Fall preview offers best look yet at rumored Nokia tablet

Microsoft didn't need to gobble up Nokia's Devices & Services business just to convince us the Lumia maker was prepping a Windows RT tablet - the rumor mill has been doing just fine all on its own.

WinSuperSite published a "Fall 2013 Windows Tablet Preview" on Thursday, and tucked away after the expectedMicrosoft Surface 2 refresh is a much clearer look at what Nokia's rumored tablet may just look like.

Although the roundup doesn't include an actual name for the Windows RT-powered Nokia tablet aside from its codename "Sirius," the website appears quite confident in a number of other specs.

Whatever it may wind up being called, Nokia's 10.1-inch tablet appears to be powered by an ARM-based quad-core Qualcomm 8974 processor and is said to feature a 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS display.

She's a beauty

Like Nokia's Lumia smartphones, its Windows RT tablet display is said to feature "outdoor readability" with at least one accessory planned: An "innovative multi-function cover with keyboard and additional battery life."

Even without a multi-function cover, Nokia's tablet is said to work up to 10 hours on a single charge, weighing in at 1.3 pounds and only 0.35 inches thick.

Last but not least, the tablet allegedly features 4G LTE connectivity and a 6.7MP rear camera, as usual with Carl Zeiss optics on board.

But that's where the good news ends, because Nokia supposedly plans to sell this puppy for $499 (about £315, AU$538), which seems pretty pricy for a Windows RT device considering the recent fire sale pricing on theMicrosoft Surface.

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7 things you'll hate about the iPhone 5S

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Some people believe that the iPhone 5S is the best iPhone that Apple - or for that matter, anybody - has ever made.

They may well be right, but that doesn't mean it's perfect, and it certainly doesn't mean that Apple's latest i-device is flaw-free or beyond criticism.

There are plenty of reasons to love the iPhone 5S - here are seven reasons - but you won't find them here: right now we're the haters, and haters gonna hate.

1. It's even more expensive

The iPhone has never been the most affordable smartphone, and the iPhone 5S is the most expensive yet: it starts at a whopping £549 for the 16GB version, which is £20 more than the outgoing (and obsolete) iPhone 5.

And that's for just 16GB of storage, which isn't really enough any more. The sensible choice, the 32GB model, is £629 in the UK. It'll be a bit cheaper on contract, of course, but it's still quite hefty.

2. It's ruined the trade-in value of your iPhone 5

Here's how the smartphone Circle of Life is supposed to work. Apple unveils a new thing, you trade in last year's new thing, you put the money towards the new thing. Easy.

Here's how it worked this year. Apple unveiled the iPhone 5S and discontinued the iPhone 5, causing recycling sites to rush to their computers and brutally slash their iPhone 5 trade-in rates so severely that a mint iPhone 5 will soon be worth less than a packet of mints.

And as we've already mentioned, the iPhone 5S got a sneaky price hike too, which just adds insult to injury.

3. It should be scratch-proof, but it isn't

Apple can call the dark coloured one Space Grey all it likes, but its real name should be Scratchy McRubbish: that anodised aluminium casing is so prone to scratching that you can scuff it by playing an episode of Itchy and Scratchy in iTunes.

The white one's a bit better, but only because white is closer to the colour of bare aluminium and as a result, the scratches aren't as obvious. The gold one should be fairly scratch-resistant too, because gold is comparatively easy to anodise. Hang on - did someone mention the gold one?

4. Apple's gone bling

iPhone. iPhone 3G. iPhone 3GS. iPhone 4. iPhone 4S. iPhone 5. What do they all have in common? That's right. NONE OF THEM ARE GOLD.

There's a reason for that, and that reason is simple: gold things are for magpies, old people and idiots. Don't believe us? Sit back and imagine the kind of people who would just love a gold iPhone. Are you thinking Robin Thicke? Russian gangsters? The cast of The Only Way Is Essex? Of course you are.

