What the iPhone 6 Could Look Like Next to Its Top Rivals

What the iPhone 6 Could Look Like Next to Its Top Rivals is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

The Apple iPhone 6 release date is rumored for September which means that we may not get our first official glimpse at the iPhone 5s successor for several months. However, thanks to leaks and designers, consumers have been treated to a possible glimpse at the rumored iPhone 6 design and a look at how it might compare to top smartphones including the iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8.

As we approach next week’s WWDC 2014 conference in San Francisco, we’ve started to hear a whole lot about Apple’s plans for 2014, plans that the company’s Eddy Cue says represent Apple’s best product pipeline in the last 25 years. The company’s plans are said to include OS X 10.10 for Mac, iOS 8 for iPhone and iPad, the elusive iWatch, an iPad mini with Retina 2, an iPad Air 2, and of course, a brand new iPhone that’s currently being called the iPhone 6.

The names iPhone 6, iPhone Air and iPhone Pro have all been thrown around in recent weeks but the story is the same. The next iPhone will reportedly come with a brand new set of features aimed at toppling Apple’s main rivals.

iPhone 6 rumors point to a brand new A8 64-bit processor. A camera that will supposedly be equipped with image stabilization features for enhanced video. A sapphire display that could be virtually unbreakable. Two new high-resolution screen sizes. And a design that will supposedly be thinner than the iPhone 5s and closely resemble the iPod touch.

It’s those last two features that are of great interest to consumers. The display sizes would represent the largest iPhone screen sizes to date. If true, we’d likely see the iPhone grow in size from the 4-inch iPhone 5s. We’ve heard from many people who are excited, skeptical, and angry about the potential size change. They’re also curious.

Curious about how a larger iPhone 6 will stack up next to the iPhone 5s. Curious about how it might compare to top rivals like the Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and Galaxy Note 3. And while we don’t have all of the answers, iPhone 6 leaks have supplied us with an arsenal of photos and videos that show what the iPhone 6 could look like next to some of these current smartphones.

iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 5s

Consumer are extremely interested in how the iPhone 6 will compare to the iPhone 5s, Apple’s current model. The iPhone 5s features a 4-inch Retina Display and a design the measures 7.6mm thin and weighs just 112 grams. The concern is that a larger iPhone 6 might dwarf the iPhone 5s.

While the iPhone 6 will almost certainly have to be larger to accommodate a larger display, rumors suggest that Apple will be doing all it can to keep the size difference to a minimum.

Rumors suggest that Apple could deliver an iPhone 6 that is up to 26% thinner than the iPhone 5s. A recent leak from Ukrainian website suggests Apple is aiming for a smartphone as thin as 6mm, but Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes a 6.5 – 7mm thickness is easier for the company to achieve. Recent leaks agree with Kuo’s assessment and point to an iPhone 6 that could measure right around 7mm thin.

In a note shared by MacRumors, Kuo also says that he believes that the iPhone 6 will indeed come with a power button on the right and bezels that are narrower than those found on the iPhone 5s. In other words, this model lines up with current iPhone 6 rumors, though as we’ve pointed out, it’s possible that these mockups are off base.

These changes have been visualized in a number of ways. First, we’ve seen designers try their hand at illustrating the potential changes. deuxani, a user on the MacRumors forum, offered a collection of images that show just how a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 might compare to the iPhone 5s.

An iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch display will likely be bigger than the iPhone 5s and iPhone 4s.

We’ve also seen supposed iPhone 6 dummy units compared to the iPhone 5s. The image below comes from Moscoat who took photos of the model next to the iPhone 5s. The photo shows just how thin the iPhone 6 might be compared to the iPhone 5s.

This shows just how thin the iPhone 6 could be.

These iPhone 6 dummy units have also been shown off on video next to Apple’s current iPhone. The video below, from 9to5Mac, goes into great detail about the potential differences between the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6 design.

We’ve also seen how a much larger iPhone 6 might compare to the iPhone 5s. Rumors suggest that Apple is working on a 5.5-inch version of its next iPhone. The photo below from Nowhereelse shows the potential size difference between the iPhone 5s and an iPhone sporting a 5.5-inch display. Like the 4.7-inch model, the 5.5-inch version is expected to be thin and rounded.

The iPhone 5s compared to a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model.

iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 5

Later this year, many iPhone 5 users will be coming off contract, looking for a new phone. Many we’ve spoken to are interested in Apple’s iPhone 6 and how it might compare to the size of the iPhone 5.

India: Why is "Horn OK Please" painted on the back of almost every truck in India?

The OK was used as a safety measure on the highways.

Most highways in India were single lane. Which meant there was always a risk of running into an incoming vehicle while attempting an overtaking maneuver.

