Gionee reveals super-slim Elife S5.5 smartphone at MWC

Top 10 smartphone maker Gionee brought what's claimed to be the world's slimmest smartphone to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, this week. The 5.55 mm thin Elife S5.5 features a Full HD AMOLED display at 441 ppi, is powered by an octa-core processor and has a battery that's reported to last all day with heavy use.
The 145.1 x 70.2 x 5.55 mm (5.7 x 2.76 x 0.22 in), 130 g (4.6 oz) Elife S5.5 has a 5-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution Super AMOLED+ capacitive multitouch LTPS display, runs the company's Amigo 2.0 operating environment (based on Android 4.2), and is powered by an octa-core 1.7 GHz MTK 6592 processor backed up by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of solid state storage.
"The Elife S5.5 is crafted with a distinct metallic frame and Corning Gorillas Glass Uni-Body," says William Lu, President of Gionee. "It uses the world’s thinnest AMOLED Screen, thinnest PCB board with a 0.6 mm and 0.4 mm glass rear cover."
The single-SIM smartphone features a rear-facing 13 megapixel autofocus camera with up to ISO1600 sensitivity, and a 5 MP snapper with a 95 degree ultra-wide-angle lens at the front.
Despite its slim profile, it boasts a non-removable 2300 mAh Li-ion battery, with the promise of an even more capacious 2450 mAh battery available in the next upgrade. Configurations will support 3G and 4G/LTE networks, there's Bluetooth 4.0 and micro-USB 2.0 with support for OTG.
The 3G model is due to be released shortly in 40 countries for around US$370, with the LTE version following in June

Hennessey Venom GT hits 270.49 mph, busts Bugatti Veyron's speed record

The Bugatti Veyron SuperSport caught the world’s attention in 2010 when it set the record for the world's fastest production car, but that crown may now have to be passed on. Hennessey Performance announced on Monday that its Venom GT hit 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h) at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, settting a new world speed record for a 2-seat sports car. Driven by former Michelin tire test engineer, race driver, and Director of Miller Motorsport Brian Smith, the time for the Venom GT was independently verified, but has yet to be officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The blistering run took place on February 14 at the 3.2-mile Space Shuttle landing runway at the Kennedy Space Center with special permission from NASA. Taking place on a straight run rather than on an oval or a varied test track like the Nurburgring, this was a demonstration of flat-out acceleration from a dead launch, while still leaving enough braking space at the end of the run to keep it from ending in a very expensive crash.

“It was still pulling,” says Smith. “If we could run on an 8-mile oval we could go faster than that. On the very top end there was a little wandering but, hey, we’re going 270 mph! The Venom GT didn't require any big corrections, and the Michelins held traction really well.”

Verification of the Venom GT’s speed was by GPS data-acquisition systems manufacturer Racelogic. “The Venom GT attained a maximum speed of 270.49 mph as measured by our VBOX 3i GPS system,” said Racelogic engineer Joe Lachovsky.

The speed record is already steeped in controversy after challenges to the Veyron’s 2013 claim surrounding adjustments to the hypercar’s limiter. But after review Guinness allowed the record to stand.

The previous record of 267.8 mph (431.072 km/h) was set by Pierre Henri Raphanel in the 1,183-hp (870-kW) Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport in July 2010.

However, despite this month’s result, Hennessy cannot officially claim the fastest production car record because that requires making two runs in opposite directions on the same day. John Hennessey explained in an interview with Top Gear that this wasn't possible because NASA wouldn't allow it.

Based on the Lotus Elise/Exige, with which it shares a number of components, the 2,743 lb (1,244 kg), mid-engine, rear-wheel drive Venom GT is not what most people would call elegant, with its carbon fiber and composite/aluminum hybrid monocoque-space frame, massive brake-cooling vents, oversized, yet cramped two-seater cab followed by a rear that looks like someone gave it a swift kick in the pants. That being said, the Venom GT is built for the track, not garden parties, and all the flaring wings and road-gobbling grilles come together in a frighteningly attractive Koenigsegg sort of way.

Inside the Venom GT is a 90-degree, seven-liter V8 engine with twin precision ball bearing turbochargers, an iron block with aluminum heads, electronic sequential multi-port fuel injection pumping a terrifying 1,244 bhp (914 kW) and 1155 lb-ft (1565 Nm) of torque feeding into a Ricardo six-speed manual gearbox.

