Android rush

Samsung has patented a transparent screen with front and back touch capabilities. Some believe the technology could hit the Galaxy S5 but to be honest we think it’s very unlikely the feature would reach Samsung’s next flagship instalment, which is rumoured to be coming at the start of 2014.

The patent allows the user to touch the back of the device and open a folder from a list or additional pop up for features such as photos or notes without navigating away from the display on the front.

Another way the technology can work is by having two overlapping objects active on the device, one controlled by the front of the device and another by the back. Other features which are used on most front screen displays such as patterns for unlocking and controlling video are also detailed in the patents.

The patent was filed in the first half of 2013 in the US and a year earlier in Korea which makes it a little difficult to tell how far along in the research and development process Samsung really is. As far as we know no other manufacturers have patented transparent display technologies so it’s likely Samsung will be one step ahead of the competition once they begin to filter into the market.

Another application the patent shows is setting an alarm clock on the front display and then controlling the time and date with the back display. The technology could be applied to a number of smartphone functions. It would be interesting in playing video allowing you to continue watching whilst checking that text message you’ve just received.

That’s even before contemplating how game developers could use the technology. Most mobile gaming is controlled via a smartphone's touch screen display so two displays would essentially mean two controllers. The possibilities are endless and it seems like Samsung has caught onto that idea.

Big news for any TV buffs out there. HBO and Google Play UK have entered a deal which sees a mass of hit shows available on the mobile store for the first time in the UK. Huge hit series Game of Thrones is amongst the batch of shows heading to Google Play’s store.

Other shows include True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Girls and Veep, which are all available to either buy or stream from Google Play now. Down the line hits from HBO’s history such as The Wire, The Sopranos and Band of Brothers will also be available on the platform.

"We are delighted to bring our wide range of programming to Google Play in the UK, and expand on our existing relationship in the US," said HBO's Colin Smith.

"This is an exciting time for HBO in the digital space and we can't wait to work with Google over the coming weeks and months to deliver all of our series and films to their platform, including a host of new and returning HBO shows throughout 2014."

They won’t come cheap though. A season of Game of Thrones will cost £18.49, True Blood £17.49 and Boardwalk Empire cost £21.99. HD quality seasons will also cost more. Singular episodes of Game of Thrones cost £1.89.

Tesco’s Blinkbox service secured the rights to Game of Thrones earlier this year but rivals Netflix, Apple and LoveFilm haven’t been able to secure the rights.

We’re probably all familiar with the exhilaration of making a paper plane that can fly a good distance, but in some ways it never seems far enough. That’s where the Power Up 3.0 Smart Module comes in, a device which will turn your paper planes into fully phone-controlled aircraft.

The device has appeared on Kickstarter, where inventor Shai Goitein is attempting to fund a fully developed commercial product. It looks likely to take off too (sorry) as the invention won the Best of NY Toy Fair 2013 award and has generated a massive $200,000 funding, flying past (sorry) its $50,000 crowdfunding goal.

The carbon fibre-built Power Up 3.0 simply slips onto a paper plane and includes a motor, propeller and rudder, as well as the necessary communications hardware to link up to your phone. A single charge will give you 10 minutes of flight – around 180 feet, apparently. Goitein has also designed the device to be durable, describing it as “crash proof” so you should be able to use it on plane after plane regardless of how your flights pan out.

Goitien has developed an iOS controller app but is also working on an Android version. Funding is still ongoing until January 25 and pledgers will be eligible to receive a beta version of the toy. A full retail model is expected to appear around June 2014.

And if you need any further proof of why this thing is awsomesauce then check out the embedded Youtube video showing the PowerUp in action.

An android user has accidently sent a photo of his private parts to his mum after using what he calls a buggy SMS app. The man then posted the story on Reddit which has proven popular with its users.

The man was using a free SMS replacement app called “hello” when he accidently sent the photo. He was attempting to send an image of a new car he was interested in but he tapped slightly to far right on the screen which sent the explicit photo.

The app which is available on the Google Play store sends the photo to the recipient immediately without the ability to preview or cancel the photo. This meant instead of sending a photo of the car he attached a photo of his privates.

