Mobile phones are found all around the world — ubiquitous even in emerging markets such as China and India — but how you use the device depends greatly on where you live.

In a new report entitled "The Mobile Consumer: A Global Snapshot," research company Nielsen looked at consumer behavior, device preference and usage in 10 different countries, including the U.S., UK, Australia, China, India and South Korea.

Nielsen concluded that "usage differs significantly by market and demographic groups."

For example, the majority of mobile consumers in developed markets — such as South Korea (67%), Australia (65%) and the UK (61%) — tend to prefer smartphones. Basic feature phones, on the other hand, are more commonly used in India (80%), Turkey (61%) and Russia (51%). Mid-range multimedia phones, which have more capabilities than feature phones but less than smartphones, are least popular among users, with less than 10% usage in most countries (at 21%, Brazil boasts the highest percentage of multimedia-phone users among those examined in Neilsen's report).



For smartphone users, the types of apps used also differ between countries, though they all generally prefer games and social networking. Americans like to consult maps and browse social networks, while Chinese users enjoy playing games and are more likely to access news and weather updates on their mobile apps.



Nielsen is set to present some of its findings from "The Mobile Consumer" at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.

What do you think of the report's results? Do they reflect your mobile-phone usage? Tell us in the comments, below.
































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MWC gadgets

Gadgets at the Mobile World Congress























BARCELONA — Alongside announcements from big companies, there are dozens of startups trying to push their products at the Mobile World Congress each year, usually under the umbrella of smaller shows such as Showstoppers or Mobile Focus Global.

The shows always provide a nice overview of mobile trends, off-beat gadgets and yet-to-become mainstream technology — and this year was no exception. In nearly seven hours of browsing through countless companies' stands, Mashable found quite a few that caught our eye (although many of these products already debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show last month in Las Vegas).

Similar to last year, waterproof gadgets and rugged cases seem to be a big trend. Standout companies include: Australia-based Cygnett, which makes fashionable iPhone, iPod and Galaxy S III cases, Lifeproof, which makes everything-proof gadget cases, and Kyocera, which showcased their nearly indestructible Android phone called Torque.

'We're very good at making cheap Android phones, and we're good at making rugged gadgets. Now we've connected the two," Kyocera said. At its stand, the company featured a rugged iPhone case that costs around $70. Their Torque phone, equally rugged, costs $99.

Audio gadgets are also popular this year. Jabra showed us their Vox in-ear earphones, which feature a unique magnet-equipped cord that prevents them from getting tangled inside your pocket. The company also had the Revo corded and wireless headphones, both constructed from an aluminum frame and memory foam ear cups.

Zagg showcased a unique two-in-one speaker system that has a large module and a small one. Users connect their phone to the smaller module, which is battery-powered and has a speaker, via Bluetooth. To get a louder sound, they can plug the smaller module into the larger one. At 249 euros, the Origin portable speaker is not exactly cheap, but it's definitely versatile.

And if all that's not enough, Olloclip exhibited its 3-in-1 iPhone camera lens (now also supporting the iPhone 5), which quickly and easily adds fish-eye, wide-angle and macro capabilities to your iPhone camera.

So, there you have it: With a few hundred dollars to spare, you can add some serious audio and video features to your iPhone or iPod touch (most manufacturers also support the Galaxy S III, but few venture further into Android-land) — not to mention protect them from almost anything.

Check out photos of 10 gadgets at the Mobile World Congress that can supercharge your phone in the gallery, above.










































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Can’t wait to get your hands on Google Glass? You might not have to wait much longer.

In an interview, Google Glass product director Steve Lee told The Verge that it plans to have a “fully-polished” version of Glass available for consumers by the end of 2013. Even better? Glass will be priced at less than $1500 when it goes on sale.

Google took orders for an Explorer Edition of Glass during its developer conference last year. Restricted to developers who were attending the conference, Google said at the time that the Explorer Edition would be $1500. It’s expected to be in developers' hands early this year.

The company opened up additional pre-orders for the device earlier this week, requiring those interested to tell Google “what you would do if you had Glass” on Twitter or Google+ using the hashtag #ifihadglass.

A patent for Glass made public this week showed that the company may have plans for more than one design of the unique device.

Are you looking forward to the release of Google Glass? Let us know what you would do #ifihadglass in the comments.

Photo by Pete Pachal, Mashable

Google Glass: The Patent

Google Glass, Alternate Design 1

Although Google Glass has been shown as an minimalist eyewear frame, Google suggested other designs in its patent, including this normal-looking pair of eyeglasses. Google says either lens could be used as the "projection system" and component 118 is the CPU.