On the track, this translates into 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds, so you'd know what it feels like to leave your eyeballs behind. The Venom GT already holds the Guinness World Record of 0 to 300 km/h in 13.63 seconds and the Hypercar World Record for 0 to 200 mph in 14.51 seconds. Beyond its verified speed of 270.49 mph, Hennessy claims that the Venom GT can do 278 mph (447 km/h) flat out..

"“I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid," says company founder and president John Hennessey. "Neil Armstrong was my childhood hero. Even though the astronaut thing didn't work out for me, I am humbled to have had the opportunity to set our speed record on the hallowed grounds of the American space program. Building and validating our Venom GT as the world’s fastest has been a long journey and a lot of hard work. But as President Kennedy once so eloquently said, ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.’ As a result we have built a better car and a better team at Hennessey Performance (HPE)."

If you’re interested in buying a Venom GT, be prepared for a little cry because the record-breaking version sells for US$1 million.

Tesla's Gigafactory to significantly reduce Li-ion battery production costs by 2020

As Tesla’s Supercharger network expands and Model S sales continue to grow, so too does the company’s need to find a more economical battery solution. A proposed technology amalgamation in the form of the Gigafactory could theoretically reduce per kWh and lithium-ion costs by over 30 percent by 2020.

Pitched as a "forward looking project," Tesla’s proposed Gigafactory will, if successful, produce the same number of lithium-ion batteries by the year 2020 as the entire world’s output in 2013. According to Tesla, by working with various technology and battery partners on this large scale project, the company could significantly reduce production costs by achieving optimal economies of scale.

The basic business concept behind the Gigafactory is to reduce overall costs associated with logistical waste by having manufacturing and similar processes all located in the same place.

Projected figures from Tesla show the gigantic factory producing 500,000 units per year by 2020, with expected battery cell output of 35 GWh/yr and battery pack output figures of 50 GWh/yr. Current global battery output, from a variety of manufacturers, sits at just under 35 GWh/yr.

Tesla reports that by the end of its first full production year, the Gigafactory could reduce the cost per kWh of a battery pack by around a third.

Though the project is still hypothetical, Tesla is already looking for real estate to house the Gigafactory in one of four southern US states. Space requirements for the factory, and its supplemental wind and solar stations, are reported to be between 500 - 1000 acres (up to 400 hectares). Total space requirement for the factory itself is projected to be 10 million square feet (929,000 sq m), housing up to 6,500 employees.

Hackers plot Brazil World Cup 2014 cyber attacks

Hackers are planning to launch cyber attacks to disrupt the 2014 World Cup, with one cyber security expert telling Reuters: “It's not a question of whether the cup will be targeted but when.”

GettyImagesThe eyes of the world will be on Brazil this summer.

Brazil has already endured significant problems in the build-up to this summer’s tournament, with the public launching large-scale protests over the exorbitant cost of hosting.

Reuters reports that online activists are now planning to launch attacks ranging from jamming websites to data theft.

Brazil has significant problems with internet crime but, despite concerns over a lack of investment in online security, the head of the cyber command for the nation’s army, General Jose Carlos dos Santos, is remaining cautiously optimistic.

It appears supporters are not the intended targets, with one activist telling Reuters: “The attacks will be directed against official websites and those of companies sponsoring the cup.”“It would be reckless for any nation to say it's 100 percent prepared for a threat, but Brazil is prepared to respond to the most likely cyber threats,” he said.

However, Terra reported earlier this month that hackers are looking to steal data and spread viruses by sending out emails claiming supporters have the opportunity to win tickets.

Nelson Barbosa, of computer security corporation Symantec, said: “Threats relating to the World Cup can affect people all around the world. This has been carried out in South Africa, Russia and other European countries.”

With hackers viewing the World Cup as an opportunity to attract the attention of a global audience, William Beer, a cyber security expert with consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal, said online attacks were inevitable.

“It's not a question of whether the cup will be targeted but when, so resilience and response become extremely important,” he said.