5. There's a bigger, better one due next year

The networks would really like you to take your iPhone 5S on a two-year contract, but we all know Apple's modus operandi by now: the big hitters come out every two years with a new design and lots of new goodies, and the S models are relatively minor upgrades released in the years in between.

This is an in-between year, an "S" year, and we know what that means: a bigger, better iPhone 6 this time next year that will make you rue the day you put a cross in the box of that two-year contract. Just imagine what it might do.

If an S-model iPhone can read your fingers, maybe the 6 will be able to read your mind, or make your pets levitate. To be honest, we'd be quite delighted if it just had better battery life and a slightly bigger screen.

6. The irrational fear that somebody's going to steal your fingers, or maybe photocopy them

Now that Apple's embraced fingerprints to unlock your iPhone and authorise iTunes purchases with Touch ID, try not to imagine somebody stealing your phone and then coming back for your fingers so that they can unlock it.

That's far-fetched to say the least, of course, and we'd just dismissed the whole paranoid possibility when Newsweek writer Peter Jukes mentioned on Twitter that criminals would be able to 3D-print replacement fingers. Just because it's unlikely doesn't mean that you shouldn't fear the Fingerprint Thieves.

7. You'll have to wait for it

If you've already decided you want an iPhone 5S, nothing here will change your mind - but that doesn't mean you can just order your iPhone 5S today and embark on a new life of gadget-fuelled cosiness.

Nope: you'll have to wait until 20 September, or longer still if you don't live in one of the nine launch countries (the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK).

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7 things you'll love about the iPhone 5S

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It's here - or at least it nearly is: Apple's latest and greatest iPhone, the iPhone 5S ships on the 20th of September.

It might look like an iPhone 5, but there are stacks of improvements: it's the smartest, most powerful iPhone that Apple has ever made. Here are the seven things that you're going to absolutely love about it.

1. It's the fastest iPhone ever

While the cheaper iPhone 5C makes do with Apple's A6 processor, the iPhone 5S benefits from the most powerful processor Apple has ever put into a phone. The iPhone 5S has the brand new A7 processor, the first 64-bit processor to power a smartphone, and that means it's twice as fast as its predecessor.

Apple says that the iPhone 5S's performance is 40 times faster than the original iPhone, and its graphics performance is an incredible 56 times faster - and while you should always take manufacturers' figures with a hefty dose of salt, there's no doubt that this is the fastest iPhone ever made.

2. It knows what you'll do next summer

The A7 isn't the only new chip you'll find inside an iPhone 5S. There's a new motion co-processor, the M7, and it's designed to do something very useful: it continually monitors movement, so for example it can track your steps while the main processor sleeps.

That's great for several reasons: it enables a new generation of health and fitness apps to track what you do each day; it can tell your iPhone whether you're sitting, walking or in a vehicle and tailor apps accordingly; and it can do its monitoring without having to power up the main phone - so you get all the benefits of smartphone fitness apps without any of the battery drain.

Apple has opened up the M7 processor to app developers, so we should see all kinds of interesting new apps - not just fitness ones, but apps that use the M7's senses in interesting ways.

3. It won't make anybody look like a zombie

Previous iPhones - and many rivals - make do with a single LED flash, but the iPhone 5S has two. Apple calls it a "true tone flash", because that sounds more interesting than "twin flash", but what it does is very useful: it has one cool white LED and one warm amber one, and it can mix the light from the two flashes to get the right colour balance.

Where normal flash photos tend to look like the subjects have just been dug up, true tone flash photos should look much more realistic - and a lot more flattering.

4. It has a really clever camera

The iPhone 5S has a brand new camera, and it's clever in all kinds of ways. The lens is a new, five-element lens of Apple's own design, boasting an impressive aperture of f2.2. That means it's good for low light, as does the improved backside illumination that makes the sensor perform better in dim lighting.

The sensor itself is 15 percent bigger, which improves picture quality, and the camera software has been updated to take full advantage. It automatically sets the white balance and exposure, takes multiple photographs and chooses the best, and you can shoot using the new burst mode and slow-mo modes. The camera can also record HD video at 120 frames per second.