The "OK" was accompanied with a bulb over it, which the driver of the truck would switch on to signal the vehicle behind it that there is no oncoming traffic and hence it was okay to overtake. This arrangement was placed in the center.

One other thing that was written was a courteous 'Horn, please' , with the placement such that the 'Horn' was on the left side and the 'please' (continuation of the same message) on the right.

Gradually the practice of using the bulb to signal other drivers faded away (probably because of the non maintenance of the bulb and also the emergence of multi lane highways), and the OK remained, sandwiched in between the horn and please.

Adopting the cloud: The network strikes back

Adopting the cloud: The network strikes back

With every passing day, more and more IT managers are taking the plunge and opting for the world of cloud. This comes as no surprise when you consider the benefits it brings: adopting cloud gives employees the freedom to work where they want, whilst still cutting costs for businesses.

But with any new technology as soon as the honeymoon period is over, the real work begins. Cloud traffic is growing at an alarming rate, but this the pressure is on the network operators carrying the cloud, not the enterprises using the cloud, to deliver.

More cloud computing means more data centres, especially as cloud providers look to distribute them globally to reduce latency for regional customers.

As we well know, data centres can’t just be set up and left to their own devices, a much more intricate cloud ecosystem to connect each of these datacentres together. The resulting large scale machine to machine traffic between these data centres is now the biggest bandwidth consumer after video, putting increasing pressure on an already strained network.

And this will only increase as cloud becomes easier and easier to access through IaaS, PaaS, SaaS or network as a service.

Cloud will provide that extra storage businesses need, but the bandwidth needs to be available in order for it to get there in the first place.  Whilst in some ways scalable cloud services can take the pressure off the network by hosting data hungry services in local servers rather than streaming straight from the network each time, there is still going to be pressure on the network core to connect data centre to data centre.

But bandwidth is only part of the cloud puzzle and an increasing number of enterprises and organisations are using the cloud to deliver new services and applications. In fact, 46 percent of all IT spending by 2016 is expected to be spent on cloud-related platforms and applications.

As network operators are expected to evolve in line with customer demand, the challenge for network operators is twofold: meeting increasing bandwidth demands and the rapid deployment of new services for customers. This means that network operators not only need a scalable network but an intelligent one.

The cloud is one of the key factors driving internet demand and it’s now increasing at a rate of between 30 and 50% year on year. In the coming years, we’ll see network operators look to converged network and software technologies that can provide super-channels to meet this bandwidth demand, and automated transport layer technologies (like FlexROADMs and Software Defined Networking) to monitor traffic demands and manage the rapid provisioning of new services.

These automated technologies will also dramatically reduce operational costs, meaning operators can pass cost savings onto those using the cloud, and reinvest in more innovative solutions for their customers. 

So as the cloud takes a more front of stage role in enterprise computing, it’s essential that network operators have this scalability, flexibility and intelligence in order to, not only support cloud-based applications, but deliver greater responsiveness to changing demands.

Savvy cloud services providers are well aware that without the right partner in place, the network has the potential to strike back.

The Internet of Things Ecosystem: The Value is Greater than the Sum of its “THINGS”

The Internet of Things is more than just Glasses, smartphones and smartwatches. It’s more 

than just smart cars and cities and other “things” that are connected or understood by 

today’s usage models.

By 2020, it is predicted that the entire Internet of Things will have a market value of $8.89 

trillion. There are many factors that enable this value to be reached. There is revenue from 

the sale of Wearables and “things”, there is software licensing, hardware, and the reduction 

of operating costs in manufacturing, information technology, research and development, 

marketing and corporate operations.

Research firm, IDC, expects a globally installed base of IoT will reach around 212 billion 

things by the end of 2020, including 30.1 billion installed connected autonomous things. Intel 

predicts there will be 31 billion connected devices. Cisco, a notable leader in IoT research 

and awareness, predicts 50 billion objects will be connected to the Internet. Gartner predicts 

these billions of connected “things” add economic value will be $1.9 trillion dollars in 2020.

With this many zeros and connected things being predicted by smart people and forward-

thinking companies, it’s enough to make a skeptic out of anyone to think that many 

computing devices and trillions of dollars of market value will be generated in the next six 

years. Given the advances in smartphones and tablets and Big Data, could the expected 

market value be underestimated?

It would be easy, maybe even lazy, for us to think the smartphone will be at the heart of the 

Internet of Things. With 30.1 billion autonomous things sending and receiving information, 

and initiating pre-defined manufacturing, marketing or even personal preferences, the 

smartphone or any other modern device will not be apart of the equation.

In a way, the smartphone is to the Internet of Things,  as the beeper is the mobility 

revolution. The challenge for marketers, communicators and stewards of brands is to 

understand getting mobile right today is important to establishing best practices and 

foundational expertise needed to manage an automated future.

