A Colorful, Whimsical Wedding in Segovia, Spain

Jimena Von Knobloch Luengo and Jaime Landeta Rozpide did not have to search far for wedding-day inspiration. After all, the couple owns a jewelry company together that's based on one central figure: the Apodemia, a species of butterflies that travels from Brazil to Canada each year. The bride first became enamored with the butterflies while vacationing in Canada with her family—and that memory stuck with her for years to come. So much that, when she met Jaimie while at university in London, she shared the memory of the trip (and her love of nature) with her new boyfriend. A year later, after her love of crafting jewels for friends turned into a full-fledged thing, he suggested that they leave the bustling streets of London and return to his hometown of Madrid. There, they co-founded a line of jewelry—with the signature butterfly logo—called Apodemia. (She acts as the creative director, while he's the CEO.)

And just as the special butterflies had inspired their relationship and jewelry brand, they became central to the couple's big day as well. "We know Apodemia is our job, but it is also our way of life," explains the bride. "I love butterflies so we chose to place as many butterflies as possible everywhere." And on July 22, 2017, they did, adding blue paper-cut silhouettes to the escort cards and embellishments to the bride's colorful dress by Beba's Closet.

So if you're a fan of whimsical touches, beautiful jewels, and bright details, keep reading to see more of this creative couple's big day, as photographed by Juanlu Real.

The designer bride naturally wore her own jewels for the big day. "My headdress was made with more than 800 natural tiny pearls intertwined to make the whole tiara," she says.

The bride worked with Spanish designer Belen Barbero of Beba's Closet to design her dream gown. "We are a very big family, and I took my aunts, my grandmother, my best friend, and even Jaime’s mother to the studio," says Jimena. "We really looked like a gypsy wedding family all together. It was really funny!" But despite the many voices and opinions bouncing around the room, Jimena says that she and Belen connected immediately. "The moment I went in and sat with Belen, I knew we understood each other and she knew I was looking for something different and unique."

Jimena's resulting gown featured long sleeves, a full, flowing skirt, and colorful embroidery—that, yes, incorporated her signature butterfly emblem on the sleeve. She paired the dress with jewelry from her own brand, as well as her grandmother's ring and platform Miu Miu heels.

The bride completed her look with a long, beautiful veil and an organic bridal bouquet.

Jaime worked with Suitz to create a special, colorful waistcoat. He paired the design with butterfly-shaped cufflinks by Apodemia, which he also gifted to his groomsmen. Before the ceremony, the guys got together to hang out, sing, and practice for the groom's special performance at the reception.

Jimena's father gave her a kiss on her forehead before walking her down the aisle.

The couple married in front of 400 guests at Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor in Segovia. "I wanted to marry in a small village," says the bride. "And the chapel in the middle of the town is really pretty and detailed."

Inside, she added accents, like potted trees and peonies, inspired by the countryside as a special contrast to the gilded, historic space.

The couple sat at the altar alongside the groom's mother and the bride's father. The bride's sister delivered their rings during the ceremony. "It was really significant for us," says the bride of her sister's special task.

Recode Daily: Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone thinks it’s a camera

Samsung unveiled its answer to iPhone X with its new flagship Galaxy S9 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona over the weekend. The new phone looks and feels a lot like last year’s S8, so Samsung is talking about the S9 as if it were a camera, deemphasizing the “phone” while emphasizing new features such as stereo speakers and augmented-reality-based emojis. Here’s a hands-on preview from the showroom floor, and heres a roundup of the other interesting stuff from the world’s biggest mobile tech trade show.

The NRA presented FCC Chairman Ajit Pai with a “courage under fire award” — and a rifle — to honor his efforts to roll back net neutrality. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Pai was presented with the award, which is named for Charlton Heston and has been bestowed on Vice President Mike Pence and conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.

Facebook should have to pay a fine if it can’t get rid of bots, said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on NBC’s “Meet the Press” yesterday. The recent spate of harassment and conspiracy-mongering following the Parkland shootings raises some questions: What do these social media sites believe in? Are their community guidelines informed by these values and enforced the same way for everyone? And if they can’t answer those questions — why should we use them?

Here’s how Newsweek fell apart. Interviews with more than a dozen current and former Newsweek staffers make it clear that the magazine’s core had rotted long before a January raid by the Manhattan district attorney, the accusations of improper ties to a religious institution and the recent rounds of well-publicized firings and resignations.


With all the hype surrounding so-called smart things, it’s easy to forget that sometimes the old dumb stuff is just better. Some of the most mundane devices are designed to accomplish a simple task extremely well — and in some cases they still execute those duties better than their high-tech brethren. Consider: A wristwatch vs. Apple Watch; an alarm clock vs. Amazon Echo Spot; and a piece of paper vs. a tablet.