5. It can feel your fingers

Fed up with fiddly PINs and passwords you can never remember? Why not give your phone the finger? The iPhone 5S's home button contains a fingerprint sensor, which Apple calls Touch ID. It scans and securely stores your fingerprints, and you can then use the sensor to unlock your phone and to approve iTunes purchases.

In the long term, app developers might use fingerprint authentication for their own apps - so you might approve payments with your fingerprint rather than a crackable password.

6. You get iWork for free, and iOS 7 too

Apple's iWork apps are superb tools for home and business use alike, and every iPhone 5S buyer gets the lot for free: presentation program Keynote, word processor Pages, spreadsheet app Numbers, image editor iPhoto and video editing app iMovie.

That A7 processor should mean they're silky smooth no matter how big the projects you throw at them. The iPhone 5S also runs iOS 7, the latest and most useful version of Apple's mobile operating system.

7. It's a phone for grown-ups

As much as we like the brightly coloured cases of the iPhone 5C, when we're dropping serious money on a smartphone we'd prefer not to end up with something that looks like it came from Toys 'R Us. The anodised aluminium of the iPhone 5S comes in three distinctly sober colours: silver, gold and what Apple likes to call "space grey".

Even the gold one looks relatively restrained, especially when you compare it to its sibling's exuberant neon hues. Where the iPhone 5C is a phone to make you smile, the iPhone 5S is a phone to take seriously.

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Hands on: iPhone 5S review

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The new iPhone 5S is a solid upgrade of the iPhone 5, but with a few key changes: the processor is more advanced than ever, the camera has been upgraded and, most importantly, there's a fingerprint sensor.

On top of that there's the added bonus of a faster GPU (to help power all those teeny tiny pixels rolling around and changing colour in the display) as well as an uprated power pack to keep things moving.

And, as expected, the iPhone 5S is the poster boy for iOS 7, with the new display offering the best look yet at the new flatter, sleeker operating system from Apple.

In our plays with the beta version of the OS, some elements were noticeably slow or jumpy (although this was very much because we weren't on final software) but with the iPhone 5S everything just flows around as smoothly as possible.

The design of the iPhone 5S isn't a great leap forward, with the chassis remaining largely the same as the iPhone 5 in keeping with Apple's tradition of using the core model as the base for the sequel, before releasing a 'true' evolution next year.

There are three colours to choose from, with silver, gold and 'space grey' coming in to give another option to consumers looking to mark themselves out in the iPhone game, especially at the sharp end. If you're after colour, then the iPhone 5C is your friend - that thing comes in five different options, with cases that you can stick on top, too.Even though we knew this was coming, we can't say that we aren't a little disappointed as the rumours around the iPhone 6 hint at a dramatic redesign of the device as well as a new material type to make it feel even better in the hand.

The design of the iPhone 5S is, as we said, pretty similar to what we've seen before, so colour aside you'd struggle to see if someone is packing a new or old version of the phone with the larger screen.

But let's forget about all the stuff we expected and focus more on the fact that there's a fingerprint sensor in there now - we're talking about biometrics that actually work with a phone.

The premise is simple: You turn on the phone using the home or power button, hold your finger down on the round key and you're into the phone. It's incredibly fast, very slick and makes you feel like you don't have a passcode on there at all.

Apple hasn't just made this a one-trick pony though. When setting up the sensor you're asked to guide your finger on and off the button in a variety of ways - this means that no matter how you jab at the home key to unlock your device, the iPhone 5S will be able to react correctly.

In our tests this worked incredibly well - Apple really has cracked the first step in biometrics on a phone, and when you compare it to Android's Face Unlock, it's world's apart, and shows the power when a phone company doesn't have to rely on such a wide spread of hardware.

Granted, it's only on the iPhone 5S - so an update from Android should enable the tech in phones like the Galaxy S5 and HTC One Max.

The camera on the iPhone 5S isn't new in terms of megapixels, but Apple has performed the same trick as HTC (to a degree) by increasing the sensor size but making the pixels that much larger.