It’s important to understand the different segments that will makeup the Internet of Things 

ecosystem. After reviewing industry research, corporate press releases and blogs and news 

reports, the following IoT ecosystem framework was built to reconcile the many IoT 

announcements.

Hopefully, with this ecosystem framework combined with the IoT use-case framework we 

can start to rationalize what each new development in the emerging technology trend.

How important is big data?

If you want proof that big data is a big thing, just look at the jobs pages. Inside, you'll find desperate appeals for statistics-savvy data scientists, and the salaries are often eye-watering.

They're evidence that businesses in the UK and beyond are looking at ways of using the data they already collect – whether that's about customers, their industry or about financial markets – with as much efficiency as possible.

Digital markers

Data is everywhere, it's doubling every two years, and it's fast becoming a business' biggest resource. The digital markers we all create – whether a GPS-tagged photo, check-in on Facebook or a click on a website – could last forever.

So far, we've got about 1.8 zettabytes of data on planet Earth, but it's how we link up, analyse and use all of this data – and much more besides – that's going to completely change our world. And that means business.

Some say that by mastering big data, companies can stop wasting time on useless initiatives and pitches that go nowhere - and increase margins by a whopping 60 per cent.

Even if it's a fraction of that figure, harnessing big data properly can make the difference between a profitable business and a non-starter.

Big data is big money. ABI Research states that global spending on big data by organisations exceeded US$31 billion in 2013, and will reach a staggering US$114 billion in 2018 – and that includes salaries as well as hardware and software.

It's a data-rich, skills-poor environment at present, but the future will be one of increasingly sophisticated hardware and ever-better data analytics that collect, calculate, predict and much more besides.

The iceberg problem

Unfortunately, big data is scattered. It's estimated that IT departments spend about 70 to 80 per cent of their time maintaining existing systems and databases, largely because there are so many of them.

Separate, created for narrow purposes, and often based on databases that don't talk to each other, it's what's known as 'the iceberg problem', where systems can't exchange big data, which therefore goes untapped.

"One of the companies we're working with has 6,670 'icebergs' used by various arms of the business," says Dr Andrew Sutherland, Senior Vice President of Technology at Oracle EMEA.

"Some are very important, each one was built for a reason, and all had and still have a business case; and they were all built by very clever, experienced people – but each application has been built to fulfil one need, and they use completely different databases."

False economy

It's a common problem, but businesses who've invested a lot in such icebergs often don't want to replace them. For a business wanting to embrace big data, that viewpoint represents a false economy.

Petabytes of big data are now flooding in to businesses and a consistent, common platform is required, capable of exchanging data and running apps – whatever their source – using only one stack that can be managed, maintained, recovered and backed up as one.

It's all about consolidation. "Whether you're a police force, a gas extractor or a retailer, there will be areas of your business that you want to be able to do more efficiently or cleverly – and you can only do that if you consolidate and simplify your IT, so you can concentrate on the apps that add value to your business," says Sutherland.

One problem here is that there often exist huge teams of IT consultants whose job it is to specify and commission more icebergs; asking them to give their blessing to using one unified, interoperable system that best takes advantage of big data is like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.

But if you do get big data into one place, what happens to it next?

Machine learning & super-computers

The big data revolution will be led by machine learning and super-computers. They've been called the 'coal in the furnace' of the internet that will drive Web 3.0, but the sole reason for the new generation of artificially intelligent super-computers is the massive rise in personal and business data.

Eventually enabling websites and apps to track and predict our every action and desire, super-computers feed off big data.

Reasoning, perception, social and even some degree of cultural awareness are the selling points for Watson, IBM's super-computer that runs on 16 terabytes of RAM, and brings a much-needed injection of artificial intelligence to big data analytics.

Its smart learning DeepQA software is able to search databases, spot patterns and make predictions, which could revolutionise the financial and medical industries, both of which are currently drowning in data.

Big data in medicine

As well as reducing the need for investment bankers, big data analytics could also banish bad decisions by doctors.

"Watson could be used to search through millions of pages of academic research and drug trials, something a human could never do or keep up with, and in double-quick time," says Joe Peppard, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, Germany, which consults on IT strategy for large corporations.

"It could provide a doctor or nurse with the required diagnosis and even the most appropriate medication plan, having taken into consideration all the latest thinking on any specific health problem."

Call centres streamlined

Such data analysis could also be used to vastly improve call centres, where about 60 per cent of enquiries end in frustration for callers.

"Watson is able to search a far greater amount of data in a much faster time," says Peppard, "so in many cases it could pre-empt enquiries so that the answer is available before the question has been asked."

"Machine learning, and its application in advanced analytics, is one area that will make both the public and private sectors data-savvier than anything we've seen so far," says Dan Shey, Practice Director at ABI Research.

