The iPhone has improved the way we communicate. Because of this, Apple continues to make improvements from the 1st generation iPhone we all thought was the coolest thing since arcade video games.

Apple’s first 4G iPhone 6 may be due for release in the Summer of 2012.

What will the next generation of iPhone have? Well, from what we’ve seen Steve Jobs and his team at Apple continue to give us personal and innovative products. Living up to their ad campaign in 2009, “There’s an app for that,” the iPhone continues to make accommodations for the user and service providers alike.

This version of the iPhone could have new features that add to its allure. For starters, it may have 4G technology and perhaps the introduction of the iOS 6,which will make it faster than the earlier iPhone’s. It has been rumored to include a 1GHz chip and dual process capabilities that will enable it to operate better and quicker.

Internal storage capacity will be much improved with either 64GB and 128GB believed to be one of the attractions of this new phone. A Near Field Communication (NFC) chip will be added to permit communication by the iPhone and other devices with similar NFC technology. It may include a 10 mega-pixel camera that helps improve the quality of the photos you take. In addition, the iPhone 6 could act as a projector which enables you to view movies and pictures from within a reasonable distance.

Physical changes in design that may be included are its lightweight feature, the use of a Graphene touch screen, and its reduced thickness. Some have speculated that it will be wider than the traditional iPhone.

Using plastic made from natural sources, Graphene could be used for the casing and the touch screen, and these features can make the iPhone an exceedingly environmental friendly mobile device. This may also improve the battery life. Other possibilities could include the introduction of solar batteries.

There are features that could improve the iPhone experience such as the use of bio-metrics to aid in the security of the iPhone, Apple may present us with facial or thumb recognition. Another possibility is the use of virtual buttons, replacing the current buttons on the iPhone.

Sony PlayStation Network to resume operation this week

Sony Corporation yesterday revealed that it’s playStation Network (PSN) will be back this week. It also said the company will be giving compensation to its users for not being able to log on to the network.

The Sony PlayStation Network — which is a place for PlayStation gamers to play games with people from all over the world and download movies and games via the internet– was shut down on April 20. This was because the network had been compromised by hackers who stole personal and financial information of the 77 million plus users of the PlayStation Network.

Official from Sony did not make the security breach public until April 22.

On Sunday, Sony organized a rare Sunday news conference offering apology for the security breach. Officials said investigations into the incident was still ongoing.

Sony executive vice president, Kasuo Hirai, condemned the attack calling it “criminal and illegal.” He said the attack against the PSN not only negatively affected Sony but also the entire industry. He said the company takes the security of their consumer’s data very seriously.

Sony officials also announced they will resume online gameplay on the network this week. This will be for both PlayStation 3 and PSP users. The Network will also restore PlayStation Home, friend’s list and the ability to chat this week.

The company also revealed that users will be forced to change their passwords when they try to log on to the PlayStation Network once it is restored. Users will need the PlayStation 3 which they used to activate their accounts or the email with which they created the accounts to change their passwords.

The company also warned users not to give out personal information in emails claiming to be coming from the Sony.
The company also proposed compensation for users of the network. Officials announced Sony will offer free 30 days membership of PlayStation Plus to its PlayStation Network users. Those already subscribed to the Playstation Plus service will get an extra 30 days free membership.

Sony S1 and S2 tablet launch and release date

Sony Corporation has announced two touchscreen tablets based on Google’s Adroid OS and having a release date in the fall of this year. This is viewed as an attempt by Sony to compete with the iPad from Apple.

Sony calles the tablets S1 and S2. The unveiling took place Tuesday at a media lanch in Japan. According to Reuters, Sony plans to use its success in the game console industry to boost sales of the S1 and S2 tablets.

The Sony S1 tablet comes with a 9.4 inch screen and wedge-like design. It comes with a Tegra 2 processor and uses both Wi-Fi and 3G/4G cellular data. The S1 will also spot an infra red (IR) port. This will enable the device fro AV controls with Sony’s range of Bravia televisions and also support for the Digital Living Network Alliance standards.

The Sony S2 will come with two 5.5 inch screens which fold onto each other when not in use. It will have an oval shape when folded. Not much detail of the S2 was revealed by Sony.

Both the S1 and S2 tablets will be compatible with some Sony PlayStation games. A sony executive said both Sony tablets will operate the Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS which is designed specifically for tablets.

