broadband portal. Once on this landing page, they can choose a Share Everything plan, which lets customers share data among smartphones and other devices, including tablets, and requires a monthly contract. Prepay options will also be available, including the new $5 daily plan. Customers who don't have a Verizon Wireless SIM card installed in their device will have to stop by a Verizon Wireless retail location to get one. And a representative will be able to help them activate a data plan of their choosing.

Verizon has already been offering prepaid data plans for tablets and other connected devices. But these options offer service for 30 days, and the cost is considerably more. The cheapest option for a monthly prepaid data plan is $20 for 1GB of data, which can be used for up to a month. The plan is designed so that the service will automatically renew at the end of the 30-day period and the customer's credit card is automatically charged, making it a better option for people who need access to Verizon's data network on a more regular basis.

The new $5 daily service plan is not designed for customers who want access to Verizon's data network all the time. Instead, it's intended for customers who may need LTE services only occasionally, when Wi-Fi service is not available. It may also appeal to customers who don't want to pay for daily access to a Wi-Fi network in locations such as hotels.

Verizon is not the only wireless operator going after these occasional data users. In October AT&T announced a similar plan, which also costs $5 a day. AT&T's plan offers only 250MB of data per day.

Microsoft montage reveals future Xbox One games

What's ahead for the Xbox One? A fast-paced montage from Microsoft offers a glimpse at upcoming games destined for the new console.

Xbox One gamers can peek into their future via a new Microsoft video.
A lengthy clip appropriately called "Future Xbox One Games Montage" serves up quick teasers of a range of titles slated for the gaming console. So what's in store?
Xbox One owners will be able to dive into Halo, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy's The Division, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, Kinect Sports Rivals, Project Spark, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Fable Legends, Final Fantasy XV, The Elder Scrolls, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Dying Light, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Titanfall.
Some of the games will also be available for the Xbox 360 and Windows PCs, but most will be exclusive to the Xbox One, at least in Microsoft's gaming world. Microsoft needs a strong lineup of titles to get gamers exciting about the new console, especially since the Xbox One can't play Xbox 360 games.

FCC considers lifting cell phone ban on planes.

The U.S. agency that regulates the nation's communications networks said it will seek public comment on a proposal that will allow people to make phone calls and use mobile data in-flight.

The Federal Communications Commission is considering green-lighting the use of cellphones and mobile broadband services on airplanes above 10,000 feet.

The agency, which has restricted the use of cellular devices for making phone calls or surfing the Web in-flight, is circulating a proposed rulemaking among its commissioners. The agency will introduce the item at its December open meeting, and will then allow for public comment on the proposal.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said Thursday that it's important for the FCC to keep up with changing technology.

"Modern technologies can deliver mobile services in the air safely and reliably, and the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules," he said in a statement. "I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, the FAA, and the airline industry on this review of new mobile opportunities for consumers."

The FCC's move comes just weeks after the Federal Aviation Administration said it plans to change its rules for using electronic devices in flight. The agency said it will now lift restrictions so that devices, such as e-readers and tablets, can be used during take-off and landing. But at the time, the FAA said that it would still restrict the use of cellular services in-flight, requiring users to switch their electronic gadgets to "airplane mode," which turns off the cellular radios.
The changes in the FCC rules would now make it possible for consumers to use cellular voice and data services once the aircraft reaches 10,000 feet. These devices will still need to be in airplane mode during take-off and landing.

But even though the rule changes will make it possible for these services to be accessed in-flight, the FCC will not force airlines to allow people to talk on their phones or use cellular data services while in the air. Airlines may still impose restrictions on usage. There has already been a lot of debate surrounding whether people should be allowed to make phone calls while traveling in such close quarters.

The question of whether cellphones could be used on airplanes has come up in the past at the FCC. The agency considered a similar proposal in 2004 and sought public comment. But it dropped the rule changes in 2007 after flight attendants and others lobbied against it. At the time, the FCC said that it lacked enough technical information to change the rules.

Changes to rules restricting cellular service in Europe are also changing. Last week, the European Commission adopted new rules to allow passengers to use devices with 3G and 4G data connections. Previously, the agency only allowed 2G wireless services to be used aboard flights above 3000 meters. But as it is in the U.S., airlines in Europe will ultimately decide whether passengers can use any cellular device while flying.