Future Nokia flagship could have five camera lenses

A few phones now have four camera lenses, with two on the back and two on the front, but an upcoming Nokia handset could go one better with five.

That's according to a user posting on Chinese site Baidu, who notes that the phone will have seven camera holes – five for lenses and two for an LED flash.

It's not clear how the lenses will be divided or what they'll be used for, but we'd guess there will be three on the back and two on the front.

Indeed, the upcoming Nokia 9 is already rumored to have two lenses on each side, so it might be gaining one more, or perhaps this rumor is talking about another handset, but whatever phone it is it's sure to be a flagship with that many lenses.

In fact, the same source also mentions that this phone will have a Snapdragon 845 chipset, which is a top-end chip, likely to be used in many of this year's most powerful phones.

So the use of such a chipset in the Nokia 9 or another Nokia flagship wouldn’t be surprising, and while a five-lens camera would be, it's not out of the question, especially as Nokia phones have often been known for their cameras in the past – albeit before HMD Global took over the brand – thanks to things like using Carl Zeiss lenses and in some cases having huge megapixel counts.

We'd take this rumor with a pinch of salt though, as so far this is just the claim of one person with no evidence to back it up. But we might find out if this is true soon, as there's a good chance the next Nokia phones will be announced at MWC 2018 in late February.

Citing security, Apple's board mandates CEO Tim Cook use private jet for all business & personal travel

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook earned a whopping $102 million in pay and awards in 2017, along with the perk of flying private wherever he travels. But the latter decision wasn't his —it was mandated by the company's board of directors, who are concerned about his safety.

Cook's private airfare in 2017 cost Apple some $93,000, according to Bloomberg. His personal security costs added nearly another $225,000 to the bill.

With Apple having just concluded its most profitable fiscal year in corporate history, and about to report what is likely its most profitable quarter in history, it's unlikely that the board minds those relatively small costs.

A much bigger sum, however, was paid to the company's top brass: Retail head Angela Ahrendts, CFO Luca Maestri, hardware engineering senior VP Dan Riccio, chief counsel Bruce Sewell, and hardware technologies VP Johny Srouji each received total compensation of about $24.2 million. Much of that, however, will only be paid out if the executives stay long enough for stock to vest.

Heading into the new year, shares of AAPL are trading near their all-time high, and north of $170, they are considerably above the 52-week low of $114.76.

The compensation and costs for Cook and other executives were revealed as part of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing this week. It's expected that Apple will report the results of the soon-to-conclude December quarter in late January or early February, followed by the company's annual shareholders meeting on Feb. 13 at the Apple Park Steve Jobs Theater.

Here's When Android 8.0 Oreo Is Coming to Your Current Phone

It’s been just over three months since Google released Android 8.0 Oreo, but unless you’re using one of the company’s own devices, you still might be missing out on the latest version of Android.

Phone-makers like Samsung, LG, HTC, and Sony often take months to bring each Android update to even their newest high-end smartphones. If you’re using a semi-recent phone and wondering when your Android 8.0 update will hit, here’s what you need to know—broken down by phone-maker.

Samsung started running an Android 8.0 beta for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in early November, and since then it’s updated the test software a couple more times. A recent leak also revealed a longer list of devicesallegedly set to get Google’s new operating system dating all the way back to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5, but it could be months (or longer) before all those updates actually arrive.

The LG v30 launched in October after Android 8.0 was already released, but still runs Android 7.0 out of the box. On Monday, the South Korean company finally offered up an Oreo preview for the phone, but only in its home country. The final software build is set to launch in Korea this December, but we still don’t know when it will be available in the U.S.

HTC’s latest flagship phone just got Android 8.0 on Monday—if you have an unlocked version. According to Mo Versi, the company’s VP of product management, they’re working to get a version for the Sprint variant “soon” as well. He also said that similar updates for the HTC 10, U Ultra, and U11 Life are in the works too.

Sony’s actually done a surprisingly good job bringing Android 8.0 to its smartphone lineup. On Monday, the company released Oreo for the Xperia XZ, XZs, and X Performance, and if you own the Xperia XZ Premium, you should already be running the new software as of late October.

Genius Bar of a new kind for Samsung

Among the most important innovations that we owe to the Apple Store, the Genius Bar is probably at the top of the list. But the affluence and the expectation of it soon erased the sense of high-end service that Apple wanted to deliver. Samsung has been watching these queues, and has thought of another more original solution.

The manufacturer has partnered with WeWork, rather high-end co-working spaces that are found in several major US cities. Users of Samsung products that encounter problems with their devices can visit three of these locations (Detroit, Miami, and Williamsburg, NY) for information and tips. All they have to do is go through WeWork's door.

The builder rented a part of the premises to install its employees, with a piece of resistance a big box of glass and steel, a kind of "Internet cafe" small format that contains Samsung hardware. Before getting the valuable info, it is possible to use the rest of the shared space to work or have a coffee.

