The Samsung Galaxy S5 is hot news these past couple of months – never mind that it’s not official. We’ve heard reports, whispers and even outright shouts about the upcoming flagship device and now, based on those, a Dutch website has created a render of the device, which we happen to find really hot.

The render is based on leaked information concerning the hardware but also the software of the device. It features an aluminum body, transparent TouchWiz on top of Android, the now familiar faux leather on the back and more. Read more »

The latest report from tech analyst firm Gartner for the Chinese market has predicted that some 443.5 million mobile phones will be sold in 2014, with 400 million of them being smartphones.

That equates to a 90% smartphone penetration rate, which could even go as high as 95%. With over 1 billion mobile phone users, China is quickly living up to its name as one of the premier developing mobile markets. It will continue to get more attention from smartphone manufacturers as penetration of smart devices continues to rise. Read more »

Live photos of the Wi-Fi only Sony Xperia Z Ultra have surfaced after the device made an appearance in AnTuTu benchmark listings and the FCC. Carrying the model number SGP412, the Xperia Z Ultra Wi-Fi has also got its manual leaked, which confirms its identity.

The exterior of the Wi-Fi only version of the phone remains unchanged. It still sports an all-around glass design and looks exactly as beautiful as its LTE-enabled counterpart. Read more »

The latest iteration of the popular Asphalt racing series for mobile devices is now available for free on Windows Phone 8 devices.

The game usually retails for $0.99, so be sure to grab it quickly before the offer runs out. Read more »

According to the latest reports the next iteration of the popular Google Nexus tablet will feature an Intel processor, when it debuts in the second quarter this year. The information comes from the famous DigiTimes insider sources, which aren’t the most reliable around but have come up with the occasional gem.

The slowing demand for the second-generation Nexus tablet and the stiff competition has made the search engine giant to turn its focus on the next edition of the slate. Read more »

Samsung made the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite 7.0 slate official last week with Poland being the first to have the tablet on sale. Now, Russia is joining in on the fun and there the tablet is up for pre-order.

The Wi-Fi version of the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite 7.0 sales for RUB6,990 (approximately $205), while the 3G model comes at RUB9,900 ($295). The latter is $20 more expensive than what the slate costs in Poland, but Russia has always been notorious for having the tech a bit more pricey than other places in Europe. Read more »

In a recently posted story on Microsoft’s site, the designer of the Xbox One, Carl Ledbetter, revealed that it took 75 prototypes before Microsoft settled on the current console’s design.

75 3D-printed models were made of the system, 100 just for the kinect camera, and over 200 for the Xbox’s controller. It just goes to show how much thought goes into not only the technical specs of a console, but its aesthetics as well.

Ledbetter says that the goal of designing the latest iteration of Microsoft’s popular console was to blend classic Xbox looks with the idea that the system would be an “always on” multimedia powerhouse. Read more »

Are you obsessed with the performance of your smartphone and won’t be satisfied unless it beats out all others? If you’re looking for more detailed reports on your device’s performance, then you’ll be happy to hear that Rightware has released the latest iteration of their Benchmark OS software: Basemark OS II.

It’s designed to work with pretty much any Android, iOS, or Windows Phone device and it even offers online comparisons, so you can see how your handset stacks up against others.

Teemu Uotila, a Rightware employee had this to say about the latest update: Read more »

Love him or hate him, J.J. Abrams will be directing the newest Star Wars movie, and is now one step closer to making the film, as he’s just announced that the script is complete.

He also revealed and confirmed a few more details regarding the movie. Jesse Plemons, (aka the sociopath, Todd) from the hit show Breaking Bad, will have a prominent role in the film.

There were also rumors that Star Wars 7 wouldn’t be a digital production and that the movie would be recorded on film. It seemed like a fantastical report, but it turns out that the rumors are true. This will come as a surprise to many, considering J.J. Abrams penchant for the digital medium and IMAX presentations of his previous works. Read more »

The VLC player for iOS has been updated to version 2.2 and has gained a new UI with a more iOS 7-friendly look. The new UI adds a few neat tricks such as two-finger tap for video pause and swipe controls for brightness, playback position and volume. A vertical swipe in the right half of the video will adjust the volume, while the same on the left part adjusts screen brightness.

In addition to the fresh look, the latest iteration of VLC player adds support for Dropbox and HTTP live streaming as well as download from Google Drive. Read more »

Korean tech giant LG has supposedly come to terms with Apple to produce the company’s first wearable device.

It’s slated to sport a curved Plastic OLED (P-OLED), the same as the one introduced last year by LG with its G Flex smartphone. Read more »

Sony’s Smart Tennis Sensor is going on sale this May, with Japan being the very first market to experience the new racquet tech. Unveiled at CES 2014, the company’s latest sports gadget is priced at £105 (JPY18,000).

Just like the Babolat Play Pure Drive tennis racquet, the sensor sits on the bottom of the racquet and transmits various information via Bluetooth. Read more »

Samsung has teamed up with popular espresso maker illy in the UK but the partnership doesn’t have coffee machines planned. Instead Samsung and illy will represent their products in each other’s stores, starting on London’s Regent Street.

Samsung VP Yoinghee Lee has revealed to Pocket-Lint that “this partnership is about sharing a communality between two brands.” – hopes are that by the end of this year Samsung devices will be in two illy coffee shops and illy coffee in two Samsung flagship stores in the UK. Read more »

China-based mobile device manufacturer Huawei and Arsenal FC have announced a new global partnership through the 2015/2016 season.

This is the first partnership that the north London football club has had with a Chinese brand, with both Arsenal officials and players set to take part in communication and promotional activities in the UK and abroad. Read more »

As its name suggests, this particular version of the Element Case Sector 5 for iPhone 5s features the increasingly fashionable and lightweight carbon fiber. Designed and manufactured in the United States, the Element Case offering is part of a small club of iPhone accessories, whose design and finish sit on par with those of Apple’s latest smartphone.

Founded in California back in 2007, Element Case is established as one of the premier makers of high-end protective covers for smartphones. This year, the company announced a partnership with the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati which will see a dedicated collection of its cases be sold alongside the legendary bikes. Read more »