The Japanese company however declined to give further details and specifications about the two tablets, stating that design and specifications could change at any time.

The wedge-like design of the S1 and the folding screens of the S2 are seen as an attempt by Sony to distant itself from the likes of Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Sony earlier this year announced at CES it intended to become the No.2 seller of tablets within a year. This is despite the fact the company has not released a single tablet yet.

Sony also announced the next version of PlayStation portable which it will call NGP. This is seen also as an attempt to halt Apples incursions into the portable gaming market with its iOS based devices.

Sony also announced the production of “The PlayStation Suite.” This will be a partnership with Google and the various Android tablet and handset makers to develop and Android-compatible content platform for new and classic PlayStation games on Android OS mobile devices.

Sony has got its work cut out in their attempt to compete with Apple’s iPad. Apple is expected to dominate the tablet market through to 2015 with the company projected to sell some 40 million units of the iPad in 2011.

The release of the Sony S1 and S2 tablets will be the first step for the Japanese company.

Sony S1 and S2 Android 3.0 tablets photos/pictures

Sony S1 tablet front/side view

Sony S1 tablet back view

Sony S2 tablet closed view

Sony S2 tablet shown in hand

Dow Jones reports that Research In Motion (RIM) is in talks with Hulu to secure paid access to Hulu’s contents for users of the PlayBook tablet. Earlier this week, the online videos site blocked access to the site’s contents for PlayBook users. This was part of Hulu’s strategy to only allow access to its contents by tablet devices through its Hulu Plus service.

The Hulu Plus service is a paid subscription service that costs $7.99 per month.

A representative from RIM confirmed that the company was in talks with Hulu to make the paid subscription service available to PlayBook users.

The Hulu Plus service id currently available on Apple’s iPad and iPhone through Hulu apps. The RIM PlayBook however does not have an app for hulu. They have opted to go with a mobile Web browser integrated with flash to play videos.

Apple Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Samsung for violating its patents and copying the look of Apple’ iPhone and iPad for the design of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and Galaxy Tab. This was revealed in a report by the Wall Street Journal.

According to the suit, Samsung has infringed on patents of Apple with regards to the Samsung Galaxy phones and tablet operates as well as copying the color and rectangular shape of the iPhone and iPad.

The news has led to a some technology blogs suggesting Apple is declaring war on Google’s Android devices. The Galaxy phones and tablets run Google’s Android OS. This is a strange suit as Samsung manufactures chips for Apple devices.

According to an Apple Spokesman, Steve Dowling, the new latest devices from Samsung looked very much like the iPhone and iPad. He said the new Samsung devices had their shape, user interface and also the packaging appearing very similar to the Apple devices. He is calling this remarkable look alike as no coincidence. He said it was a cear case of copying Apple’s ideas and must be stopped.

This Apple lawsuit comes after Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit against HTC that claimed HTC infringed on 20 pattents on the iPhones user interface, architecture and the look of the hardware. A lot of HTC’s products operate the Android OS as well.

During last month’s launch of the iPad 2, Steve Jobs called out Samsung as one of the tablet manufacturers competing to make thi year the “year of the copycats.”

The suit is accusing Samsung of violating seven patents related to the iPhone and iPad. Apple claims Samsung copied the user interface of the iPhone and iPad including how the devices react to user gestures like zooming, pinching and scrolling. Samsung is also accused of copying the flat black design of the face of the iPhone and iPad.

The suit also says Samsung copied the shape of the iPhone and iPad incuding the rectangular shape and rounded corners of the Apple devices. Apple is also claiming Samsung copied certain icons used on the iPhone and iPad that are trademarked icons. Apple is also acusing Samsung of Copying its packaging.

The lawsuit seeks to put a stop to any future usage of its patents and trademarks. It also seeks to get cash compensation from Samsung for infringing on Apple’s interlectual property rights.

Apple is not the only one seeking to take on Google’s Android. Both Apple and  Microsoft have also filled lawsuits against Motorola over patent infringements.

I personally thought we had seen the last of the popular VW Beetle rolled out of the production line a while ago. But VW just launched a new Beetle that is a redesign of the 1998 model.

The new design gets rid of the dome-shaped roof and the dashboard-mounted vase that was a feature of the 1998 Beetle.

The new VW bug is reportedly designed to appeal to the male population. The new Beetle has a more racier look and the Volkswagen says this is the closest the Beetle has come to looking like a sports car.