"Big players such as IBM and HP are understandably moving to this direction, but at the same time we can also see analytics startups, like Ayasdi and Skytree, that have machine learning in their very DNA. Eventually, such innovations will put analytics within any domain expert's reach. At that point, data will stop being big."

Uncovering the Universe

Harnessing big data properly can mean new discoveries and possibilities, and nowhere more so than in deep space.

The European Space Agency's Gaia mission to create a complete three-dimensional map of the Milky Way involves taking super hi-res photos of the heavens, but to make any use of this data requires a powerful information system.

Archiving and processing scientific data collected by the Gaia satellite, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) uses a data management system from Oracle to store its "very precious heritage of astronomical data that will have to be stored for the whole 21st century and beyond," says Roberto Morbidelli, Scientific Operation Manager at INAF.

Processing petabytes of big data from Gaia is a huge task, but Oracle has history; it also works with the operator of the Large Hadron Collider, CERN.

The sources and uses of big data in business are now being revealed, but if we know one thing it's that the hyper-efficient collection and analysis of data is already becoming a major tool.

"In five or 10 years' time, big data will not be a source of competitive advantage, it will just be a necessary part of normal business," says Eddie Short, UK and EMEA Leader for Data and Analytics at KPMG Management Consulting. "Without exploiting it, a business will die."

How to bypass country restrictions on video sites

We're spoilt with high-quality film and television nowadays, and there are an increasing number of websites on which you can watch the content you're after. Sometimes, however, websites and content are restricted based on the country in which you live. This article explains how you can bypass these restrictions.

The very fact that video content on websites is often restricted by region demonstrates a discrepancy between the principles of the open, distributed Web and the ingrained licensing models of the TV and movie industries. As ever, though, demand coupled with the capabilities of the technology means that where there's a will there's a way. If you're inclined to try any of the below methods, be sure to familiarize yourself with the relevant legislation in your country.

Proxy browser extensions

The quickest and easiest approach to accessing region-restricted videos is to install a browser extension, although proxies can be unreliable, insecure and slow. There are a number of browser extensions available that allow the user to access websites via a proxy server based in another country or region.

Hola is a popular choice and has extensions for Chrome and Firefox (as well as apps for Windows, Mac and Android). Users simply need to install the the relevant extension and Hola should be begin unblocking sites automatically without the need to restart your browser. Users can click on the extension button in their browser to manually adjust the settings.

DNS tunneling services

DNS tunneling services provide a faster, more reliable and more secure means of accessing region-restricted content, but they they tend to come with a price tag. In short, the services work by simply telling the destination website that the user is accessing it from within the site's regional restrictions, saving the effort of using proxy servers.

Of some of the more popular options, Unblock-Us offers over 70 channels and Unlocator over 80. UnoTelly appears to offer in the region of 100. All three start at about US$5 per month, with free trials and longer term plans also offered.

Google developing 10Gb broadband

A Google executive announced that the company is working on broadband technology that is ten times faster than its current fibre offering.

The search giant is developing a 10Gb broadband offering, according to Patrick Pichette, CFO of Google, who revealed the plans at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference this week.

He said the speed boost is "going to happen" anyway, but that it may take over a decade for that to "naturally" occur. When asked why Google wouldn't make it available in just three years, he said, "That's what we're working on. There's no need to wait."

Google Fiber

The planned internet boost is substantially faster than the already impressive 1Gb Google Fiber service it offers to the lucky people in Kansas City.

To put this speed into perspective, a high-definition video would take roughly 22 minutes to download at 5Mbps speeds, which unfortunately is the maximum some people in the UK have access to. With 1Gb connections, it would take just seven seconds to download the same file. Now imagine speeds ten times that.

Google is currently rolling out its fibre network to Provo, Utah, and is looking to expand to Austin, Texas. Eventually, it will attempt even wider coverage, and the 1Gbps speeds are just the start. It has yet to disclose any plans to expand overseas.

Three Stories of Funding at Mobile Startups

In 2013, private companies in mobile raised almost $8 billion in venture capital in over 1,000 deals, according to Light Reading.

Maybe it’s your turn now.

But before you start refining your pitch, take a few pointers from three entrepreneurs, from different regions, who have recently been successful in raising venture capital. Sachin Deshpande, Senior Director, Product Management, at Qualcomm Ventures moderated a recent panel discussion with these entrepreneurs called Tips on Raising Funds in Today’s Financial Environment. In this post I’ll share some of the advice the panelists gave during their session.

Andreas Ehn, Co-Founder & CTO, Wrapp (Sweden)

Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Ehn has worked in startups since 2005; first as part of Startle, Sequoia’s first investment in Northern Europe. Then, he helped grow Spotify to 150 employees and 1 million users as its first CTO during first and second rounds of funding. Now he is with Wrapp, a social gifting and promotion sharing app that has been through Series A and B funding rounds.

