Consumer Reports delivers its own take on the iPhone 6 family bend test

Hot on the heels of Apple’s official response to the iPhone 6 family bending controversy, Consumer Reports performed its own bending test on the duo of devices. In order to make things more interestingiPhone 5, LG G3, HTC One (M8), and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 joined Cupertino’s finest.

Consumer Reports put the devices through a “three-point flexural test.” The latter is similar to Apple’s own three-point bend test that we told you about yesterday.

Moto 360 gets its first ad, which focuses on its design

Now that the Moto 360, its first smartwatch running Android Wear, is already available, Motorola has started the ad campaign for it. The first one-minute ad for the Moto 360 was released earlier today, and it seems to be all about design.

Or specifically, the design of the smartwatch itself, of course. The theme is something along the lines of – “it’s time for a modern timepiece”.

Asus joins #bendgate fun, mocks Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus

After Samsung, LG, HTC, and even KitKat, Asus has joined the #bendgate fun party by mocking the iPhone 6 Plus too. The Taiwanese company is also promoting two of its products while it’s at it. First up, the Zenfone 6, as you can see.

But the Transformer Book Flip gets compared to Apple’s bendy phablet too, in the next image.

Sony Xperia Z3 stars in an underwater unboxing

Sony prides itself with the Xperia Z3‘s IP68 certification, which allows the smartphone to dive over 1 meter for over 30 minutes without breaking much sweat. As a result, Carphone Warehouse decided it was time to do one of the coolest unboxing videos we’ve seen – on the bottom of a swimming pool.

Sure, the box doesn’t fare too well, nor does the documentation inside. We’re also not to sure about using the charger after it has been submerged in water.

GoPro HERO4 leaks with 4K 30fps video and touch display

Details of the GoPro HERO4 have now surfaced revealing there are two versions: Black and Silver. The Black is claimed as the most advanced GoPro camera ever and boasts improved image quality in addition to twice the processing power of its predecessor. Moreover, these are the first GoPro cameras to feature touchscreen display.

redditor explains why the aluminum iPhone 6 bends and the plastic Note 3 doesn’t

We have all had our fun with the BendGate jokes. But sometimes it’s important to set the jokes aside and ask why is it that it’s happening and how come some of the other devices don’t share the same problem.

Most people have blamed the aluminum shell on the iPhone 6 for being the culprit here, because aluminum is a soft metal.

This is how Apple tests the iPhone 6 durability

After today’s official response to the iPhone 6 Plus bending controversy, the company took an extra step to clear the air. The Cupertino giant granted opened the doors to its secret testing labs to select media.

In order to cope with daily use and abuse, Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature high-grade aluminum bodies with stainless steel and titanium inserts.

LG makes fun of the iPhone. From an iPhone.

It’s always fun to see other companies trip over themselves trying to come up with a joke on Apple every time the latter is going through some sort of controversy. This time it’s BendGate (yeah they just add -gate to everything now), where some iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were found to be getting bent if enough force was applied to them (we’ll keep aside the fact that few were actual incidences and most were done on purpose on YouTube to get pageviews for now).

Will it bend? The iPhone 6, One (M8), Moto X and Lumia 1020 edition

Everyone knows that once a potential flaw is discovered in the new iPhone then all phones in existence must be tested for the same flaw. It happened with Antennagate and now it’s happening with Bendgate.

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus proved easy to deform under pressure so the smaller iPhone 6 was put under the same test along with the iPhone 5s, the HTC One (M8), another aluminum phone, the Motorola Moto X (2014) and the Nokia Lumia 1020.

Samsung joins LG at the Apple iPhone 6 #bendgate mock fest

Just like we suspected you yesterday, Samsung is joining LG at the Apple mock festival. Naturally, Samsung’s latest jab at the Cupertino company is regarding the iPhone 6 Plus bending problems.

“Curved. Not bent” reads Samsung Mobile’s latest tweet, while showing a picture of the Galaxy Note Edge.

