X-Factor fans and wannabe pop-stars alike could be in with a chance of winning a day to make their idols envious thanks to Samsung. They've teamed up with Phones4u to offer a the chance to shoot a music video with N-Dubz and X-Factor judging star Tulisa Contostavlos.

One hundred competition winners will win a spot in the "alternative" video toTulisa's new solo single, shot, naturally, on Samsung Galaxy handsets.

"I'm really excited to be working with Samsung and Phones 4u as I launch the next phase of my career. My fans are massively important to me, so I'm really looking forward to being able to give them the chance to be part of my new work and can't wait to see my fan-made music video," said Tulisa.

Simon Stanford, Managing Director, UK & IRE Telecommunications & Networks Division said: "Samsung is delighted to be working with one of the UK's most well-known music artists. Tulisa has a huge fanbase amongst Phones 4u customers who I am sure will be extremely excited by this exclusive promotion. Our range of premium Galaxy devices all feature our leading mobile technology - including high spec cameras, HD recording and playback and superior screen technology for viewing that content - so we're excited to see the alternative music video that Tulisa's fans will be creating for her."

To be in with a chance of winning the prize, you need to pick up a handset from Samsung's Galaxy range (either the Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy Note or Galaxy Nexus) from Phones 4u between the 27th January and15th March 2012. You'll then be given a raffle ticket, entering you into the competition.

Phones 4U are also offering their customers exclusive Tulisa content including video footage, photographs and wallpapers, while Tulisa is set to make a guest appearance in the best-performing Phone 4U store in the country.

They may be focussed on plugging their Windows Phone Lumia smartphones at the moment, but Nokia spared some time today to mark a quite staggering milestone for their other OS.

The Finnish company announced today that they've now sold 1.5 billion Symbian Series 40 device. 1.5 billion.

1,500,000,000.

For comparison, the iPhone, across all model variants in the smartphone's lifetime, has only managed to shift 183 million units.

"We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products," said Mary McDowell, EVP for mobile phones at Nokia.

"At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world - it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people's lives for the better."

The 1.5 billionth handset was sold to Mayara Rodrigues, a 21-year-old a Brazilian woman in Sao Paolo. She picked up a Nokia Asha 303 (pictured).

A pity then that Symbian is such a frustrating, buggy OS. We wonder how many of those 1.5 billion users have been burned badly enough by the OS to make them never want to try a Nokia smartphone again, Windows Phone OS or otherwise?

O2 have apologised for and fixed a problem with their network that was giving away their users' mobile phone numbers every time they accessed a website from their handsets.

Spotted this morning, the security issue meant that any website owner could harvest an O2 user's number, regardless of whether or not they were given permission.

Irate O2 customers attacked the firm on Twitter, leading to a swift fix from the network and the issuing of the following statement:

"We have seen the report published this morning suggesting the potential for disclosure of customers' mobile phone numbers to website owners. We investigated, identified and fixed it this afternoon. We would like to apologise for the concern we have caused.

"In between the 10th of January and 1400 Wednesday 25th of January, in addition to the usual trusted partners, there has been the potential for disclosure of customers' mobile phone numbers to further website owners."

Though many users were fearful that other sensitive details may also have been leaked, O2 stressed that "the only information websites had access to is your mobile number, which could not have been linked to any other identifying information we have about customers."

"Routine maintenance" was cited as the root cause of the problems.

Is O2's response satisfying closure on the problem today? Or has it dented your trust in the brand? Let us know in the comments below.

Via: Tech Radar

O2 could be about to face a serious customer backlash, after it was revealed today that the network was revealing users mobile phone numbers to websites they visit on their handsets.

Twitter user @lewispeckover spotted the problem, and put together this simple website that illustrates the issue.

The site shows the x-up-calling-line-id header, a script which requests the user's phone number, has been given by O2 free reign to harvest user details when visiting the page on a mobile phone. Any website could request the same information, meaning O2 may have a serious problem when it comes to their privacy and data protection methods.

With both Tesco Mobile and GiffGaff using O2's infrastructure, it's likely that their users are affected by the problem too.

O2 are said to be investigating the matter as a "top priority". And considering the potential phishing scams that could be run with this, so they should be.

