Microsoft Extends Its Trade-In Program: $200+ For 

Your “Gently Used” iPhone 4S, 5::

Microsoft wants to take your Apple product off your hands, today expanding its trade-in programs to allow owners of dated iPhone hardware to cash in their now-passé electronics.

If you own an iPhone 4S or 5 that is “gently used” and not much worse, Microsoft will offer you no less than $200 for it. The kicker? The funds come in the form of Microsoft Store credit, so you are trading in your Apple hardware for the chance to buy Microsoft goods.

What does Microsoft want? That you drop that iPhone off with them and wander out with a Surface 2 pre-order or a Lumia Windows Phone handset. Microsoft has cash and wants market share; this is a natural outgrowth of those two facts.

Microsoft also has in place a deal that will grant store credit for iPads. In short, if you have an Apple device that Microsoft competes with – recall that Microsoft doesn’t build PCs that are not tablet-based, through its Surface line – it wants to buy it from you and get you onto its own hardware.

In a way the move is ballsy: Microsoft is betting its own money that you will be content with its wares after a long stint on Apple silicon. And it is paying to make the wager. Precisely what Microsoft intends to do with all its accumulated Apple hardware remains opaque.

Microsoft is in the process of purchasing Nokia’s handset business, and recently announced new Surface hardware that replaces its first-generation attempts at OEM supremacy. Expect more moves like this to support Microsoft’s yet-nascent devices business.

Microsoft Buys Nokia’s Devices and Services Divisions in $7.2 Billion Acquisition::

Microsoft announced on Tuesday that they are buying Nokia’s devices and services divisions. Nokia has been the main maker of Windows Phone 8 devices. The purchase is expected to close the first quarter of 2014 and will net Nokia EUR 5.44 billion (USD $7.2 billion).

In a joint statement from (outgoing) Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, the two executives stated, “Today’s agreement will accelerate the momentum of Nokia’s devices and services, bringing the world’s most innovative smartphones to more people, while continuing to connect the next billion people with Nokia’s mobile phone portfolio.”

“We are excited and honored to be bringing Nokia’s incredible people, technologies and assets into our Microsoft family. Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we anticipate a smooth transition and great execution,” Ballmer said. “With ongoing share growth and the synergies across marketing, branding and advertising, we expect this acquisition to be accretive to our adjusted earnings per share starting in FY15, and we see significant long-term revenue and profit opportunities for our shareholders.”

Microsoft is not taking Nokia over completely. Nokia will still be its own entity, holding a considerable patent portfolio. Microsoft will be granted a 10-year license to Nokia’s patents as part of the deal.

Microsoft is acquiring Nokia’s Smart Devices business unit, which includes the Lumia brand and products.

The operations that are planned to be transferred to Microsoft generated almost 50% of Nokia’s net sales for the full year 2012.

When the deal is complete, it is expected that 32,000 people are expected to transfer to Microsoft. That includes 4,700 employees in Finland, and 18,300 people worldwide that are involved in manufacturing, assembly, and packaging of product.

Flickr Releases Update for iOS App – Now Offers “Live Filters”::

Flickr has updated its iOS app with “Live Filters” that let you see and control what your final photo will look like before you even take it. The filters can also be customized after the photo is taken.

Mashable:

“A lot of Flickr’s new camera features are what you’ve been asking for,” Markus Spiering, head of product at Flickr, said in an official blog post. “Live Filters let you see how your photo looks while you take it. Swiping through live filters, you can choose composition grids, focus lock and exposure points to better set up your shot. Even our preview tiles let you see what your shot looks like live.”

What’s New in Version 2.20.1134

• The Flickr Mobile App has a brand new set of filters! With a new range of dynamic and stunning effects you’ll be able to personalize your photos like never before.
• Live filters! Now you can scroll through and preview the effects of each filter before you snap your shot. Choosing the right one is no longer a guessing game.
• Tired of stock filters? With the Flickr Mobile App you can customize your filters to get the exact effects you’re looking for.
• We’ve also got new camera tools. Perfectly compose your shots with awesome grids, pinch to zoom, and the ability to lock your focus and exposure points.
• Professional editing tools. The editing tools you usually pay for are now free with Flickr. Enhance, crop, sharpen, adjust color, use levels, add vignettes and more.
• Now our camera and editing tools have beautifully animated transitions, giving users the best camera experience yet.

Yahoo has been investing in Flickr in order to bring the Flickr platform back to life. The company did a complete branding overhaul in May, and made recent acquisitions of companies like KitCam and Ghostbird in an effort to reclaim a prominent place in the photo-sharing marketplace.

The Flickr iOS app is available FREE in the App Store. [DIRECT LINK]

Nokia Promises Its Amber Update Will Come To All Windows Phone 8 Lumia Devices By The End Of September::

Today Nokia promised owners of its Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices that its “Amber”update will reach all phones by the end of September. The Amber upgrade is a mix of feature improvements that will improve Nokia’s handsets, further setting them apart from devices built by other smartphone OEMs.

Amber contains a photo-editing tool, improved image processing, the ability to snag motion in sequence with “Action Shot,” the acceptance of double-tap input to wake the phone, and improved internal storage reporting.

However, the most important new piece delivered by Amber is “Glance Screen,” a tool that makes your phone’s inactive state more interesting. When your handset is inactive, it will display a clock and battery information. So, you can more quickly interact with your phone without having to do anything at all. You can turn off Glance, of course, or have it switch off after a set amount of time.

In past years, we would now discuss how Amber puts Nokia ahead of Samsung, HTC, and other Windows Phone OEMs (remember Dell?). We don’t have to do that anymore, as Nokia controlsessentially the entire Windows Phone market. Thus, the changes are not as much changes to Nokia’s Windows Phone handsets as they are adaptations to the Windows Phone platform itself. Given that Nokia sells nearly 90 percent of Windows Phone devices, any changes that it makes become de facto official changes.

