02
Apr
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No, BorrowLenses Won't Let You Rent Google Glass (Yet) - Trust No One On April Fools

Posted by in Google, News

Yesterday, BorrowLenses, a site that rents gear to photo and video enthusiasts, posted up a rental page for Google Glass and a matching blog post. Those interested were invited to rent Glass on April 30th. The prices started at $105 for 3 days all the way to $499 for 4 weeks. With the developer version of Glass going for $1500, this didn't sound like such a bad idea if you were just looking to see how it worked without a huge commitment.

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As we suspected, the whole thing was a hoax. Good one, BorrowLenses. You managed to convince quite a few sites around the web that the Glass offer was the real deal, so props for the original idea.

24
Oct
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[Update: Another Angle] Alleged Press Shot Of The LG Nexus 4 Leaks, But Is It The Real Deal?

Posted by in Leaks, LG, News

Just a little while ago, the first purported press shots of the LG Nexus 4 hit Twitter, thanks to EVLeaks. Almost immediately after looking at the image, though, it's clear something's... not right.

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Let's start with the notification bar - look familiar? If you've ever run the AOKP ROM, it should. Both the centered clock and battery percentage (the one actually in the battery icon - it's barely visible in the render) are signature customizations of the ROM. If you look closely, you'll also notice quite a bit of artifacting where the "screen" meets the bezel, as well as around all the navigation buttons.

19
Oct
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'Anatomy Of A Hoax' – Source Of Sony Nexus X Fake Comes Clean [Updated x3]

Posted by in Android OS, Leaks, News, Rumors

UPDATE 3: EVLeaks has now rescinded his previous statements.

While we don't appreciate the manner in which EVLeaks (and others) initially approached this situation with conspiracy theories, baseless accusations, and speculation, we appreciate EVLeaks' withdrawal of previous comments, and our readers' support through the entire episode. Going forward we will continue to maintain our standard of ethics while delivering newsworthy content.

UPDATE 2: The original hoaxster, Ti Kawamoto has just tweeted another confirmation:

15
Oct
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These Photos May Not Show A Leaked Sony Nexus After All – Here's Why

Posted by in Android OS, Leaks, Rumors, Sony

Earlier today, a couple of rather exciting photos found on Picasa began hitting news sites showing what could be a leaked device called the Sony Nexus X. Of course, during Nexus season, any rumor or glance at a possible new device is always exciting, but sometimes it's worth while to take a step back and consider whether what we're looking at is actually what it appears to be. Our penchant for putting leaked images under the microscope led us to do a bit of investigating.

After taking a look at the Nexus X photos, we have some doubts about their validity.

17
Sep
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Weibo User Reveals Questionable Press Shot Of HTC's Unannounced 5" Phone [Update: Shot Is Confirmed Unofficial]

Posted by in HTC, News, Rumors

Remember HTC's 5" mystery device we caught a glimpse of last month? Well, according to Engadget, a user of China's popular social network Weibo earlier revealed what may (or may not) be an official press shot of the device – a shot which also reveals the device's potential name – the HTC One X 5 (named, obviously, for its ample display size).

Engadget has "reason to believe [this] is an authentic press image of the finished result," but we're always skeptical of leaked press shots, and after putting the image under a magnifying glass, we're not so sure. Without further ado, here's the image in question:

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Comparing this image to the blurry cam photos we saw before, the shot looks pretty accurate.

02
Apr
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A Hundred 5-Star Reviews For $150 (Or: How Cheaters Game The Android Play Store Using Mechanical Turk)

Posted by in Apps/Games, News

Way back in the day, if you wanted to know if a piece of software was safe, reliable, or usable before you opened the package, you were out of luck. Once you rip that shrink wrap, you're stuck with it. The app markets of today are, by comparison, a breath of fresh air. A litany of user reviews let you know up front if a piece of software is crap or not before you download. Unfortunately, sometimes developers, like Noosoft Games, abuse this system by, as an example, using the Mechanical Turk system from Amazon to pay for 5-star reviews.

What Is Mechanical Turk

For the uninitiated, here's a little background: Amazon's Mechanical Turk system (named after an 18th century chess-playing automaton) is a platform for businesses to farm out minor, tedious tasks (called HITs) without hiring full-time employees, and lets users perform those small tasks for a pittance.

17
Mar
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[Analysis] Is Today's Galaxy SIII Leak The Real Deal? Probably Not

Posted by in Galaxy S III, Off-Topic, Rumors, Samsung

Today's suspected Galaxy SIII leak caused quite a stir in the Android community, of course sparking concerns over validity, likelihood that Samsung would choose such a form factor for the upcoming flagship, and just when we may see the real thing up close. A great summary of the leak on Reddit, and the subsequent comment thread got me thinking, though: just how likely is it that the leak is real? In short the answer is a resounding "not very."

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At first blush, the leak seems convincing -  for starters, the shot in question has all the moire-patterning of a digital photo hurriedly snapped of a computer monitor, implying that whoever leaked the image didn't have time to save the file and risk being caught.

25
Feb
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Temple Run Officially Announces Its Android Plans: Not In February, But Soon, Watch Facebook For Updates

Posted by in Games, News

If you've downloaded anything Temple Run-related from the Android Market, you've been scammed. We do our best to keep you informed, but this app in particular seems to spark a lot of fakes. Thankfully, Imangi Studios, the developer behind Temple Run, announced on their Facebook page that the app isn't out yet, but when it is the company will announce it at least a week in advance.

The sheer number of scam apps that have been appearing in the Android Market is astounding. However, none of them are legit. Here's the word from Temple Run's official Facebook page:

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For the impatient: no, it's not out yet, yes everything on the Market claiming to be related to Temple Run is a scam, and you will have at least a week's notice from Temple Run's official Facebook page before the game comes out.

11
Feb
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No, There Is No Proof Instagram For Android Is Around The Corner - Just Fake Crap Advertising More Fake Crap

Posted by in Applications, News

Last week, a "report" by InFlexWeTrust showed a screencap of a popup that invited users to download a "featured" app - Instagram for Android.

With all the crapware pushing AirPush ads to your notification bar that we've seen last week (including the fake Pinterest, Temple Run, and - drumroll - Instagram) and all the clues regarding this so obviously fake Instagram app, one would have thought a bit of caution by the blogosphere would have been a good idea. Unfortunately, the Instagram hype is so strong that plenty of blogs ran with "Instagram was leaked" and "Instagram is almost here" stories.

17
May
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Vodafail: The Story Of The Stolen Xperia Play Shipment In New Zealand Is Fake, Just A [Tasteless] Marketing Ploy

Posted by in News, Vodafone

Earlier this morning, news broke of a horrible deed - the entire stock of Xperia Play phones was allegedly stolen from Vodafone NZ, leaving hundreds of giant-thumbed customers button-mashing nothing but air for the foreseeable future. We deliberately skipped this story, even though it was spreading like fire, but what happened next prompted me to grab my pen keyboard and give this crime some coverage.

Remember those missing devices? Yeah, never happened. The whole event that started with last night's post on Vodafone's own Facebook page, later augmented with video footage of the alleged attack, was a carefully orchestrated stunt by the company.