We'll pass on any new findings as the story develops.

An exciting new HTC handset has leaked ahead of Mobile World Congress 2012, offering Beats Audio in an Android smartphone, presumably for those on a budget.

The HTC Primo is the leaked mobile in question, running Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Despite being tipped as a budget offering from HTC, the specs being touted put it in a par with many a full-price top-end smartphone. A 3.7-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5MP rear camera with 720p HD video capture seems too good for pocket money pricing, right?

As mentioned, it's getting the full Beats Audio branding, which also means there could be a free pair of the reasonably impressive Beats Audio Headphones thrown into this budget-friendly package too.

Stuff.tv have put together the mock-up image posted here, with their money going on HTC dropping capacitive buttons for a full touch-screen only offering, as is pushed by Google's Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

We'll undoubtedly have more on this one come MWC 2012, so keep an eye on Tech Digest for all our coverage of the show from February 27th onwards.

LG are rumoured to be using next months MWC 2012 show to reveal their second 3D smartphone, the LG Optimus 3D 2.

The successor to last year's Optimus 3D, it's currently knocking around the rumour mill with the codename CX2 attached.

Said to be slimmer than its predecessors' at 10mm thick, it's thought to run off of a 1.2GHz TI processor with a 4.3 inch glasses-free 3D display. Screen resolution looks set to land at 800 x 480, while the same Nova technology found in the Optimus Black will offer 700nits of brightness, giving 3D content a boost as well as helping to view the phone's screen comfortably in direct sunlight.

The Optimus 3D was a bit of a niche phone when it launched last year, and with LG still backing the Texas Instruments processor here when they're set to go quad-core with Nvidia's Tegra 3 in their other smartphone handsets, it seems the CX2 will be finding a similarly small audience.

Still, we're always happy to be pleasantly surprised, so will be keeping a close eye on how this handset performs come next month's mobile show.

Via: Pocket Now

LG's next smartphone wave has been leaked online, prior to an expected showcase at Mobile World Congress 2012.

Codenamed the X3, the handset is purportedly packing a 4.7 inch display running at a HD resolution of 1280 x 720. A quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset powers the handset, squeezed into a slim 9mm thick chassis. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and NFC tech will both be on-board, alongside an 8MP main camera and 1.3MP front facing one.

Will LG's latest smartphone fare better than the Optimus 2X, which paled in comparison to Samsung's Galaxy SII despite being officially the world's first dual-core handset? If LG can prevent the software problems that plagued that handsets launch, it's all up for grabs.

We'll inevitably bring you more on the handset come Mobile World Congress 2012, which kicks off next month.

Via: Pocket Now

Sony's Xperia Kumquat handset has popped up online once again, this time showing itself far more clearly than the blurry leaks that preceded it.

With a similar bright-strip notifications bar to the Xperia S, the Kumquat is said to be a little thinner than and with a lower resolution than the Xperia S.

It's said to feature a 3.5-inch display at 480x854 (FWGA) resolution, with a 5MP camera and 720p video recording abilities.

As previously reported, the handset is thought to be powered by a 1GHz NovaThor U8500 CPU

The handset was first spotted among a group of 11 Sony mobiles expected to hit MWC 2012 next month. As well as the Kumquat, the group included codenamed handsets like the Atlas, the Mint, the Affm, the Lotus, the Olive, the Tapioca and the Nypon.

We'll have more on the Kumquat we expect during MWC 2012 next month, where the handset it expected to make its official debut.

Via: Xperiablog

Joint CEO's Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down from their top-level roles at the BlackBerry-owning firm.

Founder Lazaridis will now take the role of vice chairman, with Jim Balsillie taking a non-operational role on the board of directors. Thorsten Heins will now be the singular CEO, with Barbara Stymiest is the new independent board chair.

It's the culmination of an incredibly testing few months for BlackBerry, which saw the brand name tarnished by network outages, poor BlackBerry PlayBook sales and the role of BlackBerry Messenger as a means of communication for the London rioters.

There is no indication that the pair have been forced out of their previous roles, though one would expect that the enormous pressure felt would have influenced their hands. In a statement Balsillie said:

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognise the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond."