“At Wrapp, we raised seed money and Series A on the strength of our team and on simple arguments about the business opportunity,” says Ehn. “But we had to raise Series B sooner than we had planned and not for the reasons we’d planned, so it was tougher going.”

Shortly after Wrapp launched, a powerful German company cloned the app and rolled it out worldwide, effectively beating Wrapp to market. To fight back, Wrapp had to accelerate their own global rollout by putting feet on the street in 18 countries over three months to build relationships with retailers. Once they had overcome that threat, they turned to their original objective – the U.S. market – but they were running low on money and had to embark on their Series-B round sooner than anticipated.

Ehn’s learned that “With startups, it’s always a roller coaster ride and there are always going to be unexpected events. That’s why business plans in startups are science fiction.”

Derek Fears, Co-Founder and President of Product & Marketing, Emprego Ligado (Brazil)

Fears started Emprego Ligado, a mobile-based job marketplace for operational (telemarketing, construction, hospitality) workers in Brazil. After raising an initial seed round, he raised a second round with Qualcomm Ventures and institutional investors in Brazil.

“Mobile is growing about 10 times faster than broadband and personal computing in Latin America,” says Fears, “but the investment community there is not keeping up. Back in 2011, you saw euphoric investing and ecommerce copycats in Brazil, and startups were raising $4-5 million Series A rounds off a 6-slide presentation. By the time we started raising money, it had gotten more difficult: VCs were over-extended in ecommerce, growth in China was slowing, and there was social unrest in Brazil. There’s also the fact that our unproven business model relies on the peculiarities of Brazil’s job market, so investors looked at us and saw both country risk and business model risk.”

Emprego Ligado ended up bootstrapping in early 2012. Then the company built a prototype and approached investors a second time, for a small seed round of $250,000. In 2013, they obtained their first round with two local investors and Qualcomm Ventures.

Fears’ lesson: “When you approach investors with a new product, it helps immensely to have something to put in their hands and show them. Also, traction – even a little bit – matters a lot.”

Vamshi Reddy, CEO & Co-Founder, Apalya Technologies (India)

Apalya Technologies’ platform delivers live streaming for mobile TV. Founded in 2005, the company has raised A, B and C rounds and angel investment from companies like Qualcomm Ventures and Cisco, and from investors like IDG and Indo-U.S. Venture Partners.

“India’s environment is similar to Brazil’s,” Reddy notes. “We bootstrapped with $100,000 in 2006 and got the product to a certain level. Slide decks don’t cut it in the Indian venture community, so we needed to showcase our product and show numbers, particularly our user growth. We raised $500,000 from the nascent angel community in India, giving us about a one-year runway.”

Later, Apalya raised $3 million of Series C capital based on 200% year over year growth.

Reddy’s lesson: “Our first and second rounds took us about two months each for term sheet and closure. After that, growth expectations and the business environment became very different – after all, how do you sustain 200% growth? – and everything took longer. Consequently, our latest round took us about 18 months. Meanwhile, we ran mostly on revenue, with a bridge loan.”

Next Steps

I’ll have more insights on specific funding topics from these entrepreneurs in my next post, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, is funding on your mind these days?

• Watch the video of this panel session, Tips on Raising Funds in Today’s Financial Environment.
• The Qualcomm Ventures QPrize™ competition is accepting business plans through April 18, 2014. Find out more about the international seed investment competition featuring seven regional prizes totaling $100,000 and a $150,000 grand prize.

Biogasoline could be joining biodiesel at the pumps

By now, most people have at least a passing knowledge of biodiesel – it's diesel fuel made from plant or animal oils, as opposed to the more traditional and less eco-friendly petroleum. While it's a good choice for people with diesel-powered vehicles, those of us with gas-burning cars haven't been able to get in on the action ... although that may be about to change.

Diesel fuel, of both the traditional and bio varieties, is made up of linear hydrocarbons. These are long straight chains of carbon atoms, and they differ from the shorter, branched chains – known as branched hydrocarbons – that make up gasoline. It's possible to create linear hydrocarbons from things like plant waste, but it hasn't been possible to use that same source to produce branched hydrocarbons that have the volatility of gasoline.

At least, not until now.

Led by Prof. Mark Mascal, a team at the University of California, Davis has used a feedstock of levulinic acid to create biogasoline. Levulinic acid is itself derived from pretty much any cellulosic material, such as corn stalks, straw or other plant waste.

That waste does not have to be fermented, plus the fuel-making process is reportedly inexpensive and offers waste-to-gas yields of over 60 percent. The university has filed a patent on the technology

A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Are You Making These 10 Dangerous Smartphone Mistakes?

Are You Making These 10 Dangerous Smartphone Mistakes? is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.If you own an iPhone or Android smartphone odds are you are making at least one of these dangerous mistakes that can put your personal information or details at risk.