Samsung does not offer device repair (screen change, battery replacement ...) in these Genius Bar a new genre, just tips for better use of devices. In the event of a hardware problem, the teams on the spot can always send the product for repair. The idea is not bad finally, and if the manufacturer wanted to invest in the 235 WeWork spaces, it would roughly represent half of the Apple Store.

iPhone X re-push the face recognition technology why 2017 years before the fire?

One night burst of red face recognition is not really new technology. 2012, the face of the unlock feature debut in the installation of Andrews platform Galaxy Nexus; 2015, Microsoft developed a biometric identification system Windows Hello, support for facial recognition log, Google launched known as the strongest face recognition system FaceNet; , Has not yet left the Baidu chief scientist Wu Enda announced that Baidu's face recognition technology has gone beyond Google, Ma in Germany through Alipay successful "brush face" to buy a 1948 Hanover Industrial Fair commemorative stamps.

Before the depth of learning, face recognition methods are generally divided into two steps: high-dimensional artificial feature extraction and dimensionality reduction. Popularity, each person's face by the forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks and other small combination of several regions, the machine can be based on facial geometry to extract some features to identify.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 expected to be uncovered on September 12 in China

We've been hearing a lot about Xiaomi’s latest flagship device, the Mi Mix 2. Now, a fresh leak suggests that the successor of the Mi Mix might be launched on September 12, the same day as the iPhone 8 is expected to be launched.
Over the past few days, there have been a lot of leaks about the Mi Mix 2 and little is left to imagination. While there has been no confirmation from the company about the launch date, Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun had earlier revealed that the device will be launched in the second half of the year, which makes the leaks a lot more plausible.
To recall, the Mi Mix was launched in October last year and it came with near bezel less display and curved edges. It was powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor, coupled with 4GB or 6GB RAM, up to 256GB internal storage and a 4,400mAh battery.

Philippe Starck, the man behind the Mi Mix design will also design its successor. This was confirmed by Lei Jun in a Weibo post. Starck recently shared a concept which revealed extremely thin bezels on the top, left and the right side of the Mi Mix 2. The bottom of the device houses a camera and is slightly bigger than the other sides.
The main highlight of the device will be its bezel less display and a dual camera setup. Some rumours have also revealed that the Mi Mix 2 will come with a 3D camera for facial recognition.

Coming to the leaked specifications, the Mi Mix 2 is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. It will come with an AMOLED display and a 4,500mAh battery.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is expected to be priced around CNY 4,599, which is roughly Rs. 48,000. However, like its predecessor, the Mi Mix 2 may not be launched in India and may be limited to the Chinese market only.

Apple iPhone 8 silver prototype first exposure: the back of the glass material

Accessories manufacturers out of the iPhone8 latest proofing design, it is understood that these prototypes are based on Foxconn final engineering machine manufacturing, so the credibility is still quite high.

Exposure to the iPhone8 with a silver look of color, the same positive for the silver panel, so "bangs" and the sensor hole is also particularly evident. The back of the use of a glass material, the appearance of the previous news with the iPhone8 spy photos are consistent

This morning, IT House also reported OnLeaks exposure iPhone8 real machine model, OnLeaks broke the iPhone8 with a black body, the same for the glass material. There are indications that if there is no accident, this year's appearance of the iPhone8 is the case.

In February this year, the news that Apple iPhone8 will be very special, the price will exceed 1000 US dollars. Then JP Morgan Chase analysts once again raised the iPhone8 price expectations, will be more than 1100 US dollars (about 7447 yuan).

It is reported that due to capacity problems and parts shortage reasons, iPhone 8 in the initial listing of the supply will be limited to 5 million.

How to pick a good mobile phone deal

　　Trying to find the very best smartphone contracts can be overwhelming. Many providers only offer deals for a limited time and there can be huge price disparities between different networks.



　　Right now, some of the best value phone deals you can find are on EE and Three, although O2 and Vodafone both have deals on larger data packages. Some of the best SIM only deals can be found with iD, Sky and Virgin.

　　Another challenge is working out just how much a phone deal will cost in total considering the up front fee and monthly cost. It can be helpful to add together these two prices together when comparing rates.

　　It is also worth shopping around and comparing contracts or asking your provider to try and match a better deal you have found online.

Young people in Britain are more loyal to their mobile phone network than their partners, a study has found

The survey discovered that smartphone-mad 18 to 30-year-olds spend an average of four years and two months with their network, compared to just three years and nine months in romantic relationships.

And despite a long list of gripes with both the mobile networks and their other halves, young Brits are more likely to have considered cheating on their partner than thought about switching network.