Nokia X hands on: An ugly but surprisingly functional $120 smartphone

Beneath the synthetic bows of Nokia’s Mobile World Congress tree, listening to (admittedly rather nice) recorded birdsong, I played with the new Nokia X. Unfortunately, the soothing surroundings were not enough to lull me into enough of a soporific stupor that I’d actually enjoy using Nokia’s first Android-powered phone — but still, points to Nokia for trying.

Despite looking like a Lumia phone, the Nokia X (full tech specs here) doesn’t have the Lumia’s soft finish or rounded edges; it’s a lurid colored brick. To call the interface ugly is an understatement. There are Android launchers that ape Windows Phone’s Metro interface better than the Nokia X’s custom UI. To be fair, Nokia probably wasn’t trying to copy Windows Phone exactly — a rather hefty legal suit might ensue if Microsoft’s acquisition fell through — rather, the interface is reminiscent of older Nokia phones, such as the N9 and newer Asha line. The clock, for example, feels like it was taken straight from the N9 — Fastlane, which is kind of a notification-tray-cum-app-switcher, is borrowed from Asha.

I don’t know if it’s the device’s low-res screen (800×480 on a 4-inch screen), or the lack of sub-pixel antialiasing, but reading text on the Nokia X is reminiscent of first-gen Android devices (i.e. not pleasant). Nokia also plans to release an XL variant with a 5-inch screen at the same resolution; I can only imagine that that will look like. The rear camera, at 3 megapixels, is about as good as you’d expect.

PC Mag has some Nokia X benchmarks, if you’re interested

It’s not all bad, though. The stock apps (which are completely devoid of anything Googley) are fine. The stock keyboard allows for gesture-based typing. There’s no Google Play app store — but if the app you’re looking for can’t be found in the Nokia Store, you’re prompted to search some third-party app stores that might have the app you want. The interface, and switching between apps, is actually quite snappy, despite the phone’s low specification (it’s still a dual-core Snapdragon at 1GHz, after all). At the Opera booth, as I poked around their version of Opera for the Nokia X, I was impressed by how smooth the interface was (even if the text makes my eyes bleed).

All in all, the Nokia X is probably a lot better than most other $100 phones out there. It appears to be well-built, has a removable battery, a micro SD card slot, and despite the UI looking rather odd, it actually works quite well. Of course it pales in comparison to the latest US-centric superphones, but the Nokia X will probably never come to the US. I suspect the Nokia X will do just fine in developing markets, where $50-100 phones and installing Android apps from third-party app stores is the norm.

Blackphone: ‘Our smartphone won’t make you NSA-proof, but it’s a good start’

We have a bit of a problem with the press saying that the Blackphone will make you NSA-proof,” Phil Zimmerman, one of the Blackphone’s creators, tells me at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “If someone [at the Blackphone booth] tells you that it’ll protect you from the NSA, I’ll fire them.”

As we covered earlier on ExtremeTech, the Blackphone is essentially a mid-to-high-end Android smartphone (a customized build called PrivatOS) that comes with a bunch of privacy- and security-oriented apps. As far as cryptography goes, the Blackphone’s implementation of Silent Circle’s secure communication apps is pretty darn good. The Blackphone also offers an encrypted filesystem. The per-app granular permissions system is neat (but buggy in its current implementation, as many apps revolt when they find out that they’ve had their permissions revoked without being informed of the fact). There’s no Google Play store pre-installed, but a guy at the booth told me you could install it (though I don’t know how Google would feel about that). Priced at $630, it’s a pretty good deal, if you want a readymade device that is more secure out of the box than the latest iPhone orGalaxy S5.

Blackphone’s granular permissions system. We weren’t allowed to touch the prototype devices.

What the Blackphone isn’t, however, is a completely secure communications device. Phil Zimmerman, creator of PGP, co-founder of Silent Circle, and one of the Blackphone’s creators, knows this. The guys at Geeksphone (the hardware makers of the Blackphone) know this. I know this. You know this. Most of the press and the majority of the general public, however, appear to think otherwise. Now, to be fair,Blackphone’s creepy, scare-mongering websitewas partially to blame for this (the site has now been significantly updated) — but it’s also down to the fact that most people just don’t understand how cryptography and mobile telephony works. We have been conditioned to think that good cryptography is some kind of universal security panacea — but the complete story is much more complex than that.