LG: We're committed to being a major player in mobile

The Korean electronics conglomerate dismisses a report that it is shifting its focus away from smartphones and towards TV as "completely untrue."

No, LG isn't giving up on the smartphone business.
LG responded to a report by Korean publication ET News that it was shifting its resources away from the mobile business and towards televisions, dismissing it as "completely untrue."

"We are more committed than ever in making the LG brand a major player in the mobile space," an LG representative said on Friday. "And we think our products this year speak for themselves."
Furthermore, LG said the report was based on "non-credible sources and uninformed speculation."

Had LG pulled out of the smartphone business, it would have been a curious move. The company last month reported a third-quarter profit largely based on its handset unit. The Nexus 5, a Google phone built by LG, is a hot item and it has its own highly rated flagship phone, the G2, in the market.
It's just the latest in questionable reporting from a Korean publication. Mobile chip designer ARM earlier Friday dismissed a rumor from the Korea Herald that it was working on a 128-bit processor, noting that such a chip isn't really needed. ARM claimed the comments cited in the report were made up.

Samsung attorney: 'Apple doesn't own beautiful and sexy'

An attorney for the Korean electronics giant says during closing arguments in a damages retrial that Apple's patents are "very narrow."

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Samsung on Tuesday argued that Apple deserves a low amount of additional damages for patent infringement because Apple's patents are "very narrow" and people buy Samsung's devices for their differences from the iPhone.
Samsung attorney Bill Price said Apple has tried to show its patents cover all aspects of design and ease of use, preventing companies from making "attractive" devices that are easy to use. However, the patents are limited, he argued, which is why Samsung should only pay Apple $52 million for patent infringement, not the $380 million Apple has requested.
"Apple has tried to mischaracterize these patents so they are the iPhone," Price said during closing arguments in a court here. But "these patents are very narrow...Apple doesn't own beautiful and sexy."
He added that while Samsung knew it needed to alter its devices to compete with the iPhone, Apple has done the same thing with new devices like the iPad Mini.
"There's nothing wrong with looking at your competitors and changing what you do because of it," Price said.

Check out Apple's closing arguments here.

And people seek out Samsung's devices because of Android, bigger screens, and other features, not because of Apple's patented technology, he said.
"Did you hear any evidence that anyone bought any of these phones because of the Apple patents?" Price asked. "What they're really saying in the market is 'justice' is 'just us."
Meanwhile, Apple attorney Bill Lee argued that Samsung's patent infringement significantly harmed the company and that the electronics giant deserves an additional $380 million for that damage. He noted that Samsung's copycat tactics helped it gain significant market share while other rivals struggled. And he said the patent infringement set back Apple.
"Apple can never get back to where it should have been in 2010," Lee said Tuesday during his closing arguments.

A jury last year determined Samsung had infringed on five patents related to the iPhone's design and functionality. A judge earlier this year vacated about $450 million of the original award and ordered a new jury to convene to recalculate the damages for patent infringement. Samsung is still on the hook for about $600 million, but Apple is asking for $380 million more. Samsung believes it only owes Apple $52 million.
Samsung sold 10.7 million infringing devices, generating $3.5 billion in revenue.
Price and Lee made the comments during a retrial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. A new jury of eight people -- six women and two men -- has been assembled to determine the new damages total for Samsung's patent infringement.
The retrial kicked off last Tuesday with jury selection, followed by opening arguments Wednesday. Witnesses who took the stand included Phil Schiller, Apple's head of marketing, and several expert witnesses who calculated the total damages owed.
For most, the damages retrial was a case of "Groundhog Day." No new revelations emerged during the testimony, and most witnesses also took the stand during the last trial more than a year ago. Apple's witnesses argued Samsung's copycat devices hurt the company, while Samsung argued that people seek out its devices more for their differences than similarities to Apple gadgets.
Not at issue in this case is whether Samsung infringed Apple's patents. The judge instructed the jury that a previous jury already decided Samsung infringed, and that they shouldn't revisit that issue. The sole consideration in the retrial is money -- just how much Samsung owes Apple for infringing its patents.