And so, in the video below, introducing Thorsten Heins, new RIM CEO:

The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Nokia phone to boast Windows Phone and comes with Mango as standard. Sporting a seamless 'polymer' design and a 3.7 inch touch screen - the Nokia Lumia 800 is the Windows Phone we've been waiting for.

Now with Three's all-you-can-eat data, you'll have all the internet you'll ever need. Tech Digest is offering one lucky reader the chance to get their hands on this cool new smartphone. It comes with a Pay As You Go SIM pre-loaded with all-you-can-eat data so you'll be free to stream, download, tweet and surf the web without ever worrying about the cost - there literally are no limits.

To be in with a chance of winning the handset, follow these two simple steps:

1) "Like" the Tech Digest Facebook page, which can be found by clicking here.

2) Leave us a message telling us why you think you deserve to win the Nokia Lumia 800, and what you''ll do with it, either via our Facebook page (with the message text starting with "TD NOKIA LUMIA 800") or by sending us an email explaining why you should win the smartphone to shinymediacomps@gmail.com, with the subject header "TD NOKIA LUMIA 800".

Good Luck!

Terms and Conditions

1. Only one entry per person will be counted. Only entrants who are also Tech Digest Facebook page fans will be eligible to win.
2. The competition closes at 5pm GMT on Monday 20th February 2012. No entries will be considered after then.
3. This competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland.
4. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winner will be notified within seven days of the closing date.
6. All prizes are non transferable and there are no cash alternatives.
7. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Keep an eye on www.techdigest.tv/promotions and the Tech Digest Facebook page, for chances to win more prizes in the future!

Nokia have announced that the second update for their Windows Phone 7 Lumia 800 handset has begun to roll out, with the battery-boosting fix hitting all handsets within two weeks.

The update fixes a big complaint from Lumia 800 owners who were noticing their smartphone's battery could never hold it maximum charging capacity, leading to just a few hours of usable time with the Lumia 800. Staying true to their word, Nokia have managed to push out a fix for the problem just a few weeks after it was brought to their attention.

The Nokia conversations blog states:

"The update will not be delivered to every Lumia 800 simultaneously, but rather will be staggered over the next two weeks through Microsoft's standard update process. This helps each owner get the update without any hitches. Around half of owners will get the update in the next seven days, with the remainder over the following seven days."

The update (software version number 1600.2483.8106.11500) is being rolled out nice and transparently by Nokia, which is sure to win them favour with the disgruntled Lumia 800 owners.

Did you upgrade from one smartphone to another over the Christmas period? Maybe you jumped from one operating system, like Google's Android, to Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft or iOS with the iPhone?

But it doesn't have to be that way! Follow a few simple steps, and your new smartphone will up and running with all the info you need from your last one in double-quick time. Today, we bring you a How-To guide from gadget helpline specialists the Geek Squad, who list five simple steps for an easy smartphone switchover.

1. Email and Calendars
If using your phone to access your email and calendar then the last thing you want is to see messages and appointments dropping out of your inbox. Transferring onto a commonly used system like Gmail could help you seamlessly transfer not only your email, but also your calendar and phone directory from one phone to another, because the system is compatible with both Google's Android and Apple's iOS software platforms. Apple's iCloud service is also a useful tool, as it allows iPhone users to access third party systems like Google's Calendar and Mail services, meaning you won't miss out on your appointment or message.

2. Messaging services
Many phones offer access to social messaging services such as Twitter or Facebook - it's relatively simple to switch over your account onto a new device, but do make sure it's been disabled on your old phone to stop any 'friends' accessing your feed! The only exception to this rule is Blackberry Messenger which is a service that only Blackberry supports, so if you're leaving the RIM world to join Android or Apple, you won't be able to take your BB friends with you. Consider alternative instant messengers like Twitter and Windows Live Messenger, both of which are supported across multiple platforms beyond mobile alone.

3. Text Messages
Text messages often hold some of our closest memories these days - from organising a first date to a heartfelt message from family, so the last thing you want to do is throw away those memories when you make the switch. Unfortunately transferring your old SMS text messages to your new phone can be a bit tricky. There is some nifty third-party software out there, which does the job for a small premium. Try SMS Export, available through the App Store. The App allows you to export your SMS messages in text format, which can then be transferred onto the MicroSD card in your new Android phone. Finally, download an App from the Android market like SMS Migrator to complete the process.