There are two types of dangerous smartphone behavior that stand out, carrying an iPhone into a hot tub with a beer in your hand is one type, while the other is leaving a smartphone and the data on it unprotected from loss or theft.

Despite advances in software and hardware many iPhone and Android owners don’t take the simplest steps to protect the data on their smartphone from theft.

Read on to find out if you are guilty of these 10 dangerous smartphone mistakes and how you can fix them.

Protect Your Bubble is one of the top smartphone insurance options we found last year and they’ve rounded up data on dangerous smartphone behavior. The list below and the infographic shows the Top 10 dangerous smartphone mistakes users make.

1. No password
2. Saving banking login information
3. Taking, sending and saving nude photos
4. Clicking on risky links
5. Posting photos while on vacation
6. Posting photos with location settings turned on.
7. Giving out personal information to random callers
8. Using it without a case
9. Connecting to unsecure WiFi networks
10. No smartphone insurance or warranty

It’s not surprising that a smartphone insurance company lists this as one of the options, but these are all valid items that users should be aware of and take steps to be safe. Check out the infographic to see more about the behaviors and read on to learn how to use your smartphone safer.

Secure Your Smartphone

iPhone and Android smartphones make it easy to secure your information with a passcode, pattern, facial unlock or fingerprint. Yes, it adds an extra step to login, but it also is one big roadblock in someone taking your personal information.

A quick trip to settings will let you lock your iPhone, Android or Windows Phone with a passcode of some kind. It’s an important first step.

Saving Financial Logins

It’s annoying to type in a complex banking password on a smartphone, but if you aren’t using passcodes you’re leaving yourself open to trouble and identity theft if someone steals your phone.

A better option is to use a tool like LastPass to keep your passwords secure but easy for you to access on your iPhone or Android.

Taking Nude Photos

The easiest solution is to not take them in the first place as it is all too easy to send one to your mom by accident, let them slip into the hands of a thief or accidentally show up in a slideshow. If you must take them, secure your phone, exclude the folder from gallery and be very careful who you send them too.

Clicking on Risky Links

We often see risky links come from text message and email alerts claiming to offer important information about our bank account and we aren’t alone. Keep in mind that most banks won’t send you a text asking you to login or call them at a number provided. If you get an alert call your bank at a number you trust. If you need to verify something don’t click the link in an email. Instead go to the address and login like you would normally. It is too easy for a scammer to trick you with a long url that is hidden after the page loads.

Photos on Vacation and with Location Data

While on vacation it’s natural to want to share photos, but some experts suggest doing this invites burglars to target your house. The safest bet is to post the photos when you get back, but many users will have trouble waiting.

When you snap a photo on the iPhone or Android the camera can embed the location into the photo. This is handy for looking at photos grouped by location on the iPhone, Android or on a computer, but when you send a photo by email or message it can pass on your location to the recipient. This could unwittingly reveal your home or work location to someone.

Thankfully Twitter and Facebook appear to strip this location data out of photos share don the services.

Answering Fishy Calls

The safest strategy when it comes to answering an unknown caller is to simply avoid talking to the person. If you get an unknown call don’t answer it. If they leave a message and claim you are in financial or legal trouble, find the right number for your bank or city instead of calling them back. Scammers will often use a phone call to get users to reveal the information needed to get into accounts.

Using a Smartphone Without a Case

Using a smartphone without a case is most dangerous if you can’t afford to replace the phone or don’t have insurance or accidental damage protection. A case is an easy way to prevent cracked screens that can kill a smartphone and to help keep resale value high by preventing scratches.

If you need a start, here are a few case roundups to look at.

• Best iPhone 5s Cases
• Best Galaxy S4 Cases
• Amazing iPhone 5 Cases
• Best Nexus 5 Cases

Not everyone needs a case, but if you don’t have the cash to replace a damaged phone a case is a good investment.

Connecting to an Unsecured WiFi Network

When on the go many users connect to a WiFi network at a coffee shop or other public place which can open you up to unwittingly sharing personal information or login details. Granted a nefarious individual may not be sniffing around your coffee shop, but it is a good idea to make sure you connect to any websites on these accounts using a https web address, or simply use your mobile connection instead of risking it. PCWorld shares the risks and how to stay secure.

Using a Smartphone Without Insurance or a Warranty

The final dangerous smartphone behavior is debatable as not everyone needs insurance or a warranty on a smartphone, but for many users it is a good idea.

If you have kids, pets that like to chew things, party too hard or work in a hazardous setting you definitely need to consider insurance or a warranty. Other users who need to be concerned about loss or theft should also consider insurance, but the choice isn’t as easy compared to high-risk users.

Insurance protects against loss and theft, while warranties will cover defects and some will cover accidental damage like drops or water damage.