The new design is lower, wider and a bit longer than the old model. The design appears more like a coupe and will be the first Beetle to spot a turbocharged engine.

This will only be the third redesign of the VW Beetle since it was first launched in 1938 on orders of Adolf Hitler. The 60 years since then has seen more than 22 million units of the famous car rolled off the production lines in factories across the world. It is one of the best-selling cars of all time and only the VW Golf and Toyota Marques have out-performed it in this regard.

The Beetle was first redesigned in 1998. The latest, third edition, VW Beetle is reportedly intended to help VW sell more of the bugs in the American market. The New Beetle was launched yesterday at the Shanghai motor show and will start selling in Europe in autumn this year.

Mark Zuckerberg vs Winklevoss twins

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss’s attempt to stop a $56 million settlement with Facebook has been turned down in Court.
The Winklevoss twins claim that their $65 million cash and stocks settlement with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook was insufficient as Facebook hid the true value of their stock from them. Their claim is that Facebook never showed them an internal valuation that claimed the company was worth much more than they were told and therefore wanted more shares.
But a judge from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court, Alex Kozinski, dismissed the claim stating that, the Winkevoss’s had enough knowledge and resources available to them at the time of making the settlement deal with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook to make their own fair valuation of the firm.
The judge said there was a point when litigation should come to stop and that the time was now.
The Winklevoss twins’ lawyer said his clients will seek a rehearing before a larger 9th Circuit panel of judges. And if that hearing fails to overturn the decision, which the odds favor, they will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court as a last result.
In a related issue, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook are also facing a lawsuit by a man who claims he owns half of Facebook. Paul Ceglia sued Zuckerberg in July last year after claiming hat signed a contract with Mark Zuckerberg that gave him 50% of the social networking site.
He claims the contract was for work done with Zuckerberg on “StreetFax” and “the face book.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s lawyers said the although the “StreetFax” part was true, any mention of “the face book” was a fabrication. They cited that Paul Ceglia has already been convicted for fraud. That seemed to end the case.
Ceglia however, filed a fresh suit with citing new evidence which if true could be very damning for the social networking site. Ceglia has made available a series of emails he claims were communications between him and Mark Zuckerberg in 2003 and 2004 whiles they were working on “the face book’ project.
The email messages talked about a $1,000 funding, with payment proof, and also there were discussions about the Winklevoss twins and how Mark Zuckerberg is delaying their simillar project. The emails aslo mentioned delays of “the face book” project.
In an interview with The Business Insider, representatives from Facebook dismissed the emails, calling them fake. Lawyers for Ceglia though said they went through weeks of checking the authenticity of the emails and contract and conclude that they were genuine.
What do you think of all these claims? Let us know by commenting below.

Sources: reuters.com and businessinsider.com

Broadband servcie provider, Level 3 Communications Inc. (LVLT), announced today it will acquire Global Crossing Ltd. (GLBC) in a deal worth some $1.9 billion.
The deal will be based solely on stocks transactions. The acquisition is aimed at expanding Level 3′s network over three continents and help the company reduce expenses. The deal was announced by both companies earlier today.
The deal is valued at $23.04 a share which is the closing price of Level 3′s shares on April 8. This is 56% more than the clsoing price of Global Crossing stocks on the same day. The merged company will be headed by Level 3 CEO, Jim Crowe.
Both companies are unprofitable with a combined 2010 revenue of $6.26 billion. The deal is expected to reduce annaul capital spending by some $40 million. This was made known in the statement released on Monday. The deal is also expected to help lower pressure on stock prices, which have been in decline and has lost about 30% of its value per year.
Level 3 stocks increased by 13 cents (9%) to $1.57 per share by 12:40 p.m. EST on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Level 3 stocks had already risen over 46% this year. The stocks of Global Crossing rose to $23.10, an increase of $8.30 (56%).
The deal will enable Level 3 to have access to Global Crossing’s fiber optic lines across the Pacific Ocean and those in Latin America. It will also increase Level 3′s American and European capacities.
Level 3 CEO, Jim Crowe said though most mergers are aimed at combining revenue and decreasing expenditure, the merger of Level 3 and Global Crossing is aimed at creating “something new.”
Level 3 has failled to turn a profit since 1998 and lost $622 million last year. Global Crossing has also failed to make an annual profit since 2003, when it came out of bankruptcy, and lost $172 million last year.
According to both companies, the deal today will be valued at $3 billion. This includes $1.1 billion in debts that will be assumed by the merged company.
It was also revealed that the biggest shareholders of the combined entity will be Singapore Technologies Telemedia. They own 60% of the stocks of Global Crossing.
The deal is expected to be completed this year, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.