Judge Lucy Koh allowed each side eight hours of testimony over the four-day trial. Samsung rested its case Monday with two minutes left. Apple had 16 minutes left. Samsung made its closing arguments later Tuesday. Both sides were allotted 90 minutes for closing. The case was handed over to the jury at about 12:15 p.m. PT.
The two companies spent their final hours and minutes Monday grilling expert witnesses on how much money Samsung owes Apple for patent infringement. A big part of the discrepancy between what Apple wants and what Samsung thinks it should pay comes from differing views on how much Apple lost in profits and how much it should be due for royalties. The two sides also disagree on how much money Samsung made from its copycat products.
Apple arrived at the $380 million amount based on lost profits of about $114 million, Samsung's profits of about $231 million, and reasonable royalties of approximately $35 million. Apple estimates it would have sold 360,000 devices if Samsung hadn't released infringing rivals.
Samsung, meanwhile, said Apple shouldn't receive any money for lost profits, $52.7 million for Samsung's profits, and royalties of only $28,452 because the patents have limitations.
Apple originally filed suit against Samsung in April 2011, accusing the Korean company of copying the look and feel of its products. Samsung countersued two months later over patent infringement and said it was at work on touch-screen phones with giant rectangular screens and rounded corners well before Apple showed up. The initial trial, which stretched more than three weeks in August 2012, wrapped both of those cases in one, somehow squeezing together the patent infringement issues, alongside antitrust claims, and even trade dress issues.
In August of last year, a nine-person jury sided with Apple on a majority of its patent infringement claims against Samsung. At that time, the jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, much less than the $2.75 billion sought by the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant. Samsung, which asked for $421 million in its countersuit, didn't get anything.

Apple v. Samsung redux: What you need to know (FAQ)

However, Koh in March ordered a new trial to recalculate some of the damages in the case, striking $450.5 million off the original judgment against Samsung.
The products in question include the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, and Transform. The Prevail in particular racked up $57.9 million of the damages tally, which Koh said was a failure on the jury's part, since the device was found to infringe only on utility patents, and not on design patents.
Schiller argued last week that Samsung's copycat devices made it "much harder" for Apple to differentiate and sell its devices. He also noted that the reason Samsung gained so much market share in smartphones was because it copied Apple.
"At the end of the day, there's a cumulative effect of doing all of this that's incredibly damaging [to Apple]," Schiller said Friday.
Lee on Tuesday pointed out to the jury that Apple brought top executives to talk about the creation of the iPhone and the importance to the company. Samsung, however, didn't put any of its top Korean executives on the stand, he said.
Price said that Samsung didn't need to bring engineers to talk about the patents' limitations because Apple's own experts did so.
"Apple doesn't own every method of scrolling and pinching to zoom," Price said. "Their expert told you that. We didn't need to bring a witness because their expert told you that."

Martha Stewart's gross food photos stir up Twitter

Twitter takes cooking and craft maven Martha Stewart to task for tweeting food photos that would probably only be appetizing to an undiscriminating pooch.

Food photography is notoriously difficult. A slight tweak of the lighting can turn a delicious plate into a visual disaster. Martha Stewart knows this firsthand, but it hasn't stopped her from tweeting the resulting photos anyway.

Her Twitter stream has featured a veritable feast of ickiness lately. She describes one of the more recent examples as "Iceberg wedge with homemade Russian dressing. Perfect salad for the onion soup lunch." Sounds like a lovely snack, right? But it looks like something the dog dragged in. Another photo, of a foie gras walnut brioche, gives the impression the dish might have come straight from an Alpo can.

Twitter users have shared some priceless reactions to the photos. New York Times travel section editor Dan Saltzstein even chimed in, tweeting "Literally one of the worst food shots I've ever seen" in reference to the iceberg wedge. The feedback is also starting to popularize the hashtag #struggleplate, a reference to an unappetizing dish.

Stewart isn't immune to the criticism. She responded with a tweet saying, "There seems to be some buzz about my food pics. Actually the onion soup was utterly delicious and the ice berg wedge divine." I'm sure it was divine in natural lighting.