4. Music
Smart phones are being used more and more as our portable music players, and with downloads available direct to the handset it's important you don't lose any of your collection when you switch phones. The best way to do this is to use a music library on your computer - iTunes or Window's Media Player are the easiest to set up and use. It's simply a case of plugging in your old phone, transferring the music to your library, and then transferring your collection over to your new phone - you can always edit out any musical mistakes when you make the transition!

5. Data
Users tend to particularly worry about losing their data when switching or upgrading their phone, but it's important to remember that things can go wrong at any point, even with a tried and tested handset that you've owned for months, which is why it's a good idea to regularly back up. You can change your preferred settings so that your phone is automatically backed-up to a Cloud service, which means you can forget about needing to sync using your handset USB cable or any potential data loss.

For more gadget help from the Geek Squad, check their site here.

Gasp! Do Tech Digest's eyes deceive? Is this the fabled Samsung Galaxy S III?

Well, to be perfectly honest, we're not sure yet! But we'll run through why we think it just might be so.

Popping up in a video that promoted Samsung's successes during their CES 2012 press conference (posted at the bottom of this post), it's an as-yet unidentified handset from Sammy.

Now, it could just be a mock-up of course, but what with MWC 2012 just around the corner (the world's biggest mobile phone trade show) you'd guess that Samsung would have a sequel ready following the success last year of the Galaxy S II.

However, that screen looks a real whopper, more in line with the Galaxy Note's 5.3 inch screen than the 4.3 inches of Super AMOLED goodness found on the Galaxy S II. But look at the front camera placement - far closer to what you'd find on an S II than on a Note.

But then again, look at that battery indicator! Very un-Android, which would make it unlike the Gingerbread packing S II. So many mysteries! All, thankfully likely to be revealed at next month's Mobile World Congress conference.

To see why we're so excited for the Samsung Galaxy S III, check out our glowing review of the S II model.

Via: Sammobile

It's raining Sony smartphone leaks on the net today, as a trio of handsets from the tech giant have broke cover ahead of their big MWC 2012 reveal.

The leak reveals that at least two Android phones and maybe even a Windows Phone 7 device from Sony will be hitting the show floor.

First, that Windows Phone device. Seemingly the first time Sony have paired up with Microsoft since 2008's Windows mobile 6.1 Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 handset, there are few blurry shots knocking around on Pocket Now showing the device. However, with Sony Ericsson branding still on it following the recent buyout, its credibility is being called into question. It may prove to be an old prototype model for a phone that failed to come to fruition.

Looking more valid are the two Android devices.

We'll start with the larger of the two, codenamed the Xperia Nypon. It's said to have a 4-inch qHD Reality display, running off a NovaThor U8500-based chipset. Photo and video specs weigh in at 8MP and 1080p respectively.

The smaller Android device is the Xperia Kumquat, apparently using the same chipset, but with a 3.5-inch FWVGA Reality display, 5MP camera and 720p video recording.

A lot of specs there from just the most basic of spyshots. But with MWC 2012 just a few weeks away, we wont have long to wait to see if the rumours prove true.

Motorola have teamed up with construction giants JCB to bring a limited edition JCB-branded Motorola Defy+ handset to Android fans.

"We're thrilled to be working with JCB on this bespoke Motorola Defy+ device," said Victoria McManus, UK marketing director, Motorola Mobility

"The unique protective sleeve will pull on JCB's years of expertise in the construction industry to help us reach a new audience who we know are in need of a life and work proof handset."

Water and scratch resistant, as well as dustproof, the handset has push-to-talk walkie-talkie features, as well as more standard innards like a 1GHz processor, 5MP camera, 3.7 inch touch screen and 2GB of built-in storage.

Available now, priced at £259.99, the Motorola Defy+ JCB Edition runs Android version Gingerbread in an IP67 certified chassis, making it as tough as nails. Desgined to take a battering, it comes with a patented visco-elastic protective sleeve with re-entrant geometry making it more than a match for the rough-and-tumble of a building site.