This leads to a more stable photo and a better low light performance... this approach should see a sharper image but probably won't have as strong low light performance.

On top of the camera, there's also the option for burst mode to capture 10 photos a second as well as a new slow motion mode, which allows you to shoot 120 frames per second at 720p HD. You can even edit the footage to run faster and slower using just your finger.

We saw it in action, and it really seemed to work pretty well.

The last camera element that seems impressive is the new flash on offer, which is a dual LED option. The clever thing is not only does the flash chuck out both white and amber colours to improve the tone of the flash, but the iPhone 5S will calculate the situation and alter the flash accordingly.

The other change here is the new M7 chip which sits alongside the new A7 chip - which is superbly powerful graphically. The M7 chip essentially takes the place of the Fuel Band from Nike, allowing the iPhone 5S to monitor the gyrocscope, accelerometer and compass without disturbing the main chip.

This is great for fitness apps, according to Apple, and won't drain the battery just because it's constantly monitoring motion.

But the big question in the mind of many reading this is 'Should I got for the iPhone 5S or get the cheaper iPhone 5?'. Well, if you're looking to get what will likely be one of the best handsets on the market as well as future-proofing yourself (although you'll probably upgrade your phone before Apple ceases support for iOS on the iPhone 5S) then the newer model will please you no end.

However, the iPhone 5 still comes with all the bells and whistles needed to make iOS 7 run smoothly, as well as packing a decent enough camera and screen to excite enough users, who will also get the benefit of a few dollarpounds off the monthly cost of their new device.

Early verdict

The iPhone 5S isn't a market-leading device in so many ways; but then again, that's never been Apple's strategy, and that's a good thing.

There are so many people out there desperate to hold onto a smaller display, finding the 5-inch behemoths too cumbersome for the pocket or the hand. That's not to say we're not fans of what LG, Samsung and HTC are doing with their devices, but there's clearly a demand for a smaller-screened handset.

And smaller definitely isn't less beautiful with the iPhone 5S, thanks to that improved camera and fingerprint scanner to really make everything pop and snap when you're doing the smartphone basics -such as opening the phone a million times a day.

The iPhone is a handset designed to give the best blend of power, sophistication and performance, and the iPhone 5S has taken that message and improved on it once more. The price will still be too high for some, but those locked into the iOS ecosystem, or just willing to take a punt and try something a bit different, will be massively pleased with the new iPhone.

And if you're one of those that deserted the platform after poor battery problems or signal issues, you'll especially like the iPhone 5S, which feels like one of Apple's most stable devices to date while carrying on the tradition of a close eye on premium design.

We would like a touch more heft with the metallic chassis, as it almost feels too light the first time you hold it, but with more colours, more power and a spec list that feels like it's got the right mix of performance and precision, we can see the iPhone 5S being the top-selling device once more for the Cupertino firm.

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Xbox Music comes to Android

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Strong performer, but lacks radio, other features

The good: Xbox Music has a clean and simple interface that's very responsive while you search for and listen to music.

The bad: There are no music discovery features. There is no way to browse genres. You can't create radio stations like you can in the iOS version.

The bottom line: Xbox Music feels more like a first foray into music streaming rather than a finished product; it's functional, but it needs more features to compare with established apps like Spotify.

Xbox Music for Android

 is Microsoft's streaming-music service that's taking aim at services like Spotify and Slacker Radio, but isn't quite up to speed just yet. The interface is mostly intuitive and the app is smooth and responsive, but it lacks features found in other services, making it hard to recommend to those who don't own an Xbox. If you do have an Xbox at home (preferably one that's hooked up to your whole entertainment system) it's definitely worth a look.

Getting started
To get started, you'll need an Xbox account along with an Xbox Music Pass. There is a 30-day free trial for the music pass you can sign up for at Xbox.com under the music tab, but it requires a credit card. From there, you'll have 30 days to decide whether you want to keep the service, but it will cost you $9.99 per month after your 30-day trial (or you can get a 12-month pass for $99.90). Once you have the Music Pass, you can listen to music on your desktop through a Web browser or on your Android device.