Alternate Design 2

This take on Google Glass resembles cheap 3D glasses, but that's probably just a coincidence. The patent says elements 128 and 132 would be scanning lasers for projecting images and text right on the lenses.



Alternate Design 3

Although this is another full-lens design, it's closer to the current execution of Google Glass, with the active-display area confined to one part of one side of the wearer's field of view.



Frame Design

This design appears to be depicting Google Glass as it exists so far. Element 203 is the only "lens," which overlays computer graphics on the wearer's POV.



Network Schematic

This is a diagram of the computer network infrastructure for Google Glass. The actual device (Part 310) doesn't necessarily need to be a headset -- Google suggests a heads-up display in the patent. The connection to remote computing power (330) via a wireless connection (320) would be essential, and it could be achieved on the device or via a cellphone.



Google Glass Hardware

Here's more detail in how the hardware will be configured. Note how one of the arms contains all the electronics: Google describes elements 70, 72 and 76 as potentially touch-based inputs. Element 80 contains the battery, and 82 is a charging port.



Hardware, Alternate Angle

Another view of the hardware



Display Housing, Exploded View

This diagram gives more detail on the how the camera/display mechanism will work. The circular elements, (62, 66) could allow the wearer to rotate just the display.



Controls With Display Housing

Here are the touch controls (70, 72 and 76) close up. Element 68 is a hard button locking the device or engaging sleep mode.



Display Prism, Angle

This shows how the display will work when positioned at an angle to the center of the wearer's eye, as it is in the current version of the device.



Display Prism, Straight
Here, the display is at or close to a right angle to the wearer's vision, which Google says is for "optimal viewing."



Display Prism, Translational Positioning

This diagram shows how the wearer would be able to adjust the horizontal position of the prism (between P1 and P2 positions), so the display is aligned with the eye.



















































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Google Glass isn't even out yet, and people are heralding the part-camera, part-mobile device as the future — a revolutionary product that will surely change the way we use (and view) technology.

But some vision specialists are worried the high-tech specs, which you'll be able to wear on your head, could lead to health issues, including eye strain, headaches and neck pain.

"While Google Glass is a brand new interactive heads-up display (HUD) technology, there are some things we can presume based on the information Google has released," said Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford, a VSP optometrist for Bright Eyes Family Vision.

"Consumers may experience a physiological impact while wearing these glasses, such as increased eye-strain and dry eyes from reduced blinking," he added. "This could ultimately cause headaches and neck pain and are the symptoms of computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain."

Most people who spend long hours in front of the computer or mobile devices know the discomfort associated with prolonged eyestrain. That could also be compounded by the fact that Google Glass will be extremely near the eye, increasing the chances of irritability.

"The glasses themselves are too close for the eyes to focus, so the display alters the light so that the perceived image is located up and to the side, about two feet away from the user," said Warford, adding that despite the effect, it will still cause straining.

A Google spokesperson told Mashable that the company has studied design comfort and safety very closely, and hasn't found a cause for concern. They said it plans to continue to watch this area carefully.

Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Ehrenhaus of New York Cornea Consultants believes eyestrain isn't going to be as much of a concern as the distraction it can cause users on the street.

"We still need to learn more about the technology and what exactly people will be seeing, but there may not be a lot of eye straining at all," Ehrenhaus said.

"The bigger issue is that you don't want to fall into a manhole while trying to look at an image in the glass."

Research has been conducted on pilots and drivers in the past reveal that when a person is mentally focused on the HUD, they are not paying attention to the world around them.

Warford agrees, noting clinical studies will eventually evaluate concentration factors, as well as visual skills and ocular physiology before and after extended use of Google Glasses to see its impact.

"For now, we can extrapolate what we know about visual processing of HUD data, the eye movements needed to use the glasses and the effects of prolonged digital screen usage," he added. "Consumers should also keep in mind the experience will not be like the original concept video or the holy-grail of augmented reality. It will be more like a phone you can see without having to hold."

What do you think about the possible health concerns surrounding Google Glass? Would you be nervous to give it a try or can you not wait to get your hands on it? Let us know in the comments.

Google Glass: How It Will Look"

OK, Glass..."

More than a catchphrase, "OK, Glass" is how the wearer will engage the headset, enabling it to listen to commands.



Taking a Photo

One of the most basic things Glass will be able to do is capture photos of whatever the wearer is looking at.



Recording Video

Similarly, the onboard camera will also be able to record videos.



Quick Communication

Here's how it'll look to receive a message.


Flight Alert

Location-based or timed alerts will appear on Glass like so.



Navigation

Showing maps based on the users point of view is potentially one of the most useful features of Google Glass.



Google+ Hangout

Glass will be able to share the wearer's POV via Google+ Hangout.