Basically, the Blackphone provides a good level of encryption between you and the target of your communication (VoIP). It does not provide any protection over the standard GSM/WCDMA radio. It also doesn’t provide any hardware-level security, except for the encrypted filesystem. Assuming the encryption doesn’t have some kind of backdoor, and that Zimmerman’s clever crypto scheme isn’t flawed, the Blackphone probably stops the NSA (and other intelligence agencies) from scanning the contents of your data packets. If you really believe that the NSA is interested in the minutiae of your everyday life, then by all means use the Blackphone.

The problem is, the Blackphone only protects your communications at the highest level — in software, running at a very high level on your Android-based smartphone. The Blackphone does not protect you against vulnerabilities in the Android subsystem, in the application processor (SoC), or in the baseband itself. As we’ve covered before, your phone’s baseband — the device that handles negotiation with cell towers and other messy stuff — is essentially a black box, with its own CPU and operating system. The baseband has complete, low-level access to your microphone — access that the Blackphone cannot mitigate against. If the NSA really wants to tap your phone, that is probably the attack vector that it would use.

“If Barack Obama decides that” — Zimmerman reaches out for my press pass and takes a long look at it — “Sebastian Anthony is a threat, the Blackphone won’t help you.” I stop for a moment and seriously consider whether that unpaid North Carolina parking ticket constitutes an act of terrorism. Probably not. “If the NSA wants to hack you, they’ll use a zero-day vulnerability,” which, as he points out, by definition, is basically impossible for the Blackphone (or indeed any device) to protect you from. Zimmerman says that the first question he asked, during the development process, was whether the baseband could be secured. The answer is not yet — but if the Blackphone is a commercial success, it gets us one step closer. ”The Blackphone is just the beginning of the conversation.”

To make a truly secure phone, we’d need to build a device that is completely open from the ground up. There are some ongoing efforts in open-source basebands, and the emergence of software defined networking could help as well. This ignores the question of whether carriers would even let such a device onto their networks, though. The concept of a truly secure mobile communications device is certainly something we should continue to discuss, but we should be under no illusions that such a device will ever come to market.

A galaxy of Gears: Why is Samsung releasing three non-Android smartwatches?

Earlier this week, at Mobile WorldCongress, Samsung unveiled three new smartwatches: the Gear 2, the Gear 2 Neo, and the Gear Fit. Building off of last year’s Galaxy Gear, these devices are fundamentally designed to cover as many use cases as possible. Samsung is obviously angling to gain an early lead in the smartwatch market by ditching Android, but can it really compete against the likes of Google and Apple?

Gear 2

The Gear 2 effectively serves as Samsung’s flagship smartwatch. As the name implies, this is the direct successor to the original Galaxy Gear. Of course, this model has dropped Android in favor of Tizen, and the “Galaxy” moniker is gone as well.

With a redesigned 720p camera, a built-inheart rate sensor, a 1GHz CPU, and a replaceable strap, this is clearly the deluxe model. We don’t know the price quite yet, but the current Galaxy Gear is retailing between $250 and $300, so expect something in that ballpark. This is clearly aimed at the high-end market, and will likely serve as the benchmark against which other smartwatches are judged.

Gear 2 Neo

For the most part, the Gear 2 Neo looks just like the Gear 2, so why does it exist in the first place? Largely, the Neo is a reduced price model: it’s lighter, it lacks a camera, and it will certainly launch at a lower price point come April.

If Samsung can drop the price down below the $200 line, it could potentially reach a much larger audience. In addition, some industries and public venues frown on wearable tech likeGoogle Glass. The fact that the Gear 2 Neo doesn’t ship with a camera actually defangs some of the worries regarding stealth video recording.

Gear Fit

As if we didn’t already have enough fitness gadgets, Samsung’s third smartwatch is all about exercise. It eschews Tizen and Android in favor of Samsung’s own real-time OS, and features a much slimmer form factor. It doesn’t have a camera or a mic, but it does sport a heart rate sensor, gyroscope, and accelerometer for fitness tracking. It connects with your other devices over Bluetooth 4.0, and can display notifications, but it’s strictly designed to aid your workout.