Finding and playing music
In keeping with the design aesthetic of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone interface, Xbox Music keeps the look simple -- unfortunately, compared with other services, the features are pretty simple as well. To find music, you can use a search field to look for specific artists and songs, but there is no way to browse through musical genres. There are also no music discovery tools like featured artists, popular music, or any Microsoft curated content. With this app, you simply search for a song or artist you already know to make playlists or start listening right away.

You can, however, create playlists and add to your music collection that is shared across all your devices on the same account. The difference between the two is that playlists are songs you picked that will be played in the order you add them. You can make as many playlists as you want. But the collection is a kind of favorites list for all the songs you want easy access to across all your devices. Both are synced up to the cloud, so you can create a playlist on your phone or add songs to your collection, and then you can access them on other devices.

On the iOS version there is also a way to create radio stations based on an artist that will give you similar music in a stream. But on Android, you are limited to playlists or playing a single artist's content. There is no radio feature for Android at this time, even when you're a paying customer.

So who is this app for?
Eventually, Microsoft would hope the answer to that question would be "everyone," but right now I'm not so sure. Apps like Spotify and Slacker Radio let you browse genres, offer collections of music to listen to, and you can check out featured artists to find new music.

While Xbox Music doesn't have any of these music discovery features, I still think if you own an Xbox that's hooked up to your entertainment system, the service will be worth the price to have your music collection and playlists wherever you are. So, basically, if youdon't own an Xbox, don't bother with the service until more features are added.

Conclusion
Xbox Music feels more like a "good start" than what the finished product will eventually be. On the positive side, the menus are smooth and responsive, and songs start playing almost immediately. But requiring the Xbox Music Pass means that you cannot use the app at all without signing up with a credit card (though you do get 30 days free). With Spotify or Slacker, you can at least listen to radio stations for free, but things like music on-demand are what's behind the subscription wall.

Still, Xbox Music is useful for access to music on all your devices including your home entertainment center (with an Xbox). With the addition of music discovery features and ironing out the rough edges (such as adding radio features), Xbox music could be a major player in streaming-music software. But for right now, only those who have an Xbox connected to a home entertainment system should pick this app over other more-feature-rich services.

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iPhone 5C hands-on: $99 price on contract, 5 colors, small spec upgrade

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Apple today officially unveiled the long-rumored iPhone 5C, a stepdown, less-expensive model to the flagship iPhone 5S, which was also announced. The iPhone 5C will be available in five colors -- white, green, blue, pink, and yellow -- with the 16GB model priced at $99 and the 32GB version costing $199 (with two-year contract). Sadly, yes, there is no supercheap contract-free version. 

Design and feel 

As expected, the phone has a polycarbonate (plastic) back. Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of design, described the iPhone 5C as "beautifully, unapologetically plastic. Multiple parts have been reduced to a single polycarbonate component whose service is continuous and seamless."

How does it feel in the hand? Remarkably solid and dense, more like a candy-lacquered metal phone than a "plastic phone." The 5C has a steel frame under the polycarbonate, and the smooth finish feels very hand-friendly. Hopefully it'll stay scratch-resistant.

The curved edges are a bit of a return to the older plastic iPhones, but the phone's squarer design still comes through: it has a flat back. It's a shinier, smoother, thicker device than last year's fifth-gen iPod Touch.

Specs: iPhone 5-esque 

If you're wondering what makes a 5C different from the now-discontinued iPhone 5, it's basically this: new colors and feel, better front-facing FaceTime HD camera, and a slightly larger battery. Oh, and there's no 64GB version: you'll have to get an iPhone 5S for that.

Some of the specs Apple is highlighting include an A6 processor, an 8-megapixel camera with a 3x video zoom in-camera app, an improved front-facing HD camera, and 802.11 a/b/g/n dual band Wi-Fi, as well as "more LTE bands for world coverage."

From a specs standpoint, the iPhone 5C appears to be a slight upgrade over the existing iPhone 5. However, at 4.65 ounces, the iPhone 5C weighs slightly more than the 3.95-ounce iPhone 5.