‘Asphalt Overdrive’ now available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone

Gameloft has released its newest game in the Asphalt series, called the Asphalt Overdrive. Overdrive is a spinoff of the successful Asphalt series. This isn’t exactly Asphalt 9 that you may have been waiting for and features a different gameplay mechanic.

Asphalt Overdrive is essentially like an endless runner game but with cars.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus faces liquid nitrogen and a sledgehammer

Destroying stuff is cool, especially when done with a creative flair. Too bad for the iPhone 6 Plus that it gets to star in most of them nowadays. The latest batch of videos is done by a popular YouTuber, who specializes in obliterating most of the hot tech to have come in the past couple of years.

The latest efforts of RatedRR focus on the iPhone 6 Plus and include five videos (one more is on the way) showcasing how Apple’s biggest smartphone to date can take a beating.

Microsoft outs NFL-infused ad for the Surface Pro 3

The latest ad for Microsoft’s latest tablet, the Surface Pro 3, is all about football. And the NFL. And specifically, the Seattle Seahawks. The whole idea is that the Surface Pro 3 is “trusted by the pros”, yet “built for the fans”.

Since Microsoft has a $400 million advertising deal with the NFL, perhaps this ad shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Throwback Thursday: Why is Apple called Apple?

Apple is one of the most celebrated brands in history, boasting a mammoth base of customers and fans that 

span the entire globe. With the iconic Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad lines of products squeezed into its 

portfolio, it's easy to see why.

Far and away the premier consumer technology company in the world, Apple is one of few firms that still 

manages to whip up a real frenzy whenever it launches a new device (even if its products, technically 

speaking, aren't exactly the best on the market).

IBM Watson vs Food: Supercomputer takes to the food truck for its latest cognitive computing challnge

Watch out Gordon Ramsey, Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver, there’s a new celebrity chef in town.

Not content with taking down Jeopardy, IBM’s Watson supercomputer has turned its hand to becoming the 

next Masterchef through a new cognitive cookery system that has its roots in IBM’s Cloud and can create 

surprising recipes in eight steps.

LG Electronics UK trolls the bending iPhone on Twitter

When it comes to Apple, phone manufacturers act as predators waiting for any hint of weakness from its latest smartphones and today it’s open season. LG has taken a jab at the latest report of the bending issues, which the iPhone 6 Plus is experiencing.

The company’s UK branch posted on Twitter a hashtag #bentgate, referring to the video showing how the iPhone 6 Plus bends.

Check out how the new iPhone 6 camera stacks up against the previous seven generations

The iPhone camera has come a long way. From the archaic (even for the time when it was launched) 2 megapixel sensor with fixed focus, no video recording, and no flash on the first two generations to the advanced 8 megapixel shooter with phase detection autofocus and 1080p60 video on the current generation model.

But while we often see the new device’s camera being compared to the previous generation model or with those of the rivals, we rarely see it being pitted against all of its predecessors.

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have the most capable cameras according to DxOMark

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus took the top spot in the prestigious DxOMark photography test. The camera performance of Cupertino’s duo is considered “gold standard” for smartphone image quality at the moment.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus earned 82 points each in the highly contested DxOMark photography test – the highest mobile score to date. 

Samsung is exiting the notebook market in Europe

Samsung will stop selling laptop computers in Europe. The word about the decision arrived via a statement from the Korean giant to PC Advisor.

The decision includes notebook running Google Chrome OS notebooks as well. 

Asphalt Overdrive for Android, iOS, Windows Phone launches on Thursday

Just two days separate us from the next release in Gameloft’s Asphalt series of games. It’s going to be called Asphalt Overdrive (and not Asphalt 9, as you may have expected), and it will be out this Thursday, September 25, on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Windows 8. It will be free to download, but will feature in-app purchases.

This won’t be an arcade-style racer, but an endless racer. It’s like an endless runner, but with cars.

Microsoft’s Chromecast competitor gets official as the Wireless Display Adapter

Today Microsoft has officially unveiled its Wireless Display Adapter, which will serve as its competitor for Google’s very successful Chromecast dongle. Microsoft’s product first got leaked back in August.