Texas Instruments Inc. announced it will acquire National Semiconductors for $6.5 billion.

The Texas-based Texas Instruments is looking to use the acquisition to expand its semiconductor chip business. Both TI and National Semiconductors manufacture chips for a range of consumer electronics, such as mobile phones and tables, and for some industrial machinery. However the two companies also have a wide range of products that do not overlap, according to experts.

According to an analyst at Cleacher & Co., the two companies produce chips that are similar with very minor differences, and it’s quite common to see the two chips fixed together in the same device.

Chief executive officer of Texas Instruments, Rich Templeton, in a conference call to investors said the difference in product range between the two companies makes the acquisition very attractive.

According to Templeton, there is very little products from the two firms that overlap. TI has some 30,000 products and National Semiconductors manufacture about 13,000 products. Templeton said acquiring National Semiconductors will give TI the chance to deal with consumers that they could not reach in the past.

Texas Instruments has had to focus more on developing its chip business over the last decade as it has seen many of its other technologies perform badly.

Texas Instruments announced the deal after close of trading on Monday. The deal is however subject to the approval shareholders of National Semiconductor. If approved, each shareholder of National Semiconductors will receive $25 per share. The shares of the company ended the trading day at $14.07. It then soared to $24.30 in after-hours trading after the announcement. Texas Instruments stocks also $34.11 but declined to $33.58 in after-hours trading.

Texas Instruments expects the deal to finalize within 9 months subject to approval from regulators.

TI CEO, Templeton, said there are no plans to reduce research design personnel at either firms but expects some sales staff to be cut. National Semiconductors currently employs about 5,700 people and TI employs some 28,400 workers.

It’s been barely 17 months since Microsoft released Windows 7 operating system and they are planning to release a new version of their operating system.

The website, winreview.ru, has created a buzz about a Windows 8 release as early as this summer by posting screenshots of what it claims is a leaked private test version of Windows 8.

Most people have yet to upgrade their system to Windows 7. During the past week, the online tech community was buzzing with news that Microsoft has sent Windows 8 test builds to PC manufacturers. According to some analysts, the manufacturers have been given “early beta” test editions of the Windows operating system, after they have tried out “alpha” editions in the early part of the year.

Microsoft has not yet confirmed any of the rumors circulating around or even discuss anything to do with Windows 8. However, it is the norm for Microsoft to release future versions of its operating system in testing stages.

The early release of Windows 8

So why is Microsoft in a hurry to release a new operating system in less than two years after the previous version? The answer seems to be that, Microsoft wants to get into the tablet age properly. It is believed that Windows 8 will be built on the ARM microchip architecture. This is the architecture a majority of the smartphones and tablets run on.

According to analysts, Windows 8 will feature an enhanced graphics, offer support for 3-D, have built-in facial recognition, be capable of instant-on start up and also come with a Windows app store.

Even though a couple of tablets (running on Intel Atom processors) are capable of running Windows 7, Microsoft will develop a more clear tablet strategy by making Windows 8 compatible with ARM-based devices. This will give Microsoft access to a more wider market of tablet devices.

Some analysts are predicting Windows 8′s release date to be as early as this summer or no later than the first quarter of 2012. But is it also expected that Microsoft will release a tablet-compatible version of Windows 8 in the summer of 2012. There are rumors Dell is already developing a Windows 8 tablet, called Peju, scheduled to be ready sometime in the fall of 2012.

Analysts also believe the early release of a new operating system by Microsoft is an attempt by the tech giant to get users to upgrade from their outdated versions of Windows. Statistics from Net Applications show that over 54% of Windows operating systems in use is Windows XP (which is ten years old) and 11% is Windows Vista.

Most companies will skip one version of release operating system. This means that most companies that did not upgrade to Windows 7 from Vista will be lured to upgrade to Windows 8. Microsoft will also be hoping to entice XP users to also upgrade to the newer Windows 8.

Microsoft has not officially revealed the name of the next version of Windows, so the name “Windows 8″ is just being used generically.