This is a problem for Microsoft, as it initially ceded flexibility to make changes to Nokia in partial exchange for it adopting the platform. This saved Microsoft’s mobile life, but in the process cost it control: If Nokia can essentially skin Windows Phone to its own contentment, Microsoft is in a material way not in charge of the Windows Phone user experience and design.

I doubt that sits well in Redmond. Thus, Microsoft either builds a phone itself (there have been rumors), or it bolsters HTC (the only remaining OEM partner with more than a scrape of market share that isn’t Nokia) to get a better grip on its platform.

Whatever the case, if you are a Nokia handset owner, the Amber update will be rolling out depending on your handset and country and likely carrier over the next month. Get ready.

Alleged Photo of iPhone 5Cs Posted by Pegatron Employee::

A photo allegedly showing a large number of iPhone 5Cs being tested was posted to the Weibo account of a quality control employee at Pegatron. The photo has since been removed.

9to5Mac:

The following quote was attached to the image: “The low-end iPhone 5C to be launched for Chinese consumers in September doesn’t look much different than the Xiaomi Phone 2, right?”

Engadget notes that this kind of testing setup has been seen before during factory tours, and the devices do resemble other leaked photos we’ve all seen, so the photo from the most likely former Pegatron employee seems like it could be legit.

The iPhone 5C is expected to be introduced alongside Apple’s new flagship iPhone 5S handset on September 10th.

iPhone 5S and 5C Shown Side-By-Side in Massive New Part Leak::

Yesterday, SonnyDickson.com debunked some silly claims about a black iPhone 5C – and today, they’ve once again added to their long list of iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S part leaks. Their latest post features the most massive collection of leaked parts assembled to date – including the front and rear cameras for both devices!

We’ve leaked iPhone 5C shells. We’ve leaked iPhone 5S shells. And now, direct from our sources within Apple’s supply chain, here they both are side by side, with a heaping helping of additional parts to add to the excitement!

You’re looking at our most extensive iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C part leak yet, with a variety of ribbon cables and components, including the entire intact casings, vibration motor, audio jack, SIM trays, the front and rear cameras, the mounts to attach all of the components to the casing, and more. Nearly everything except the logic board – even the screens! 

Make of it what you will – this is the proverbial jackpot of iPhone hardware leaks. One thing’s for certain. September 10th cannot come fast enough! A sampling of the leaked photos can be found below – head on over to the original post over at SonnyDickson.com for the full scoop! And I thought yesterday’s “Gold iPhone 5S” leaks were exciting!

HOT Watch: A Revolutionary (And Affordable) New Smart Watch for Android and iOS!

Smart watches such as the Pebble, Cookoo, and Metawatch have been around for a while now, and at this point, it’s become abundantly clear that the market for wearable technology is absolutely ripe for innovation. But given the smart watches that are already available, could a new entry into the smart watch market really offer anything new and exciting enough to uproot the current champions?

Smart watches such as the Pebble, Cookoo, and Metawatch have been around for a while now, and at this point, it’s become abundantly clear that the market for wearable technology is absolutely ripe for innovation. But given the smart watches that are already available, could a new entry into the smart watch market really offer anything new and exciting enough to uproot the current champions?

PH Technical Labs thinks so, and they’ve just launched a Kickstarter campaignfor a unique new wearable device called the HOT Watch. But just what makes the HOT Watch so different from the Pebble or the Metawatch? According to the Kickstarter page…a lot. First, the device goes one step further than the Pebble or the Metawatch, offering full dialing call answering and rejecting, and emergency calling abilities. It can even detect when a user falls down, and can automatically dial for an ambulance (which would be very handy for older individuals, or those prone to breaking bones).

From the official press release sent to us by PHTL:

PH Technical Labs unveiled its ground breaking new Smart-watch entitled HOT Watch that, for the first time, allows users to make and receive private phone calls directly from the watch. The user sees the caller’s name/number and simply holds the watch-hand-palm up to his/her ear, speaks into the built-in microphone and listens via simplistic, yet innovative “palm and sound waves” technology (i.e. the receiving voice is amplified by the user’s palm.) HOT Watch is also the first to include an advanced touch screen, gestures and call and message functionality in a stylish, slim package. HOT Watch will debut on the popular crowd-funding site Kickstarter today.

That’s not all the device will offer, however. Aside from calling, HOT Watch also supports sending and reading SMS test messages, and includes apps for a variety of purposes, such as weather, stocks, Twitter, and a pedometer. It even includes an accelerometer, and support for active gestures that detect the movement of your watch in space (by rotating your wrist, raising your hand, etc.)

Perhaps the most exciting feature, however (at least to me), is the “private calling”, which uses a uniquely designed speaker and a technology called Hands On Talk (HOT, reflecting the name of the watch) to reflect call audio off of your palm, allowing you to hear the call by holding your hand to your ear, but keeping it private to those nearby.

The device is also water resistant, sports an e-ink display (like the Pebble), and includes multi-touch input – something which none of the major competing smart watches currently offer. The Kickstarter campaign is hoping to raise $150,000 to fund the development of the watch – and considering that it’s already up to $86,000 at the time of this writing, less than 24 hours after the campaign began, it seems likely that it will reach its goal.

If you want to contribute to the project and reserve a HOT Watch for yourself, you’ll need to pledge at least $109 before the campaign runs out of slots. There are 4 different designs to choose from, depending on how much you pledge. For more information, or to make a pledge, head on over to the official HOT Watch Kickstarter page!