Brooklyn Bridge Query

The wearer can call search Google for answers to questions verbally.



Brooklyn Bridge Answer

Answers to queries appear similar to how voice search in Google Now works -- giving the user the one answer that they're looking for rather than a series of links.



Translation Query

Google envisions that fast translations of single words or phrases will be a common query for Google Glass.



Translation Answer

Here's how the answer will look, accompanied by an audio pronunciation.








































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Smartphone cameras are great — except, usually, for zooming in, lighting and producing high-quality photos.

Researchers at MIT, however, have developed a processor chip that they say can instantly convert mobile device snapshots into professional-looking pictures.

The chip, pictured here, integrates into any mobile device or digital camera, and can be used to improve lighting, apply effects and kill low-light background noise. Plus, researchers say, it uses significantly less power than full computer processors or video cards.

One of the chip's tasks enhances low light photos. "Typically when taking pictures in a low-light situation, if we don’t use flash on the camera we get images that are pretty dark and noisy," Rahul Rithe, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, says in a press release. "And if we do use the flash we get bright images but with harsh lighting, and the ambience created by the natural lighting in the room is lost."

So, to avoid photos turning out like this, the chip takes two images — one using flash, one without it — and combines only the most desirable parts of both photos into a composite image.



It's unclear when the processor will come to market. The group presented their findings at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, which wrapped up today.

Does this sound like something you'd use?

To learn more, and read the official release here.

6 Apps for Editing Photos

5. Filterstorm

Filterstorm offers many of the same features you might find in a powerful desktop photo editor on your mobile phone. The app can support up to five layers at a time, and allows you to make adjustments to the image including brush, gradient, color range, vignette or selecting opacity. You can work with the brightness/contrast in a photo, the temperature, exposure, and saturation as well as crop a picture how you would like and specify a specific aspect ratio you’d like the final image to be.



Photoshop Express

Who says you need a computer to use Photoshop? Adobe Photoshop Express is a free, lightweight version of the popular photo editor that allows you to do things like crop and straighten your photos, as well as apply filters, effects and even borders to your prints.

The free app comes with a number of basic features. With a number of other filters, effects, and more available as in-app purchases.



1. Camera+

Camera+ is an app designed for not only editing your photos, but for taking them as well. The app has a built-in stabilizer for steadying your camera while taking pictures, a 6x zoom for getting close to your subject, and as well as a grid to help you line up your shot perfectly.

Once you’ve taken a photo, Camera+ has some built-in editing tools as well as a ton of built-in effects for giving your picture a finishing touch, as well as built-in borders. Finished pictures can be shared instantly on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr from directly within the app.



2. PicsPlay Pro - FX Photo Editor

PicsPlay Pro for Android has over 200 professional presets, allowing you to customize your photo on the fly. The app has several built-in themes such as HDR, Blur, Vintage and Black & White, and has real-time opacity control on those presets, allowing you to customize each one to best fit your own personal needs.
Photos edited using the app can be instantly shared with others on a variety of different services, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.


3. Pixlr-O-Matic

With more than 100 effects, 280 overlays and almost 200 different borders Pixlr-o-Matic lets you customize your pictures quickly and easily to give them a seemingly endless array of different looks. In addition to editing photos already stored on your phone, you can also use the app to take new pictures. Finished photos can be shared with friends via Facebook, or saved to your phone as high-resolution files that you can then print out or use in other projects.



4. PicSay Pro

Ever wish your dog could talk? Anything is possible with PicSay Pro. The Android app has a number of traditional photo editing features such as the ability to remove red eye and crop and straighten photos, and adds to it special effects like the ability to add tech and word balloons to your pictures or make just a small portion of a black-and-white photo color.


Thumbnail image via iStockphoto, PeskyMonkey; post image courtesy of MIT


















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PlayStation 4


The PS4 Controller

PS4 Share Button

The New Look of PSN

Find Out What Your Friends Play

Facebook Integration

PSN Profile

PSN Updates

PS4 Online Content

Remote Play on PS Vita

Killzone Shadow Fall

Scenes from Killzone Shadow Fall

Driveclub

Driveclub

Coming Holiday 2013.


Sony's PlayStation 4 will hit stores in time for the holiday season.

The electronics giant unveiled the PS4 at a big press event in New York City on Wednesday, and showed off lots of game footage, but shared very little about the console itself.

While we don't know how much the console will cost, the type of media it will use or what the box even looks like, we do know that it will hit store shelves during the upcoming 2013 holiday season.

The PlayStation 3 was released in November 2006, and has sold over 70 million console units to date. Seven years later, will the PS4 have what it takes to conquer the modern, evolved gaming market? Give us your thoughts in the comments, below.























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