Stewart is hardly the only bad food-photography culprit, but she has a reputation to live up to. Her media empire is known for lovingly lavish food photos, not images that will make you put down your lunch and turn away in disgust. What's more, she has posted multiple offenders.
So, what's the solution? Just checking the images before posting would be a good start. Perhaps an upgraded phone with a better camera might help. Also, be wary of filters. While "Toaster" and "1977" might make a snapshot of people look old-timey and cool, it's probably not going to do any favors to the filet mignon with shaved Brussels sprouts.

Update: Nokia took notice of Stewart's eye-searing hobby by retweeting her salad photo along with the message, "Lovely food @MarthaStewart! We'll send you an amazing camera phone for your pics if you like?" Please, Martha, take them up on that offer.

This looks delicious...not.

(Credit: Martha Stewart)

Mercedes-Benz designs concept car just for Gran Turismo 6

Mercedes-Benz's latest concept car is an absolute stunner -- but you won't get to drive it on a real-life road.

Meet the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo -- a car that's unlikely to ever feel the road beneath its rubber. Like the name suggests, the car has been designed for one purpose: appearing in Polyphony Digital's PlayStation 3 exclusive, Gran Turismo 6.

Although the concept car has been created for inclusion in a fictional product, Mercedes-Benz hasn't slouched on the design. Every step of the way, the manufacturer has gone out of its way to build a vehicle that could work in the real world. A 1:1 scale model of the car has even been built, debuting at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz research and development center in California.

 

 

 (Credit: Mercedes-Benz)

"The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes-Benz feature have been reinterpreted: the long bonnet has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad shoulder contours," Mercedes-Benz wrote on its Web site. "The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlamps, with their color scheme and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward."

Once you get inside the car (in the game, of course), you'll see a central display floating above the steering wheel right in the driver's field of vision, displaying road speed, engine speed, and operating temperature. The car is operated by rocker switches in the center of the dash and in an overhead console, similar to a jet's cockpit.

The radiator grille on the front is designed to catch the eye, studded with LEDs that flash a variable pattern with the Mercedes-Benz star in the center. But it's not all about how pretty the car looks. Under the hood is a 430-kilowatt (585 horsepower) V8 engine with a maximum torque of 800 Newton meters, and its body is constructed of aluminum space frame with carbon fiber components, weighing the car in at 3,053 pounds -- around 5.3 pounds per hp. The high-composite braking system is constructed of ceramic, and the exhaust system incorporates eight tailpipes.

This feeds into the final detail that makes the car seem spectacular: the sound. Mercedes-Benz's sound specialists have created a powerful exhaust note that's designed to pay tribute to the V8.
Gran Turismo 6 will see a worldwide release on December 6. We're looking forward to getting our hands on the wheel.

 

 

  (Credit: Mercedes-Benz)

Which US city has the fastest Internet access? Wrong!

It's not one of the towns served by Google Fiber, and it's not in the backyard of any tech giants, though it is starting to attract their data centers.

This could be the fastest courthouse in the nation... for downloading, at least.

(Credit: Wikimedia/Publichall)
Google Fiber is the program that's building the future of broadband in the United States by deploying the fastest networks in the country in a handful of lucky cities starting with Kansas City, Kan., right?
Not so fast on the download there, Charlie. According to data from Ookla (which runs Speedtest.net) that was analyzed by Gizmodo earlier this year, tiny and rural Ephrata, Wash., has the nation's fastest broadband.

And I'm talking No. 1 by a mile. Ookla calculates the town's average Internet speed at 85.54Mbps, or almost twice the speed of the No. 2 city on the list -- the Google Fiber town of Kansas City, Kan., where the average speed is 49.86 Mbps.
Just for comparison (and a little bit of digital masochism), I looked up the nearest city to my location to make the list -- it comes in at No. 5,657 with an average speed of 2.65Mbps. Ouch.