The poll was carried about by Carphone Warehouse, whose Marketing Director Dean Kramer said: "Even though eyes might start to wander when they've been with a partner a while, it seems young Brits are far more likely to tolerate debauched behaviour when it comes to their networks.

"Switching networks can sometimes be a pain, leading to people staying in unhappy relationships rather than make a move."

The top reasons Brits switch networks are to save money, have more flexibility, or they don't want to be tied to a contract.

On the other hand, only 29 percent of young Brits have actually made the switch, despite being able to save an average of £152 with Carphone Warehouse.
The most common complaints about romantic partners were not listening, chewing loudly, snoring, breaking wind and picking their nose.

Whereas for networks, the most common complaints were poor coverage, connectivity, additional charges and price increases.

However, even this isn't enough for many to move on from their network, and the most common reason for sticking is believing that the process of switching is too complicated.

Other reasons include thinking that the process will take too long, not knowing who to ask for advice and one in 10 believing that changing networks will cost them more money.

3 Phones That Stand Out From The Crowd

We all know that Samsung, Apple, LG, Sony and other giants, produces great phones, and most of us choose to buy a unit from the known producers in order to avoid being dissatisfied with the phone. If you want to try something different and want to your phone stand out from the crowd, try a device from one of the lesser known manufacturers. Some of them running on Android, so it is not that hard to get used to using them, if you have a mobile with the most widely used platform, and some of them have basically just been a little different look. Today we have chosen to present three smart phones from manufacturers, not everyone has heard of to see what they can offer.

Nextbit Robin - Cloud phone

This smartphone is not available yet, but can be ordered, running on the Android platform and is different mainly because of the appearance. It is quite unique in a light blue / turquoise color (also available in black), have sharp corners and a 5.2 "screen. The phone was developed in San Francisco, United States of employees from Google, Apple, HTC and Amazon, and is best known for its data storage. All data is in fact stored in the "cloud", so you never run out of space for photos, videos and so on. We have to see in early 2016 how they are performing in the market and whether it can attract a large audience.

Nuans Neo from Japan

This phone has Windows 10 and stand out from the crowd, mainly because it is a little thicker than most smartphones. Most Windows phones are similar, but the Japanese company Nuans have found a way to create a simple but effective design that will surely attract those who believe that appearance is important. You get the two different back covers that change the look and available in different colors and materials like wood or synthetic leather. With a 13MP camera, 2GB of RAM and a battery of 3350 mAh, we get the impression that it is a good phone. Nuans Neo runs on the Windows platform and can also be ordered, but so far only in Japan.

Jolla Jolla - a new way of thinking

Jolla is a Finnish company which was started by former employees of Nokia, which not only launched the Jolla phone, but also the unique platform it runs on - Sailfish OS. Their motto is that the world does not need a new smartphone, but a new way of thinking. The design of this phone, which was launched in November 2013 is of course quite unique. Jolla has two special characteristics - it can run Android apps and you can open and use multiple apps at the same time, without closing the other. So far we have only seen the launch of one phone from this company, so we have to see what happens in the future.

Smartphones are not cheap today, and they are not something we buy every day, so we choose usually a safe device from one of the major manufacturers, but if you think a little differently, it may well pay to take a chance, right?

Give me less, and I want more!

We can gradually get everything. We order it just over the net. As for online content, the possibilities are just as endless. And you can access it when and where you want. We decide! And we get in the head and ass.

And it is indeed with the spoiled child who has everything: The most exciting is what lies at your feet. It is that which is hard to obtain. Perhaps that is precisely why we are beginning to see more content that makes a virtue out of being limited.

I fell recently about the Swedish band John Moose, who has an interesting way to think about their music: They publish a pre-release version of their new album via a mobile app that connects up your phone's GPS. The idea is simple: The band would like to have people listen to their music in the forest quiet calm. So if you are in the woods, you can not listen to music. Simple and beautiful! And not least a brilliant way to conceptualize his music by incorporating - and limit - the context.

A case of older date is novel app "The silent history". In the app you can read the novel and access additional content, when you are at specific locations. The extra content deepens and expands the central story by including the physical context in history.

Snapchat is another example of how to restrict content. How much content on the Internet never really disappear, grow Snapchat that perishes. And it goes surely very good for them.

One does occasionally daring to limit the availability. It's the oldest trick in the book retailing, there is only a limited number of the offer, but the need for exclusivity is therefore not diminished in line with the abundance increases. And digital content that not everyone can get hold of, experienced more valuable in an over-communicated world. When we can even restrict content to a certain context, it creates a host of new conceptual possibilities.

Tips to get a cheaper mobile bill

We all dream about having more money available in everyday life and one of the ways we can get that is by getting a cheaper mobile bill. But how can you do it? In fact, it is possible for virtually anyone to save a little extra on mobile bill, but it can as a consumer be hard to figure out how exactly does.