Because it’s smaller and more focused, it’ll probably end up being the cheapest of the three. Other products, like the Nike+ FuelBand and Fitbit Flex, are in the $100 to $150 range. It’s safe to assume that Samsung will be targeting roughly the same price to remain competitive.

Which watch?

Each model here has its own purpose, but are they distinct enough from each other to really make a difference on Samsung’s bottom line? Will a $200 smartwatch sell substantially more than a $250 smartwatch? Frankly, it’s too early to tell. This market is unproven, Apple’s oft-rumored iWatch is still a huge variable, and the Galaxy Gear wasn’t a great product by any stretch. If Apple sees fit to launch its device this year, it could completely change how consumers perceive wearable computers, but until then thePebble is still the best product on the market.

With big players like Apple and Google working in the field of wearable tech, Samsung will be in for some stiff competition. Wearable computers are clearly gathering steam, and everyone wants the stake a claim in this burgeoning industry. If we see a full-scale rollout of Google Glass and Apple’s iWatch in 2014, it’s difficult to tell just how well Samsung could actually compete. We’re definitely in for another major shake-up in the coming months and years.

Windows Phone to be fastest growing mobile OS.

Windows Phone could be the only major mobile OS to see a gain in market share in the next few years.

Released Wednesday, IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker forecasts a rise in Windows Phone's global market share from 3.9 percent this year to 7 percent in 2018. That may not seem like a huge leap, but such growth will outshine the declines predicted for the other major mobile platforms.

Still dominating the smartphone landscape, Android's global market share will drop from 78.9 percent in 2014 to 76 percent in 2018, according to IDC. Apple's IOS will maintain second place, though its share is forecast to inch down from 14.9 percent this year to 14.4 in 2018.

Hanging onto fourth place will be BlackBerry with a market share expected to tumble from 1 percent this year to just 0.3 percent in another four years.

(Credit: IDC)

Windows Phone will gain from Nokia's ongoing support as well as that from a lineup of other vendors, IDC said. At this week's Mobile World Congress, Microsoft announced a number of new Windows Phone partners, including LG, Lenovo, and Foxconn. The next update to Windows Phone will also carry fewer restrictions for device makers, paving the way for more price-conscious products aimed at emerging markets.

But IDC expects the overall smartphone market to become more saturated over the next few years. Growth in worldwide smartphone shipments could drop from 39.2 percent last year to 19.3 percent this year, 8.3 percent in 2017, and 6.2 percent in 2018.

"In North America we see more than 200 million smartphones in active use, not to mention the number of feature phones still being used," IDC program director Ryan Reit said in a statement. "2014 will be an enormous transition year for the smartphone market. Not only will growth decline more than ever before, but the driving forces behind smartphone adoption are changing. New markets for growth bring different rules to play by and 'premium' will not be a major factor in the regions driving overall market growth."

Blackberry unveils new Q20 phone

BlackBerry is no longer focusing on beating the iPhone and Android, but that doesn't mean it's giving up on smartphones entirely.

 

The ailing firm unveiled its new Q20 smartphone on Tuesday, a device that tries to marry two separate mobile technology worlds. It comes with a physical keyboard, an old-school trackpad, and menu, send, back and end buttons. But it also has an iPhone 4-like 3.5-inch touchscreen.

The Q20 will likely appeal to longtime BlackBerry users who have resisted transitioning to touchscreen-only phones. But drawing new customers is another matter.

"The Q20 is a good way to shore up the base, which is important, but what it doesn't do is provide a compelling reason for new people to switch from Android or iPhone to BlackBerry," said David Braun, CEO of strategic consulting firm Capstone.

The Q20 will be available "in the second half of 2014," BlackBerry said. Pricing details have yet to be announced.

The news comes as BlackBerry attempts to reverse its years-long decline with a new collection of devices, a renewed focus on business customers and a push in software and services that can run on phones made by its competitors.

The task won't be easy. BlackBerry's recent financial results have been awful, with the company posting a whopping $4.4 billion loss for the quarter that ended in November.

Leading the transition effort is new CEO John Chen, who turned around the once-struggling software maker Sybase and sold it to SAP (SAP) in 2010.

"We have engineered a new strategy to stabilize the company and restore our customers' confidence in BlackBerry," Chen said in a statement Tuesday.