The Wireless Display Adapter uses Miracast technology, so any Miracast-enabled device can send stuff to it.

Apple outs first iPhone 6 ads featuring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake

The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have enjoyed immense popularity during their first week of availability, and now Apple is trying to capitalize on that by enlisting some high-profile celebrity talent.

The TV spots were teased during the launch event for the new Apple devices, and now we get to see the real thing. 

Samsung Power Sharing Cable allows you to charge devices on the go

Samsung is launching a new microUSB to microUSB power cable that lets you charge your gadgets by drawing power from your Galaxy smartphone or tablet. The cable has an arrow indication to show the power flow and officially works with the Galaxy S 5, Galaxy Tab S 10.5, Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Avant and Galaxy Note 4.

As Samsung suggests, the cable is perfect for charging up the Galaxy Gear Live from the Galaxy Note 4′s 3,220mAh battery.

The Lumia 930 enjoys a lot of purrs in its latest ad

A new and adorable ad for the Lumia 930 has come out of a Microsoft social media contest. The video features adorable cats using the Lumia 930 and is made by Mia Mullarkey.

We sure hope Microsoft doesn’t think it has to resort to cats in order to charm customers in buying a Lumia 930. Nevertheless, the video is cool and, let’s be frank, dressing up kittens in shirts isn’t an easy job.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner on how to be as good a CEO as you possibly can be

Jeff Weiner - you could be forgiven for not really recognising the name. As the CEO of LinkedIn, he keeps a 

relatively low profile, while the Cooks, Nadellas and Zuckerbergs of the world happily grab as many 

headlines as possible.

Weiner this week took on an in-depth discussion with Business Insider, where he revealed some of 

the business acumen that has seen him rated by Glassdoor as the best CEO in the world.

Skype 5.5 for iOS comes with interactive notifications

Skype has just released the latest version of its app for iOS in the iTunes App Store. Thanks to enhancements in iOS 8, Skype 5.5 now features support for interactive notifications.

These allow you to quickly and easily manage calls and messages from the lock screen, banner notifications, as well as the notification center in iOS.

Why product rumours are Apple's secret weapon

Apple's longstanding perchant for secrecy is legendary. It's also a myth. Granted, the company has a strict 

no-comment policy about future products, which isn't so much about keeping information from seeping out 

but controlling who disseminates it. Something else: Secrets are impossible to keep when a company 

produces physical products overseas and depends on so many third-party suppliers. Controlled leaks, or 

strictly managing those that aren't, lets Apple maximise marketing advantage.

Google admits defeat, finally drops compulsory Google+

New Gmail users will no longer have to sign up to Google's flagging social network Google+, after 2 and half 

years of mandatory social account creation. Users previously had to sign up to Google+ when signing up for 

Gmail, Google Docs and variety of other Google products.

Whilst the company still encourages users to sign up for Google+ it now has a "No thanks" button when 

offering the service during the sign up procedure for its products.

Will your next broadband connection be an Ethernet connection?

Business Internet connections have changed hugely over the last 15 years. Prior to the advent of broadband, 

small businesses would have relied, at best, on ISDN, and may even have made do with a modem. At the 

turn of the millennium, ADSL arrived alongside cable modems, providing a huge leap in performance for 

small businesses and homes alike.

Falcon Pro developer creates Hacked, world’s first mobile coding game

Developer of the Falcon Pro app for Android, a popular Twitter app that was pulled from the Play Store after it hit Twitter’s token limit, has made a new game called Hacked. Hacked is not your average game though. It’s the world’s first mobile coding game.

Hacked has three gameplay modes. In the story mode, you play as a hacker and solve code problems.

BlackBerry courts business users again

BlackBerry (BBRY) is no longer trying to out-iPhone the iPhone. The device maker found it spectacularly difficult to compete against the likes of Apple (AAPL) and Samsung, and has abandoned its strategy to grab more of the consumer market.

FIFA 15: GAME announces plans for midnight launch

GAME has outlined its plans for the launch of FIFA 15 at midnight this Friday (September 25).