Have you now a very cheap mobile subscription, the only solution would probably be to reduce your consumption. This you obviously do away with yourself if you can. However, it does not need to be specially much it takes, in order to save money on your mobile bill. Read on below and get some good advice on how you can save money on your phone bill!

I buy too many apps?
Many use relatively much money on apps, they do not use. One can easily understand that it can be tempting to buy an app, for example, can help to structure one's life better. But do you use it at all next week. What you do with yourself. If you make many impulse that you do not make use of subsequent, there may at least be really save money on mobile bills in the long term, if you make your purchases of apps less. When you buy apps, many of them will definitely make use of data. If you forget to close them down, they will stand in the background and it can lead to a large data consumption when the month is over. Therefore, you should always close the apps down that you do not use.

I hear much music?
Virtually all of today use their mobile phones to listen to music through. One can say that it largely has replaced the conventional Ipod, as many went around with in the old days. Do you hear much music while looking to save money on your mobile bill, then you can consider to reduce your consumption of music. Especially if you use streaming services like Apple Music, Tidal or Spotify. It is quite another if the tracks, streaming is on your phone and you are not supposed to access the Internet to access the tracks.

Do you use a lot of data to listen to music via music services, so it may well be worth considering whether there might be money to be saved by booking a cellular network, which included a music service. Found in the Danish telecommunications companies a number of different subscriptions, which for example is included Tidal or Spotify. So it is worth checking whether you can either upgrade your current service plan or find another service provider that offers this at a good price.

Talk over the Internet, if you are connected to WiFi
Are you connected to a WiFi network with your mobile, you pay nothing to use the Internet. This allows you to take advantage of some of the many online calling options where you can free call to people of all countries, without it costing anything. There are a variety of services that offer this, including Skype, Messenger and Whatsapp. Do you have easy access to a WIFI virtually all the time, you may want to buy a mobile subscription with a little less talk and can therefore thus be a fine amount to save on a monthly basis.

Since by now included free SMS and MMS, in all subscriptions, it is not just a necessity to make use of the online services to communicate in writing.

Find a plan that fits your needs
Many have a phone subscription where they pay too much money for something that they do not use. It can for example be that you have a subscription, which is substantially more speech included, than you may use. This can also apply with your data usage. Of course we want all so cheap mobile as possible, and therefore it is all worth checking up on its usage to see if there is money to be saved in some places.

The way you can find out your current consumption, among other things by checking your latest mobile bills to see how much voice and data you've used. Slightly depending on your cell phone, you can actually see how much data you have used by looking in your settings. This you can do by logging into your carrier's website and go to self-service section. Here you will also see how your spending has been.

When you have figured out your spending, you have a good starting point when you need to find your new mobile subscription. Here you know so precisely how much talk and how much data you need to look for. Your subscription will of course also depends on whether you want added services such as Spotify. For easy and quick to sort through various subscriptions, you can use our list of the best mobile subscriptions. You can find this under the "mms".

Always remember to check up on whether you are binding on your current subscription before changing to a new provider. It's actually easier to change telephone subscriptions and mobile company than most people think. All you have to do is just to order a subscription with a new mobile. So ensure the company to move your number and so on over to them.

When you are abroad
Many come home from an otherwise wonderful holiday for quite a shock when they see their mobile phone bill. This is because many are not aware of what the prices are for example SMS and calls when they are abroad. Before you go away on vacation, you should always check up on what the prices are in your current subscription when you are abroad.

To save money during the holiday, we recommend that you always put your cell phone on airplane mode and turn data roaming off, and everything else that is connected to the Internet. This should you like to do, right from when you get into the plane, as this may otherwise lead to an expensive mobile bill. Unless of course you have access to wifi, so you should try to limit your consumption of data and text as much as the head possible.

Do you have access to WIFI, you can therefore benefit greatly by using the online communication tools like Messenger, Whatsapp or Skype to send messages and make calls. By now there is free WIFI in almost all hotels, and it is also possible to connect up to the Internet in most cafes and restaurants.

When you are abroad, it can also be a good idea to turn the answering machine off. This applies especially outside the EU, where you can risk having to pay a lot if there are many who call you.

If you follow some of the advice we have written above, you are already well on the way to save money on your phone bill!

BlackBerry to pull out of Pakistan over government surveillance

Smartphone and secure communications company BlackBerry will pull out of Pakistan by the end of the year over government intrusions into user privacy.

The Pakistani government has banned the use of the company’s BlackBerry Enterprise servers, which provide encrypted data and communications services to BlackBerry mobile phones.

BlackBerry will “exit the country entirely” on 30 December, when BlackBerry mobile phones within the country will cease to operate. Originally BlackBerry was due to pull out in November, but the ban on its servers was put back by a month by Pakistan.

