Tech Roundup: Mar 24, 2013

Google Keep

Is Bigger always the Better?
Android smartphones are crossing the size barrier with so much speed these days. The Galaxy S4, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and LG Optimus G Pro all pack in the best specs that each company has on offer and boast of big eye-popping HD displays. The original Galaxy Note with its 5.3 inch screen was scoffed at when it was announced, but soon turned into a sensation as it was something that had combined the best of a smartphone and a tablet. So you see a market does exist for such biggies.

But don't the companies realize that not everyone prefers to own these phones? Of course they do, but unfortunately what they offer is not only smaller in term of screen sizes but also weak when it comes to the specs. Take the Galaxy S III mini or any mid-range smartphone for that matter, you would know. The compromise is too much to make considering the stripped down features (lower-resolution screens, poor cameras and so on) and the lesser chances of prompt Android updates (when compared to their big brothers).

Contrast this with Apple's iPhone 5 and BlackBerry's recently out Z10, both of which are yet to break the 4.5-inch territory. One may argue that Apple doesn't offer different variants like its Android counterparts, but the usability aspect of a little smaller phone cannot be denied. Nokia's Windows Phones like Lumia 620, 720 and 520 too offer great bang for the buck. Coming back to Android, I personally feel only Sony is doing something to make the mid-range a little appealing (Xperia Ray was one such phone) and its latest lineup Xperia SP and L seems to reaffirm the same. Hope others (including Google) too follow suit!

Google wants you to 'keep' your ramblings in Keep:
Remember Google Notebook? If you haven't don't bother. It was discontinued back in 2009 and has now made a comeback as Google Keep. After a brief appearance before it was quickly taken down earlier this week, the search giant officially announced the app to mixed reviews. Keep, currently available only on Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich and above, is a bare-bones notes app and lets you make make checklists, voice memos and pin photos.

Additional features lets you to apply colors, archive notes and reorder them. However there is no way to tag, or sort them in some order, not to mention the fact that you can't upload existing photos from the gallery or import images via their URL. Also a much better Google Drive integration would have been welcome. You can however access your notes on the web at https://drive.google.com/keep/ as well. Not quite a Evernote replacement, but if you love being in the Google ecosystem look no further!

The dilemma of HTC:
Taiwanese handset maker HTC was at one point the most popular Android smartphone manufacturer. But after consumer interest in its barely distinguishable products waned, it has been struggling to keep up with the likes of Apple and Samsung. Though its recently unveiled One was well received for its gorgeous design, the phone is reportedly facing supply shortages in Ultrapixel cameras and metal casings leading to unavoidable shipping delays. The suppliers of these parts no longer perceive HTC as a 'tier-one' manufacturer and hence the sourcing has proved to be much difficult than before. Business is brutal and HTC has learnt it the bitter way. The One will now be available by the end of April and will directly compete with Samsung's Galaxy S4, which will be on sale by April 24.

In other news:

• Voyager 1 spacecraft out of Heliocliff after crossing Heliopause last August.
• Universe older by 100 million years than previously thought.
• Apple releases iOS 6.1.3 to fix lock screen passcode flaw; new passcode bug uncovered a day later.
• Gmail for android update now lets you delete emails from the notification bar.
• Pinterest gets a design makeover.
• Popular cross-platform messaging service WhatsApp moving to an annual subscription model this year.
• Facebook acquires online reputation startup Legit.
• Google, Samsung and LG reportedly working on smartwatches!
• Skype for Windows Phone gets HD calling and People Hub integration.
• China to use Ubuntu to build a national operating system.
• YouTube hits 1 billion monthly views.
• Twitter celebrates its 7th birthday; gets a patent on itself.
• Sony releases over-the-air update for Xperia Z to fix sudden death issues.
• Improved Adblock Plus app available on its website a week after it was removed on Google Play.
• Microsoft begins automatic update of Windows 7 SP1 on Windows 7 PC's.
• Google Chairman Eric Schmidt calls on India to stop controlling the Web.
• BlackBerry 10 OS hits 100,000 apps 7 weeks after launch; CEO Thorsten Heins calls iPhone outdated at BB Z10 US event.
• Google said to unify all messaging services under Babble.
• LG accuses Samsung of infringing on its eye-tracking technology patents in the Galaxy S4.
• USA has 500 million internet-connected devices.
• Chip maker ARM's CEO Warren East calls it quits after 19 years at the company; to be succeeded by Simon Segars.

Tech Roundup is a weekly recurring feature on the latest trends in Science & Technology.