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Hottest concept cars we want to drive now

1. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Audi Sport quattro

From high-concept cop show, to concept car on the show floor, Audi's quattro has returned from the ashes (geddit?!) and might just make it into full-scale production. Harks back to '80s super coupe as seen in BBC's Ashes-to-Ashes, but updates the old timer with petrol-electric tech for 700hp and just 59g/km CO2 emissions.

Audio | Release date: 2015 (estimated)

2. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Citroën Cactus

Odd name for a car that quenches Citroën's creative design drought with a flood of inspiration. But the crazy Cactus is refreshingly quirky and exactly the kind of car that once made Citroën famous. Left-field features include 'Hybrid Air' tech to deliver almost 100mpg and padded capsules on body sides and bumpers to absorb minor impacts.

Citroën | Release date: 2014

3. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Volvo Concept Coupé

Apparently, Volvo couldn't think of something clever to call its latest coupé concept, so Concept Coupé it is. Uncharacteristic elegance aside (for Volvo), intriguing innovations abound including a twin-charged motor, electric drive and touchscreen multimedia kit. Volvo says its u-shaped lights will be seen in production Volvos soon.

Volvo | Release date: Never!

4.Frankfurt Motor Show 2013:Ford S-Max
When is a car not just a car but also a high-tech hospital on wheels? When it's the Ford S-Max concept. The concept is really a thinly disguised derivative of the new S-Max mid-sized people carrier, due out imminently. But this show star is packed with clever health kit including heart rate and blood sugar monitors. Nurse!

Ford | Release date: Early 2014

5. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Honda NSX

Honda's hybrid hypercar is one of those on-again, off-again projects that never quite makes it to the showroom. But this latest NSX concept is a letter of intent from Honda HQ. You'll be able to buy yours in 2015. 400 mid-engine hybrid horsepower combine with Honda's legendary reliability to deliver the ultimate everyday exotic car.

Honda | Release date: 2015

6. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Jaguar CX-17

A Jaguar offroader? What next, a Range Rover roadster? But wait, crossovers and SUVs are all the rage and this one packs a techy punch thanks to touchscreens and a wi-fi hotspot. So a mud-plugging Jag with mod cons is a no brainer. If the final production version looks anything like this, the big cat will be a huge money spinner.

Jaguar | Release date: 2016 (estimated)

7. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Lexus LF-NX

Yup, it's another luxury SUV concept, this time from Lexus. Styling-wise, the LF-NX takes Lexus's increasingly assertive design vibe to homicidal new levels of aggression. But here's the twist. It's not actually four-wheel drive. The 200hp petrol-electric hybrid powertrain only pumps the front wheels, though full 4x4 is an option for production.

Lexus | Release date: 2015 (estimated)

8. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Audi Nanuk

If it seems unfair to give Audi a second slot, the Nanuk is one of the few genuine surprises on the Frankfurt show floor. Audi's elevator pitch involves a world's first fusion of supercar and SUV. There's well over 500hp. But it drinks diesel not petrol and has adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering for all-terrain escapades.

Audi | Release date: Not likely!

9. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Mercedes-Benz Concept S-class Coupé

Mercedes' show star is a preposterously luxurious four-wheeled wink. This so-called concept will hit show rooms with just a handful of tweaks. Traditional pillarless design meets techtastic opulence on an epic scale, is the general idea. So, how about door panels hewn from computer-milled alloy and a chrome centre console forged at 1,000 degrees C?

Mercedes-Benz | Release date: 2014

10. Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Smart Fourjoy

Happy, happy, joy, joy, joy, joy. Yup, the Smart Fourjoy is a conspicously upbeat effort from Mercedes' troubled maker of microcars. It previews what is surely the last chance for the Smart brand, the next-gen Forfour hatchback. Airy, open-plan concept has no doors or central pillars, while power comes from 17.7kWh of lithium-ion do-goodness.

Smart | Release date: 2014

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