BlackBerry chief operating officer Marty Beard said: “The truth is that the Pakistani government wanted the ability to monitor all BlackBerry Enterprise Service traffic in the country, including every email and BBM message. But BlackBerry will not comply with that sort of directive.

“We do not support ‘back doors’ granting open access to our customers’ information and have never done this anywhere in the world.”

Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority ordered mobile phone operators and BlackBerry to cease using BlackBerry servers in July for “security reasons”. BlackBerry’s secure servers cannot be intercepted by the Pakistan government, meaning that messaging services, email and browsing can be obfuscated from snooping. But BlackBerry insists that it will respond to “lawful government investigative requests of criminal activity”.

Beard said: “Pakistan’s demand was not a question of public safety; we are more than happy to assist law enforcement agencies in investigations of criminal activity. Rather, Pakistan was essentially demanding unfettered access to all of our BES customers’ information. The privacy of our customers is paramount to BlackBerry, and we will not compromise that principle.”

BlackBerry has faced similar problems in the past in India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. In 2010, BlackBerry services were banned within the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Bans were lifted in some states but with tightened restrictions.

For Pakistan, BlackBerry’s exit comes after a ramping up of government surveillance, which Privacy International said was an abuse of communications surveillance powers, including widespread internet-monitoring and censorship.

Hello, it's me. On a flip-phone. Samsung unveils clamshell model

We all owe Adele an apology. After the internet mercilessly took the piss out of the flip-phone she used in her video for Hello (a decision the director said was thought through – “it’s so distracting to see an iPhone in a movie”), news has emerged that Samsung is releasing a flip model.

In photographs that were (probably) greeted with much suspicion – because, flip-phone, 2015 – the SM-W2016 looks a little bit like a clamshell version of the Galaxy S6.

According to Sammobile, the new phone will include 64GB storage, 3GB RAM, 16 megapixel and 5 megapixel cameras and will run Android Lollipop.

Samsung did actually bring a flip-phone to the market back in July – but only in Korea. And it’s unclear whether Samsung is planning to bring the SM-W2016 to the European or US markets but let’s hope so, because I’m excited at the prospect of playing a businessman circa 2002.

Back in December 2014, I wrote about my love affair with clamshell models, which allow a (literally) snappy end to a conversation; an “onomatopoeic full-stop” as I put it then.

There was something a little sassy in a flip-phone, and it was perfectly sized for all pockets. Now, phones are so large it’s often difficult to sit down if they are being carried in jeans.

Adele and I aren’t the only fans. Anna Wintour and Rihanna have also been spotted with humble clamshells. Who wants to tell Drake that the only reason we stopped calling him on his cell phone was because he switched to a smartphone?

HTC One A9: an iPhone for Android users who prefer 'open'

HTC has decided that the best way to win in a market dominated by Apple and Samsung is to try and beat Apple at its own game, with the One A9.

The One A9 runs Google’s latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, has familiar HTC features such as its Zoe camera mode and a new fingerprint sensor for Android Pay support. But it is in the design department that HTC has pulled out all the stops to try and tempt iPhone buyers with a device that is the spitting image of an iPhone 6S.

It has an all-metal body, slim 7.26mm profile, rounded edges and a glass screen.

HTC describes the One A9’s design as “an evolution of the iconic HTC One family”. The Taiwanese company was the first to build a smartphone with an all-metal body, while its inlayed plastic lines for antenna performance were introduced with the One M8 in 2014.

Its all-glass front with curved edges, fingerprint sensor under the home button and bottom-mounted headphones port will all look rather familiar to iPhone 6s users.

Cher Wang, chief executive of HTC said: “HTC is a smartphone pioneer, having delivered the first Android smartphone, the first Windows smartphone, the first 4G smartphone, and the first all-metal smartphone.
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“Today we’re taking that heritage of innovation to the next level, unveiling a phone that stands apart in a market increasingly dominated by a company which controls every aspect of your phone.”

The One A9 contains Qualcomm’s new mid-range Snapdragon 617 processor, 16 or 32GB of storage with a microSD card slot, a 13-megapixel camera and a 5in 1080p AMOLED screen. But the A9 does not include HTC’s characteristic front-facing Boom Sound speakers.

HTC has included a “sensor hub”, similar to that used in Google’s new Nexus smartphones, and the A9 will be one of the first smartphones beyond Google’s to have the new Now on Tap and other Marshmallow features.

After many firsts in the smartphone world and a peak of 11% worldwide market share in 2011, HTC is facing a downward spiral with falling sales and marketshare. This decline recently saw its removal from the Taiwan stock exchange’s blue chip index putting it outside the top 50 biggest companies in its home nation.

The company has been hit hard both by Apple and Samsung, which dominate developed markets such as the UK, as well as fierce competition from Chinese firms such as Xiaomi and Huawei, which partnered with Google to make the Nexus 6P.