Check out Gotta Be Mobile’s top iPhone 5s insurance and warranty options to see how the options compare. Other than the AppleCare+ option most of these are available on any smartphone. Readers rank Protect Your Bubble as the top option with AppleCare+ and Squaretrade in second place.

In Depth: Bluetooth: What does it really do and will it be replaced?

Bluetooth is old and it might be on the way out. It's been around since 1994 and these days it seems to be in just about anything that's even looked at a circuit board, but now there are new kids on the block.

NFC, Wi-Fi Direct and more are encroaching on Bluetooth's turf, which got us wondering, is Bluetooth here to stay or are its days numbered?

Before we can answer that though it's important to understand exactly what Bluetooth does.

What does Bluetooth really do?

In the words of Suke Jawanda, Chief Marketing Officer of Bluetooth SIG, "Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that allows people to conveniently connect their devices with other devices" and "the role of the technology is evolving to not only allow devices to talk with one another, but actually allow the seamless communication between devices, local applications and the cloud."

At its most basic, Bluetooth could be used for transferring files or contact details between two phones for example, or for an ongoing transfer of data, such as in a hands free kit, where the earpiece would use Bluetooth to wirelessly send and receive sound to and from a phone.

Bluetooth can also be used to wirelessly control devices. For example by using Bluetooth to pair a smartphone to some speakers not only can you send music from the phone to be played out of the speakers, but you can also then use the phone to adjust the volume, pause the music or skip track.

Similarly the wireless controllers used by the PlayStation 4 and some other consoles use Bluetooth to pair with the console and wireless keyboards and mice generally rely on Bluetooth.

Its ability to pair devices has made Bluetooth a key part of the growing Internet of Things (IoT) - smart, connected devices covering everything from phones and watches to cars, washing machines and lights, which can all communicate with one another, or at least with any other devices that it could conceivably be useful to communicate with.

The Internet of Things is likely to be a big part of Bluetooth's future too, as according to Jawanda "We have an exciting road map. Being the largest wireless technology in the world, we're clear on our responsibility and role as the stewards of the technology ­to be the trusted and low power link of the internet of things. We're just truly at the beginning of fulfilling against this mandate."

Bluetooth's capabilities have also been put to some more inventive uses, such as preventing the theft or loss of an item by pairing it to a mobile phone and then having an alert go off on the phone when the handset and its paired item become separated and the connection is lost. The same concept has also been applied to man overboard alarms on boats.

Developments

Since its creation 20 years ago Bluetooth has seen a number of improvements. Over the years the speed of connection and discovery of Bluetooth devices has been increased, the data transfer rate has got faster and support for low energy use (known as Bluetooth Smart or BLE) has been added.

The latest version of Bluetooth currently available is 4.1, which according to Jawanda "enhanced usability and increased developer flexibility." One of those enhancements took the form of removing the need for a host when transferring information or data.

With earlier versions of Bluetooth everything would need to communicate directly with a host device, but now devices can communicate independently and then feed that data back to the host all at once.

For example if you pair both a pedometer and a heart rate monitor to a phone then with Bluetooth 4.0 and below they both have to separately send their data to the handset, but with Bluetooth 4.1 they'd be able to combine their data and send it together, which is a far more efficient way of doing things and makes other devices less dependent on phones.

This upgrade will also likely be of enormous benefit to the Internet of Things, as that has designs on fully connecting houses and even cities. However Bluetooth 4.1 was only released in December 2013, so it's not in widespread use just yet.

The contenders

Bluetooth has had a good run and as it's continually improving it's managed to stay relevant. But it's got some competition now, most notably from NFC and Wi-Fi Direct.

According to Paula Hunter, NFC Forum Executive Director, NFC (or Near Field Communication) is useful for "everything from access control to device pairing to mobile payments to smart posters. It is particularly well-suited to use cases where the user wants to initiate an action quickly and easily over a short range."

It "harmonises today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling solutions in areas such as information collection and exchange, access control, healthcare, loyalty and coupons, transportation, payments, and consumer electronics."

In a lot of ways then it's like Bluetooth, as it allows two devices to communicate and transfer data. It also consumes less power than standard Bluetooth and according to Hunter it "sets up faster than Bluetooth and is better at point-to-point communications."

However it is much shorter range than Bluetooth, requiring devices to either be touching or within around 4 centimetres of one another, while Bluetooth has a range of up to 100 metres.

It can play a role in longer range communication, for example Google's Android Beam makes use of it, but it simply uses NFC as a quick and easy way to activate Bluetooth and pair two devices, as by touching the two devices together Bluetooth will be enabled and the two devices will automatically be paired. After which Bluetooth handles the heavy lifting.

Samsung's S-Beam uses NFC in a similar way, but it activates Wi-Fi Direct rather than Bluetooth.