So what's going on in Ephrata? Has it been annexed by those broadband-bingeing South Koreans?
Not quite. The Daily Dot published a nice little investigation Tuesday into what makes Ephrata an unlikely member of broadband royalty. Apparently it all traces back to a sizable $146 million investment that the Grant County Public Utilities District in Washington has made in building up its infrastructure and creating the high-speed backbone that not only makes thousands of high-speed home connections possible, but has also begun to attract data centers to locate in the region.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, such significant investments in infrastructure are rare -- which is why we've heard so much about Google Fiber -- as I learned in my own investigation into my local broadband woes. In lean times, like those seen in the past half decade since the financial crisis, elective infrastructure projects like next-generation Internet access are easy to cut, and the few who forged ahead anyway, checkbooks in hand, tend to stand out from the crowd.
So, anyone know a good real estate agent in Ephrata? Looks like I've finally found my dream of real broadband in the boonies.

Is Apple's iPad Mini Retina display problem serious?

Are the muted colors on the iPad Mini Retina a deal breaker? One expert believes Apple dropped the ball on the Mini Retina's display.

Apple got a shellacking by Amazon's tablet in the latest display shoot-out by DisplayMate, but is this a sign of larger problems at Apple?

\DisplayMate Technologies had little good to say about the iPad Mini with Retina Display in a research note on Monday.
Apple failed to deliver an adequate color range -- referred to as color gamut -- on one of its highest profile and most anticipated products, the Mini Retina, according to Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate.
"[It] is incredibly disappointing because it produces noticeably subdued image colors. In fact, it's almost identical to the gamuts on the much older iPad 2 and the original iPad mini," he wrote.
Soneira expanded on that statement in response to several e-mail queries from CNET.

Apple has invested heavily to deliver a 100% color gamut on their full size iPads (3,4,Air) and brags extensively about this issue of color accuracy and full color. Also, a full color gamut makes the displays look really good, as good as an HDTV and encourages people to buy downloaded content, which is a very important revenue source and why Amazon has full color gamut on their tablets.

The problem as Soneira sees it is that Apple is relying too heavily on IGZO and a-Si (amorphous silicon) technologies when it should be using Low Temperature Poly Silicon, or LTPS.
"All of this reliance on IGZO is really bad planning...Right now there is a readily available display technology that has much higher performance than IGZO. It's Low Temperature Poly Silicon LTPS," he said in his research note on Monday.

LTPS technology is used in the second-generation Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, and many Samsung displays. The second-generation Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 both got very high scores from DisplayMate.

Will consumers really notice?
Is this something most consumers will see? I can't answer that question, but I can say that I've been using the iPad Air (whose display was given high marks by DisplayMate) and the iPad Mini Retina side-by-side for the last four days, and until this was brought to my attention I didn't notice, frankly.
After this issue was highlighted by DisplayMate and others, I have noticed more muted colors on the Mini Retina in some photos I've taken (see photo at bottom).
Is it a deal breaker? No.

That said, I'm not a professional who relies on a 100 percent color gamut. So, you have to ask the question, is Apple marketing the iPad Mini Retina to professionals? I would have to say yes, so that could potentially be a problem. (The iPad Air, however, is a more likely choice for professionals.)

And I do agree with Soneira that Apple may have an over-reliance on IGZO and a-Si technologies, which appear to be some of the least expensive options for a Retina display but not necessarily the best option.

The Mini Retina's "IGZO is still not ready for prime time," Soneira said.
That may also help explain Apple's low-key rollout of the newest Mini.
Apple may not be getting the kind of production volume at the quality it expected from IGZO displays. Let's hope that Apple is working with its partners to make improvements for future products.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

iPad Mini Retina (top) and iPad Air. Differences to me were subtle not stark.

(Credit: Brooke Crothers)

Motorola Moto G review

The release of a budget-priced phone rarely sets techy hearts a-flutter. But the first new phone from Google-owned Motorola sets a very high bar for a very low price, and sees a clear bid for world domination. 

There's been a bit of a flurry around the lower end of the smartphone market recently, with devices like LG's Optimus L5 II and Acer Liquid Z3 packing in increasingly high specs without urging you to break the bank, but the Moto G might just be the best yet.

