Forty years on since a call that launched the mobile era
It is 40 years since the first mobile phone call was made on April 3 1973. Here is a look back at how technology has evolved.
A new smartphone, but where's the WOW factor?
Has mobile innovation stalled? The lack of big headlines appears to suggest it has.
Samsung unveils Galaxy S4
Samsung has unveiled its new Galaxy S4 - a phone with a 5-inch screen, a 13 megapixel camera and a function doubles as a TV remote.
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Facebook content to take over entire homescreen
- Facebook's new offering on Android essentially means it will deeply integrate itself on devices
- It puts people first and not apps by sending Facebook updates direct to the home screen via 'Cover Feed'
- That means Facebook content will take over the whole of your screen
- You can still get to other apps, but you have to swipe via a launcher
Zuckerberg: See the world though people not apps
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says he's not building a phone or an operating system - but is reinventing the homescreen "the soul of your phone".
Zuckerberg says you look at your homescreen "100 times a day" so it should be "deeply personal" and you should see the world through people not apps.
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Facebook starts to unveil 'new home on Android'
Facebook is unveiling what's expected to be a big change in the way millions of mobile users access the site on their mobiles. The company gave little away before today's event in the US about its "new home on Android", but it could mean a new homescreen for many smartphones.
The launch of an "enhanced app" will reinforce Facebook's "mobile first" as users increasingly monitor the social networking site from smartphones and tablets, rather than desktop computers.
Mixed reaction ahead of Facebook Android reveal
Twitter users have given mixed reactions ahead of Facebook's announcement, in which the social network says it will be unveiling its 'new home on Android'.
Rumours suggest the announcement could reveal a new and enhanced app for Facebook users on Android phones or even a 'Facebook phone' created by HTC.
A Facebook phone is way too much!
From @a_beezle on Twitter:A little part of me hopes Facebook just announces an updated Android app tomorrow.
From @Emily on Twitter:Can’t wait to get the new Facebook phone so my mobile device can FINALLY be integrated into social media!
From @BenjaminPFisher on Twitter:Facebook to 'target its millions of mobile phone users'
According to Facebook, more than 680 million of its one billion users now check the social network from mobile devices.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at comparison site uSwitch.com, said the arrival of a 'Facebook phone' would mark a new departure for mobile devices.
"After a protracted journey to market, the 'Facebook phone' finally seems set to arrive," he said.
"The device is a concerted bid for Facebook to make a play for the eyeballs of millions of consumers, and become the hub from which they interact with all aspects of their smartphone.
"The important word on Facebook's invitation is 'home'. We should expect Facebook to greet mobile users when they turn their smartphones on in the morning, and to be the core of the user's experience - integral to searching, surfing and interacting."
He added: "This forthcoming device will be the tip of the spear - a focused showcase of what is possible with deeper Facebook integration - and is certain to mark the start of future devices which embed the social network into the fabric of functionality, from a number of manufacturers."
Both Facebook and HTC have refused to comment on the speculation surrounding the announcement.
Facebook to announce 'enhanced Android app'
Stuart Miles, founder of technology and gadget site Pocket-lint, says he thinks the Facebook announcement will be the launch of an enhanced app for the social network.
– Stuart MilesMy initial thought was that they couldn't possibly be launching a phone because that would be silly, because every phone is already a Facebook phone.
I think ultimately this will be an enhanced app that you can run from your homescreen on Android which will give you the feeling that your phone is a Facebook phone.
The launch of an "enhanced app" would reinforce Facebook's "mobile first" attitude, Miles added, as users increasingly monitor the social networking site from smartphones and tablets, rather than desktop computers.
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Facebook to reveal 'new home on Android' today
Facebook will reveal its "new home on Android" today at an event where the American company is widely expected to unveil a homescreen for smartphones.
The social media giant has refused to divulge any further details relating to the launch beyond promising a "product announcement". An invitation asks guests to "come see our new home on Android" at a function in California.
The event has already generated widespread interest online, where much speculation surrounds the rumoured Facebook homescreen which analysts suggest would run on Google's mobile operating system Android.
TechCrunch predicts the new product will allow news from Facebook to be piped automatically to locked Android homescreens.
Meanwhile VentureBeat reports leaked information suggests the HTC-built Facebook phone is now a reality and has been dubbed the HTC Myst.
Sound of stunned silence in first ever mobile phone call
The man who made the first mobile phone call exactly 40 years ago says all he could hear was the sound of stunned silence, because the person on the other end couldn't believe it. Martin Cooper called rival company AT&T who were still focused on making phones that only worked in cars.
In 1973 the battery life was only 20 minutes, but that didn't matter because the phone was so heavy. Martin Cooper spoke to Geraint Vincent via a newer telecommunications device - Skype:
Viewers' memories of their first mobile phone call
– Alison LookerIt was 1997 and a friend of a friend at Uni let me ring home with my degree result as the queue for the single payphone in Halls of Residence was long! Later that year I got my own mobile once earning money
– Peter SortwellMy first mobile call was to a mates landline while sitting there, then hanging up when his mum answered.
– James ReardonFirst phone was a blur so I would say it was a Brick 3455.
Forty years on since a call that launched the mobile era
It is 40 years since the first mobile phone call was made on April 3 1973. Here is a look back at how technology has evolved.
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