MWC 2014

As hotly-anticipated smartphones go, the Samsung Galaxy S5 ranked up there alongside the new iPhone, with all eyes on the dominant force in Android handsets at Mobile World Congress this year. Samsung didn't stint on the show, opening the launch with a full orchestra and then running through the new specs - fingerprint biometrics, a 16-megapixel camera, and more - in a huge press event that also saw it revamp its wearable companion range. As the dust settles, follow us on past the cut for all the key details about the new Galaxy S5.

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Could you comfortably read at 1,000 words per minute? That's what startup Spritz claims, revealing a new reading technology aimed at phones, ereaders, and tablets, but also smaller displays like smartwatches and Glass-style wearables, that by showing one word at a time, can allow people to consume text at vastly increased rates, without missing out on comprehension.

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Google never made a play for WhatsApp despite reports of an unsuccessful $10bn bid for the messaging service, Senior VP Sundar Pichai says, though talks of collaboration between the firms did apparently take place. WhatsApp, which Facebook announced earlier this month it would acquire for a whopping $19bn, was never a target for purchase according to Pichai, with "press reports to the contrary" being "simply untrue."

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A Dutch start-up wants to make Bitcoin payments as easy as nodding your head, with EAZE revealing "Nod to Pay" using Google Glass, the virtual currency, and QR codes. Triggered by the voice command "OK Glass, make a payment" and then finalized by a simple nod gesture, the system makes payments a completely hands-off process.

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Just as it was at CES 2014, so too did Samsung team up with Kidrobot to deliver artistic expression to the masses with artists Tilt and The London Police. The collaboration between Samsung and Kidrobot includes a set of custom cases and devices - the Galaxy Note 3 continues to be a centerpiece here even as the Samsung Galaxy S5 is introduced on a global scale - while customized vinyl toys sit right alongside. Samsung also provided Barcelona with some fantastic (decidedly non-technologically advanced) eye food with live painting by the artists just as they did earlier this year.

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Samsung has announced that it has launched the SDKs for two of its new products at MWC 2014 Developer Day. The SDKs that have launched are for the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Gear 2 smartwatch. Samsung has held its Developers Day conference at MWC since 2011.

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If you’re looking for mid-tier scrimping while you’re also in the market for total and complete privacy in all things you do online, you might want to look somewhere else. Blackphone does the latter - or suggests that it’s entirely private and secure, but it’ll cost you. Right out of the box, software aside, this device works with specifications that might also throw you for a loop - in a good way.

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At MWC 2014, Samsung has finally taken off the veils from its latest Exynos endeavors. While it might not be the 64-bit processors that people have been speculating about, the new Exynos 5 Octa 5422 and Exynos 5 Hexa 5260 are still interesting in their own right.

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Motorola is working on a smartwatch for launch in 2014, the company has confirmed, with execs confirming the new wearable during a press conference at Mobile World Congress today. Details on the upcoming gadget are scant, but Motorola did say that it would be aiming to address "consumer issues" such as the style of the wearable tech, and the longevity of its battery, two factors that many have argued are still widely unsolved in the smartwatch segment.

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Motorola's Moto Maker customization tool for the Moto X will spread internationally in Q2, the company has confirmed, offering buyers a way to create their own combination of colors for the Android handset. Launched in the US back in August, for the moment Moto Maker has only been offered in the one location. As of next quarter, though, buyers in Western Europe and Mexico will get the same abilities.

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Samsung's Gear Fit may arguably look the most appealing of the three wearables the company announced yesterday, but Tizen was sacrificed in order to make it happen. Launched alongside the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the Gear Fit caught attention with its curved AMOLED touchscreen and longer battery life than its counterparts. However, Samsung admits, there may be some drawbacks to the fitness-centric band.

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"Log your day, every day" Sony says, hoping that it's the SmartBand SWR10 you choose to do that with, not just a pen and paper. The company's new wearable was previewed back at CES last month but the company saved the details for Mobile World Congress, outlining how the Bluetooth-connected dongle - and, eventually, a Smart Lifelog Camera companion - could not only do the work of a fitness tracker but integrate in every facet of your life. We grabbed some hands-on time to find out more.

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