Design
It's a little on the chunky side as you might expect, at a sliver under 12mm thick but while it looks unremarkable, it feels sturdy and well built. Dominating the glossy shell (ours was black, but you can get replaceable backs in six different colours), the 4.5-inch screen offers a resolution of 1,280x720 pixels (329ppi -- 3ppi higher than you get with the iPhone 5S). That might not be up there with the full HD high-enders, but its standard 720p HD resolution still looks terrific -- bright, vibrant and sharp.

Android and processor
It's running a raw version of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (with a promised upgrade to 4.4 KitKat in January), which is fully up to date and the fact that it doesn't have any additions may go some way to explain its pace. Motorola hasn't stinted on the power, and this feels like a very fast handset indeed, whipping through apps at a pace worthy of some of the fastest devices we've tried, which will normally set you back £500+. Our AnTuTu benchmark test clocked it at 17,222, which puts it in the same region as the famously nippy Google Nexus 4.
The quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor backed by 1GB RAM is certainly a more powerful beast than we're used to seeing at this price point and it goes a long way towards making this feel like much more of a premium device than the price suggests.

Photography and features
The five-megapixel camera offers includes an LED flash and offers 4x digital zoom, slow motion video, burst mode, auto HDR, panorama and touch focus. That's a pretty good list of features, and fortunately it's backed up by the picture quality, which doesn't disappoint. Of course it's not up there with the best from Samsung and Sony, but it delivers decent quality snaps that won't embarrass you or your friends (unless you want them to). There's also a 1.3-megapixel model on the front for video calls.

Motorola Moto G test photo

Dave Oliver 

 

There's no 4G network capability, but since it's still early days for that technology, that's no deal breaker. The basic version comes with 8GB memory on board, which isn't a lot, especially since there's no option to add more via microSD card. However, there's also a 16GB version available for an extra £24. You also get two years of 50GB online storage with Google Drive and the battery stood up pretty well too, giving us almost two solid days of steady use.
The Motorola Migrate app makes it easy to switch all your info including messages, music, pics and contacts from your old Android phone to your shiny new Moto G. It's a useful feature but it would have been even better if it could copy your home screen with all your favourite shortcuts and widgets too.

Conclusion
The Moto G is essentially a pretty decent mid-spec phone but it's the budget price that makes it really special. Tech fans will want something a bit more distinctive, but for many (and Motorola is hoping very many), this spec is more than they really need, at a price that's less than they'd expect to pay. It's a copper-bottomed bargain, and sets a very high bar for its rivals.
 

HTC reports first ever loss as Samsung announces profit

Despite producing one of the most popular and highly rated phones of the year, Taiwanese mobile manufacturer HTC has reported its first ever loss in its latest financial results. To rub salt in the wound, its major rival Samsung has announced record profits in the third quarter of this year.
In the three months leading up to September, HTC reports a net loss of NT$2.97bn (£62m). Samsung on the other hand, estimates it profit as 10.1 trillion won (£5.85bn), up from last quarter's 9.5 trillion won (£5.5bn)

Once the dominant player in the Android market, HTC has been slowly falling further and further behind over the last year or so. Its latest flagship device, the HTC One, is widely regarded as one of the best phones of the year, but it has failed to reverse the company's fortunes.

Samsung has also produced some brilliant high-end devices this year, including the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, but its success is likely strongly linked to its bafflingly huge range of mid-range phones. These have been very successful in China, the world's largest smartphone market, where Samsung maintains 17-18 percent market share.

HTC's new CEO, Eric Xu, was installed on 1 October, and while he's obviously got his work cut out for him, he'll have to set about making the most of his tenure quickly. As part of HTC's strategy to keep the company fresh and nimble, the board of directors has decided to rotate the position of CEO among three top executives -- Xu, Guo Ping and Ken Hu -- every six months. It's an interesting and highly unorthodox strategy, and it's far too soon to say whether it will help HTC, which has seen its share price slip 50 percent in 12 months, turn itself around.

HTC is also supposedly in talks with Microsoft, Bloomberg reports, which wants the phone manufacturer to install its Windows Phone operating systems on its Android phones. Microsoft's determination to push Windows, and HTC's need to reclaim its position in the smartphone market could result in a fruitful partnership. HTC has made its own Windows Phone devices in the past though, which didn't prove hugely popular, and the company has exhibited no signs that it will be making more any time soon.