Sony's Xperia S Android smartphone, one of the highlights from their recent CES 2012 offerings, is now up for pre-order.

Landing in the UK on March 5th, online gadget retailer Clove.co.uk are shifting the handset SIM-free for £467.99. It is available to pre-order from their store now. Phones4U have also revealed they too will be selling the phone, with an exclusive white model set to hit their shelves only.

So what does a penny-shy of £468 get you? Here it bags you a 4.3 inch 720p screen using the mobile Bravia engine (which cribs some crisp image processing tech from Sony's own HDTV range), 32GB of built-in storage, a 12MP camera and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor.

It's a shame then that Google's Ice Cream Sandwich build of Android is absent from proceedings, though Sony have assured would-be buyers that an over-the-air update bringing the souped-up OS is on the way. For now, Xperia S owners will have to make do with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Skype for Windows Phone devices has neared completion, according to Microsoft's vice president of products Rick Osterloh.

Revealing that the app" will be coming out soon", the video calling and VOIP application has long been a notable absentee on the Windows Phone Marketplace store.

It's been a long-time coming too, with its launch having been a dead-cert since Microsoft bought Skype back in May 2011, reportedly for a figure around the $8.5 billion mark.

Why it's taken this long is anyone's guess, considering how long the app has been available for iPhone and Android devices, but an educated guess would have it be down to the Windows Phone 7 OS release cycle. Upcoming release Tango, followed by Apollo, is the first to have integrated video calling abilities, with Skype integration being a likely, headline feature.

Nokia's CES 2012 star, the Lumia 900, looks likely to be hitting stores as soon as March in the US.

This news comes from a Nokia developers newsletter, which also reveals the Windows Phone handset will "become available exclusively through AT&T in March".

The Lumia 900 shares many similarities with the Nokia Lumia 800, but ramps up the screen size to a 4.3 inch AMOLED.

So far, the Nokia Lumia 900 has not been given a firm UK release date, but were it to hit British shores it would become the third Nokia-built Windows Phone 7 device (following the Lumia 800 and Lumia 700, set for release on February 1st) in the company's smartphone comeback.

Monster and Beats have ended their long-standing headphone partnership.

After a five-year operation that has seen the profiles of both companies raised dramatically (in no small part thanks to the great popularity of the Beats by Dre range, pictured)cable and hi-fi manufacturers Monster will no longer be lending their expertise to the beats products.

Monster will continue in headphone manufacturing with 8 new lines, including this morning's Diesel-branded Vektr sets.

Beats are now expected to increasingly pursue moves into mobile platforms. HTC now owns a $300 million stake in Beats, while Hp also uses Beats Audio in its laptops.

There is also rumours of the Beats brand expanding into home-audio, TV technology and fitness gear too.

More bad news for dedicated gaming handhelds like Sony's PS Vita or Nintendo's 3DS; Qualcomm are working on a new generation of mobile Snapdragon chips that will allow for console-quality gaming on the go.

"The next GPU on the Snapdragon S4 is better than the Xbox 360 and the one after that will be better than the PS3," Dave Durnil, Director and General Manager of Advanced Content and Gaming at Qualcomm told Pocket-lint.

"The Snapdragon S4 devices arriving in the coming months will be comparable or better than the PS Vita in terms of graphics."

With more and more gamers turning to mobile devices like tablets or smartphones for their-on-the-go gaming fix, Durnill believes that this next graphical leap will ring the death-knell for dedicated handheld gaming consoles.

"The minute consumers can't differentiate between mobile and consoles is the moment consoles will die," said Durnill.

"Mobile has caught up in terms of graphics experience. The next generation of kids are going to get smartphones or tablets, not a handheld games console or Xbox 360; the barrier of entry is gigantic to go for a dedicated games console."

The next step however is content. Without quality games development studios onboard to deliver AAA games, mobile platforms will still be one step behind. With mobile gaming pricing strategies position for a race to the bottom, it will be interesting to see just who feel it is worthwhile to jump onboard with Qualcomm when the chips arrive in the next few months.

Via: Pocket-Lint

For more news from CES 2012, click here.