Apple iPhone 6S hits stores with record sales expected on first weekend

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus hit stores around the world on Friday, at the start of what is expected to be a record weekend for sales of Apple Inc’s marquee product.

Eager buyers – joined by at least one robot – flocked to Apple stores from Sydney to New York, itching to get their hands on the new models, which boast a 3D touch feature and an improved camera.

“The first thing I’m going to do is take a picture,” Lithuanian student Justina Siciunaite, 25, said after buying a rose-gold iPhone 6S from Apple’s flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

At the Apple Store in Soho, by 10am the line still rounded the corner and spanned an entire block on Greene Street. Apple employees were scattered along the sidewalk to ensure order and encourage pedestrians who stopped and stared to keep moving.

But while some standing in line were diehards like John Kim, who said he was an “Apple fan” as he dashed from the store, new iPhone in hand and late for work, many were not the longtime enthusiasts one might expect.

Aaron Bock, who exited the store at 11.15am with a 64g white iPhone 6S said he had “never gotten an iPhone on the first day before”. He was “really shocked how easy it was, especially after having seen how crazy people were in previous years”.

Bock claimed it was a “really good process, smooth, easy”, since he made a reservation beforehand and only spent 20 minutes in line and 25 minutes inside.

But he did notice that the non-reservation line dragged. And that it was primarily made up of visitors to the US, including “a lot of Asian tourists”.

The lines boasted a large number of non-Americans. Of the 10 people the Guardian spoke to, only two were from America.

Mihkel Mäesalu, who was from Estonia and was in New York for a vacation, had been in the line since 7.30am. He was blasé about the event and claimed the wait was “not a big deal” since he had podcasts to listen to. His flight home was later that day. When asked why he decided to spend his last day in New York waiting in line, he said: “I figured why not?”

Jacqui Skoyles, from London and in town for a wedding, said she “would never line up” if she were back home.

“It’s cheaper here than in the UK. I think it’s about £200 [$300] cheaper,” she said. “I’m not fussed about rose-gold or whatnot, I just want a phone that works. If we’re still in line after an hour, we’ll leave. ”

About half way through the line, Don King waited patiently. He said that he had been there since 6:50am. Originally from Australia, he and his wife were in the US for a four week road trip and his phone was “near death”. So he lined up for a new one “out of necessity”.

“I wanted the newest one because I knew I would regret it if I bought an older one,” he said.

Nimrod and Shirit Rinky, who were visiting from Israel, were in line for a friend back home. Despite being seventh in the reservations line after only a few minutes, they agreed they were unprepared for the scene they were walking into.

“I’m texting him right now, telling him he’s a son of a bitch,” Nimrod said with a laugh. “I don’t think we would have done this if we knew what it would be like.”

Analysts expect 12m to 13m phones to fly off the shelves in the first weekend, up from more than 10m last year when the launch of the hugely successful iPhone 6 was delayed in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market.

Apple, whose shares were up 1% in pre-market trading, has said pre-orders suggested sales were on pace to beat last year’s first-weekend performance.

Among the first to pick up the new iPhone 6S in a cold, rainy Sydney was a telepresence robot named Lucy, operated by marketing executive Lucy Kelly.

“I obviously have my work and other things to attend to and can’t spend two days lining up so my boss at work suggested I take one of the robots down and use it to stand in my place,” she said, via an iPad mounted on top of the wheeled robot.

After a dramatic redesign last year, which included an enlarged screen and the addition of mobile payments, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus boast more modest improvements.

The phones, which are the same size as last year’s models, feature 3D touch, a display technology based on a “Taptic Engine” that responds according to how hard users press their screens.

Several reviewers have said the new features might not be compelling enough to persuade iPhone 6 users to upgrade.

“You might not feel the usual pull to get a new iPhone unless you really want a better front-facing camera,” Nilay Patel of the Verge said in a review published on Tuesday.

Apple has said just a fraction of its customers have upgraded to the iPhone 6, suggesting there is plenty of room to grow this year.

Sales of iPhones accounted for nearly two-thirds of Apple’s revenue in the latest quarter. First released in 2007, it is Apple’s best-selling device to date.

Repair firm iFixit, which opened up an iPhone 6S and 6S Plus on Friday, said battery capacity was down “a bit”, probably to accommodate the Taptic Engine. Apple has said battery life is unchanged in the new phones.

The new iPhones use chips made by, among others, Qualcomm Inc, Avago Technologies Ltd, Qorvo Inc’s TriQuint Semiconductor and RF Micro Devices, Texas Instruments Inc and Skyworks Solutions Inc.

The iPhone 6S houses NAND flash memory chips made by Toshiba Corp, while the iPhone 6 used memory chips made by SanDisk Corp. The 5S used memory chips made by SK Hynix Inc.