As mentioned by other Reddit users, Thanksgiving is going to be an awfully awkward time this year. You do have to question why he even had a photo of that saved on his phone anyway but we wouldn’t want to inflict any naked photos onto any of our family members.

Sony has filed a patent for the SmartWig, another addition to the wearable technology sector. The patent says the SmartWig can be worn when you have natural hair and will cover “at least part of a head of a user.”

The device will be used for communication; can help in navigation through GPS as well as measuring blood pressure for things like health apps.

Sony believes the device could be “used as a kind of combined technically intelligent item and fashion item at the same time.” The communication interface and sensors are meant to be hidden from sight by the wig when in use.

Sony continued: “The usage of a wig has several advantages that, compared to known wearable computing devices, include a significantly increased user comfort.”

Google and Samsung have paved the way with wearable smart technology; a market many believe will take off during 2014. Samsung has already released its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, whilst Google Glass technology is currently in development.

The one question we have is, why wigs? Eyewear and watches are significantly more common and it makes sense for them to get a smart technology boost, but wigs aren’t that common. Sony says: “it is to be noted that the wearable computing device proposed herein may be worn by any people, even by people who usually do not wear wigs.”

“Wigs are useful to enhance a user's appearance and change other's impressions because different hairstyles give different impressions. Thus, many people use wigs. Especially bald people that usually wear wigs in their daily life could take advantage of the wide variety of functions that are provided by the wearable computing device proposed herein.”

The Lumia 525 is now official and offers a Windows Phone 8 product to those on a budget. At the moment there are only plans to release the Nokia Lumia 525 in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Although the 525 is set to replace the 520 the specs are almost identical to the first iteration. The only major change inside the device is the amount of RAM, which has been doubled from 512MB to 1GB.

Externally the Lumia 525 is identical to the 520 offering the popular feature of interchangeable rear covers again which allow you to personalise the look of your smartphone.

The handset has a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. It sports a 5-megapixel rear facing camera and a 4-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display. There’s also 8GB of internal storage and the option to add more with the microSD slot.

Although extra RAM has given a good piece of kit an upgrade, the lack of a front facing camera could be a real turn off to some consumers. There’s currently no word on price, release date or whether a European release is on the cards.

Check out our review of the Nokia Lumia 520.We described the Nokia 520 as: “A very well rounded package for the price which goes well beyond other devices in this bracket. Ideal if you're looking for something simple, straightforward and affordable.”

High street retailer Argos, famous for catalogues and little blue pens, is expecting a busy Christmas, so has partnered up with O2 to offer free high-speed Wi-Fi in all its stores.

All 735 Argos stores across UK and Ireland will offer the free internet no matter what service provider your device is connected to. If the customer is with O2 they will connect to the service automatically when entering the store.

The move comes after Argos has announced it is dropping the catalogue system in favour of online shopping. Customers can now purchase their products on their devices in store and collect them moments later. The internet access is also available for other personal use.

Managing director of Argos, John Walden said: "We have seen strong growth in mobile transactions with sales through mobile devices now accounting for 16 per cent of our total sales. We know there is a strong appetite from our customers to have the convenience of accessing their devices on the move, in a way that suits them.”

"Free high speed O2 Wi-Fi in our stores is great for customers and it also enables our stores to provide even better customer service by sharing online content such as extended ranges, enhanced photography and even product videos with customers."

Argos has over 124 million customers in store every year who can now take advantage of the free internet to check their emails or update their status.

There are many problems with losing or having your smartphone stolen, one of them involves losing your contact list.

One pickpocket realised the stress he’d caused his victim and decided to send the owners 11 handwritten pages of contacts.

The incident happened in China when Zou Bin had his Apple smartphone stolen during a taxi ride with the pickpocket.

Zou then messaged the saying: "I know you are the man who sat beside me. I can assure you that I will find you.”

"Look through the contact numbers in my mobile and you will know what trade I am in, send me back the phone to the address below if you are sensible."

Soon after he received a package including his SIM card and his 1,000 contacts all written out by hand.

Zou told the Hindustan Times: "It would take a while to write from one to one thousand, let alone names and a whole string of digits. I suppose (the thief's) hand is swelling.”

Clearly this thief had a conscience and knew how much of a pain it is when you lose all your contacts. The moral of the story is back up your contact list as often as possible.