The UK retailer will open more than 300 stores for FIFA super-fans to be among the first to get their hands on the football video game.

Microsoft gives additional 15GB OneDrive storage for enabling camera uploads

Microsoft has increased the amount of free space you get if you use OneDrive on your phone. Previously the free space used to be 15GB but now you’ll get 30GB instead.

To get the additional space, you will have to install the OneDrive application, if you haven’t already, and enable camera uploads, which will automatically upload the photos taken by your phone to OneDrive.

Sony Xperia Z3 earns DxOMark accolades for its camera performance

Sony Xperia Z3 took went through the rigors of the DxOMark photography test. Announced earlier this month, Sony’s flagship packs 20.7MP camera with 1/2.3” sensor, capable of capturing images at ISO 12800 – the highest of any smartphone.

Unsurprisingly the smartphone achieved top marks for its overall performance in the rigorous photography test.

Why I love Linux — even if I no longer use it

That Netflix is coming to desktop Linux soon is great news. Considering the OS only holds about 1.6 percent of overall desktop marketshare, it's an important moment for those who use Linux in their home lives that Netflix's engineers are even exploring the idea. It's not like they had to, right?

Eight pieces of advice for those thinking of buying an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus

The launch day is over, the phones are now on shelves, and you can expect massive sales of the iPhone 6 

and 6 Plus over this weekend. Not since 2010 have there been such long lines for, or insanity about, a new 

"i" device. I expected nutsville, even with a pre-order option, but nothing like this.

To be honest, the frenzy defies logic and there must be some kind of mob mentality driving it. I am reminded 

of Windows 95's launch nearly 20 years ago. Some people will point to past iPhone launches as being as big 

or bigger.

Moto 360 display seemingly having image retention issue

The semi-circular LCD on the Moto 360 seems to be having a problem with image retention. A couple of users have reported their Moto 360 continues to show the circular charging bar on the screen even after you stop charging.

NVIDIA announces GTX 980 and GTX 970 based on the new Maxwell architecture

NVIDIA has announced two new graphics cards for the PC, the flagship single-GPU GTX 980 and the mid-range GTX 970. Both are based on NVIDIA’s 10th generation Maxwell architecture, which succeeds Kepler.

Other than being more powerful, the two new graphics cards also introduce some new technologies from NVIDIA, including Voxel Global Illumination (VXGI), which enables real-time global illumination.

Google Glass and Apple Watch: Intrusive vs non-intrusive wearables

Wearable tech is back at the forefront with the release of the Apple Watch. Apple’s entrant is sure to help 

the sector overall, with expectations of tens if not hundreds of millions of devices to ship annually from Apple 

and others by the end of the decade.

This success does not come without its share of questions, however.

Data encryption will be default in Android L to keep out snoopers

The next version of the Google's Android operating system, the Android L due to be released in October, will for the first time be encrypting data by default.

The move by Google will provide an additional layer of security on the personal and highly sensitive data that users typically have on their smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Apple iPhone 6: Which flagship smartphone is better?

The iPhone 6 went on sale on Sept. 19 and while it is already up for pre-order many are wondering just how it stacks up against other flagship phones.

One of the most respected and coveted Android phones on the market is the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Qualcomm’s vision of the connected future: Social, virtual reality, robots and more

Qualcomm's greatest strength is in connectivity, and this contrasts with Intel's strength in processor 

performance and Nvidia's in graphics (all of these firms had big events this month). Each firm's vision is tied 

very closely to their core competence: Intel stresses computing power, Nvidia realism, and Qualcomm 

communications.

Nokia’s UK website gets moved to Microsoft.com

It’s started. The oft-rumored move by Microsoft to get rid of the Nokia brand for mobile devices seems to have begun today. If you go to Nokia.com’s website for the UK, you’re met with the following message: “Nokia devices and services have moved to a new website”.

Unsurprisingly, that new home is under the Microsoft.com domain. This seems to have only happened for the UK regional site, but undoubtedly more will follow.