Lackluster offerings this year from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will help Apple stand out in the marketplace, analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy wrote in an email. “Over the long haul, the 6s will eclipse the 6 as Apple is even more competitive versus Samsung in emerging regions and is gaining share in traditional regions,” Moorhead said.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus start at $199 and $299 respectively with a two-year service-provider contract.

Apple’s shares were trading at $116.20 in pre-market trading on Friday. Through Thursday’s close, the stock had risen 2.4% since Apple unveiled its latest iPhones on 9 September.

What Apple needs to get right with its new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

Apple is expected to launch a pair of new iPhones at its 9 September event in San Francisco, and along with it a renewed push for its Siri and HomeKit features.
But if Apple intends its devices to become the central hubs of people’s connected homes, or even just to persuade customers to upgrade, what does the company need to get right with its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus?

From battery life to cameras and Siri, Apple’s next iPhone needs to justify the upgrade Photograph: Rolex Dela Pena/EPA

Apple’s iPhone update cycle traditionally rotates in a “tick-tock” alternating pattern. One year, the major upgrade will be a refresh of the hardware design, and the next, the emphasis will be on improving the insides and adding new services.
The iPhone 5, released in 2012, represented the “tick” with its larger 4in screen, new body design and upgraded camera. In 2013, iPhone 5s was the “tock” with its Touch ID fingerprint-sensor and faster processor.

Last year brought another tick with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which means we can expect the 9 September announcement to introduce “tock” versions of those devices, with specification and feature improvements.

A faster iPhone will always find plenty of buyers, particularly among people who, due to their mobile contract, last upgraded two years ago, and are locked in to Apple’s ecosystem.

But to address the “floating voter” of smartphones – the 20% of the smartphone-buying population that actually switches between platforms – Apple needs to get a few things right.

Batteries

The biggest pain point for almost every iPhone user is battery life. Apple chose to shrink its devices in thickness and weight, which left less space for a larger battery.
The number of people I see every day searching for a Lightning cable to charge their dying phone, which they had on charge overnight, speaks volumes both to the number of iPhones out there and the daily fight for power.
Solid two-day battery life is possible. Sony has proved that a high-performance, slim phone with a 1080p screen similar to that fitted to the iPhone 6 Plus can last two days. Apple should be able to do it too.

Cameras

Apple has always touted the iPhone’s camera as the best in the business, going as far as to launching a marketing campaign simply displaying photos taken by iPhones.
But competitors have arguably bettered it and not just by increasing the number of megapixels. Apple’s next camera should include improved autofocus, optical image stabilisation within the iPhone 6S, not just the larger Plus, and a better selfie camera.
Users seem to love taking selfies. Many of Apple’s competitors have responded with better front-facing cameras, with improved low-light performance and wider angle lenses. Apple’s FaceTime camera could do with an upgrade.

Siri

Apple’s Siri is one of the most personable voice assistants – users can talk to it and have a conversation with it – but beyond simple things such as setting timers and alarms, Siri often falls flat.

Siri is likely to take a central role in Apple’s efforts to conquer the home with its HomeKit automation system. But to do that, Apple has to convince users to talk more to Siri, to make accessing features and systems through voice more of the normal than the exception.

The situation is likely better outside of Britain, where talking out loud to an inanimate object makes us feel terribly awkward, but it’s a barrier which Apple must try to break.

New Force Touch display?

Analysts and rumour mongers have speculated that Apple will bring its pressure-sensitive screen technology from the Apple Watch and its MacBook touchpads to the iPhone.

Force Touch, as it is known on the Apple Watch, can detect a more forceful touch gesture and is used as a right click-like analogue. If brought to the iPhone, Apple needs to learn from its smartwatch and make it much more obvious when a heavier touch gesture can bear fruit.

Too often on the Apple Watch it’s unclear when to Force Touch and when not to, leading to never ending trial and error and frustration.

Convincing users to upgrade from two or three-year-old iPhones to the latest model is not going to be a challenge for Apple, but to justify its high price and premium status, the next generation iPhone must at least bring some real-world benefits over last year’s larger screens.

Now you can get Samsung Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge in real gold

Hanoi is like the El Dorado of gold-plated phones with the Karalux Store pumping out gilded versions of various flagships. It worked through the Galaxy flagship line and has just unveiled the gold Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6 edge.

The engineers took the phones apart, a process that takes 10 steps. The flagship duo is made out of 7000 series aluminum, 60% stronger and lighter than stainless steel. Those metal parts are than taken through a complicated process to first lay a base, then gold plate them and finally put on a protective layer on top. It's the same process that was used to gold-plate this Rolls-Royce.

The gold-plating process alone costs VND 8 million ($355), phone + gold plating is VND 25 million ($1110). If you're in Hanoi, you can visit the Karalux Store where the gilded phablets are available for viewing.