COMPANIES

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is no longer a rumor as the tech company unveiled the rugged edition just recently. More importantly, consumers no longer have to guess when it is going to hit the market. Samsung will be releasing the extreme edition of their latest Samsung S4 lineup on the first of July in UK.

Apple dropped recently an app in their store promising people to “free” them from their homosexuality. However, Google’s Play Store and several Android platforms are yet to make their move on removing the Gay Cure app.

HTC One will soon receive its official Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware update and owners can expect it to roll out by the middle of June 2013.

One point for Samsung Electronics as it won against its biggest competitor Apple Inc on patents. The long-running case against patent infringements and market selling has created a stiff competition between the two electronic giants – the odds were in favor of Samsung this time.

Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S4 active featuring its notable asset - the dust and water protection to the newly-designed body.

The Audi R8 has successfully carved its own niche some people has even considered it as the “sickest car” in the world. While some people in industry feel the R8 is just a way for the company to amortize the costs of the Lamborghini Gallardo – it is impossible to deny the Audi R8.

The world has a new favorite OS and it is now slowing down. Recent reports suggest the increasing shares of Android in the mobile phone and computing industry. While there aren’t clear announcements from Google, the rumour mill has it that Android 4.3 update is coming soon. Android market shares not only jumped in the smartphone department but also in the tablet industry. More and more tablets are coming out with the Android OS and it is not difficult to understand why.

On June 3, 2013, LG Electronics Australia announced that the highly successful Optimus L Series is getting both a specification update and further enhance the smartphone's range with new style and appeal. Optimus L2 II, L3 II, L5 II, L7 II and L9 II will be made available to a wider range of local operators and retail partners.

Samsung Galaxy Express finally arrives in Australia boasting 4.5-inches display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5MP camera and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to both Optus Online and retail stores.

The French court ordered Apple Inc to pay over 5 million euros or $6.5 million worth of copyright taxes for iPad sales in 2011. The court ruling was removed last 2012 but this time, the French government is considering creating a new law on involving cultural taxes related to devices.

Davao International Airport in the Philippines resumes normal operations after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) cleared the runway and removed the damaged Cebu Pacific aircraft. The third busiest airport in the country has remained closed from Sunday night until Tuesday afternoon. CAAP allowed the airport to operate Tuesday evening.

Chevrolet revealed the seventh-generation Corvette at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show showcasing the new engine, improved technologies and much better look. The C7 is the not only new car from Chevy. The company has also released its Malibu and Silverado series – perfect treats for the car enthusiast.

In a repeat of the first Click Frenzy incident, the Web site of Australian retail giant Myer crashed on Tuesday evening due to the heavy volume of logins. The crash happened 30 minutes after the online launch of its mid-year sale.

Hundreds of airline passengers are stranded in Davao, Philippines since Sunday night because of a runway accident involving a Cebu Pacific plane. The Airbus A-320 of Cebu Pacific landed off the runway at the Davao International Airport.

Sony finally announced the roll out of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for their Xperia S, Xperia SL and Xperia Acro S. Owners can obtain the update via Over-the-Air process or via cable using a computer.

At last, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has set up new guidelines for drivers keen on self-driving cars. The move is a breakthrough as it is one of the first regulatory laws introduced by the agency with respect to autonomous vehicles.

Not unexpectedly, Tesla Motors Inc. is gathering pace as it has just announced that it will expand its charging stations. The advancement is aimed at giving the owners of electric cars the possibility of having a coast-to-coast ride. But the electric car producer had also a small surprise for its fans.

Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside teased Moto X to be the first phone earning approval from leaders of Google according to the D11 conference interview. Motorola X is expected to be released later this year with new set of unique features to make it win against iPhone 5s, Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

A study by Cisco found that 90 per cent of young people in Australia, or those under 30 years old, fear having no mobile phone. That fear is called nomophobia.

Microsoft is cutting prices of its Surface tablets in what is seen as the tech giant unloading its inventory to prepare for refreshing the Surface line.

Besides releasing in October 2013 the Moto X smartphone, Motorola Mobility's first handset since it was acquired by Google, the company is working on new methods that would make remembering passwords unnecessary.

Breon Nagy of Minessota becomes the first man in the world to have recorded a wedding proposal using the wearable computer Google Glass. Nagy proposed to his designer girlfriend Amanda Ingle in Leeds Castle in Kent, Britain.

HTC is rumoured gearing up to battle the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with HTC T6 featuring 5.9 inches of screen display and Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie.

October 2013 is another special date should be mark to all gadget fans out there as iOS 7, iPhone 5s, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie and LG Nexus 5 are expected to be launched on the same season.

A prototype device from LG is being tested for at least a month which revealed to be the upcoming Nexus 5 running Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie and expected to come out by October this year.

The Moto X smartphone will move from being a rumour to a real device in October when Google's Motorola Mobility will roll out the mobile phone which will be manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas.

Michael Bay and his team are gearing up for Transformers 4. Production of the fourth installment of the movie franchise has started and the director was generous enough to provide a sneak peak – two new Autobots and Optimus Prime’s new look.

Facebook advertisers pulled out their ads after an anti-sexism campaign drew attention to Facebook pages that contained posts promoting violence against women.

Cathy Kearney, 49, works for Apple Operations International in the city of Cork. Kearney is in charge of Apple's successful operations in Ireland. Apple's subsidiary in Cork is responsible for selling iPhones, iPads and Macbooks to African, European and Middle Eastern markets.