Hunter explains that "NFC's bi-directional communication ability is ideal for establishing connections with other technologies with the simplicity of touch. For example, if a user wants to connect a mobile device to a stereo system to play music, he can simply touch the device to the stereo's NFC touchpoint and the devices will negotiate the best wireless technology to use."

NFC in itself more complements Bluetooth than replaces it. As while there is some shared functionality and even some things that NFC is better at, such as contactless payments, ultimately the incredibly short range of NFC means that it will never be in a position to truly replace Bluetooth.

According to Hunter "the two technologies are complementary. NFC is great at showing intent, pairing devices and completing simple transactions with a touch. Bluetooth LE is great for micro-location, push-marketing and having a persistent connection with smart wearables."

Going direct

Wi-Fi Direct could be a bigger threat to Bluetooth as it doesn't have the same range restrictions as NFC.

According to Tina Hanzlik, Wi-Fi Alliance's Senior Marketing Manager, with Wi-Fi Direct "two or more devices can connect directly by Peer-to-Peer in the absence of a traditional Wi-Fi hotspot or network.

"Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices can also connect directly with nearly all of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices a user already owns, allowing users, their co-workers, friends and family to connect anywhere, anytime."

As Wi-Fi Direct can be used to connect devices and transfer data between them it can carry out many of the same functions as Bluetooth, and in some ways it's even better as it can transfer data at much higher speeds than Bluetooth.

That's a big advantage as while Bluetooth tops out at around 24 Mbps, Wi-Fi Direct is more than ten times faster, with speeds of up to around 250 Mbps.

It's versatile too. Hanzlik states that "Wi-Fi Direct devices can perform any function or application that you do today over standard Wi-Fi connections. Devices can connect for file sharing and syncing, sending messages, printing, gaming, displaying video, or playing audio."

So could Wi-Fi Direct replace Bluetooth? Perhaps. Bluetooth still has the low energy market cornered as the power consumption of Wi-Fi Direct is much higher than BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). Meaning fitness devices such as heart rate monitors and other small, low power devices will continue to favour Bluetooth.

But for many other things and particularly for anything that involves large amounts of data being transferred, Wi-Fi Direct could become a more desirable option as it can transfer data at much higher speeds.

Take off

It's taking off fast too, according to Hanzlik "to date over 4200 products have been certified for Wi-Fi Direct. From smartphones to printers, Blu-ray players to fitness devices, all types of products are implementing Wi-Fi Direct to allow users to seamlessly connect devices wherever and whenever they wish."

There are other threats on the horizon too. For example a research team at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University has created a chipset called 'VIRTUS', which they claim can wirelessly transfer data at 2 gigabits per second.

That equates to 80 MP3 songs every second, making it around 1,000 times faster than Bluetooth. Whether the chipset will ever make it into consumer products remains to be seen, but if it does it could be a real threat to Bluetooth, though like Wi-Fi Direct it lacks Bluetooth's low energy support.

Hazy future

Bluetooth isn't going away any time soon. In fact the recent update to version 4.1 has prepared it for a whole new generation of smart devices and could lead to it becoming a vital piece of infrastructure for the Internet of Things, but it's not the only wireless technology around.

Any technology which can both provide higher data transfer speeds than Bluetooth and use as little power as Bluetooth low energy could render Bluetooth obsolete.

It's still going strong after 20 years and right now there's nothing that quite ticks all the boxes Bluetooth does.

Jawanda is certainly optimistic about its prospects, arguing that if anything, Bluetooth is actually replacing other wireless technologies, saying that "given the advent of Bluetooth Smart – it's performance, low cost, simplicity and ubiquity – it's become the preferred wireless technology for OEMs to replace niche or proprietary technologies that prevented them from hitting scale and working with the phones/tablets/PCs their customers already owned."

"If you want to connect your device to a few things, you can use Bluetooth or other proprietary or niche technologies to do so. If you want to connect to a few billion devices your customer probably already has in the palm of their hand, then Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart is the technology.

The fact is, Bluetooth Smart is the fastest adopted wireless technology in the history of wireless and the native OS support and massive and growing network effect is what's behind this." But with the likes of Wi-Fi Direct encroaching on it Bluetooth may still need to be wary.

On the other hand, there's little reason for any other wireless technology to try and overthrow Bluetooth, when it could just as well be complementing it.

Hunter explains that "it is best to think of wireless technologies as tools in a solution developer's toolbox. Everyone benefits when developers have a rich and robust set of tools to choose from. The application or use case dictates which tool or combination of tools to use.

"No one tool is inherently better than or can replace another, any more than the hex screw is better than or will replace the Phillips screw. Developers will choose to use NFC, Bluetooth, a combination, or a completely different wireless technology depending on the requirements of the application and the desired user experience."