US puts off decision on Keystone XL pipeline

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is putting off its decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, likely until after the November elections, by extending its review of the controversial project indefinitely.

In a surprise announcement Friday as Washington was winding down for Easter, the State Department said federal agencies will have more time to weigh in on the politically fraught decision — but declined to say how much longer. Officials said the decision will have to wait for the dust to settle in Nebraska, where a judge in February overturned a state law that allowed the pipeline's path through the state.

Nebraska's Supreme Court isn't expected to hear an appeal to that ruling until September or October, and there could be more legal maneuvering after the high court rules. So President Barack Obama will almost surely have until after the November congressional elections to make the final call about whether the pipeline carrying oil from Canada should be built.

Approving the pipeline before the election would rankle Obama's allies and donors in the environmental community, but nixing it could be politically damaging to vulnerable Democrats running this year in conservative-leaning areas.

"This decision is irresponsible, unnecessary and unacceptable," said Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, who faces a difficult re-election in oil-rich Louisiana. Landrieu said Obama was signaling that a small minority can tie up the process in the courts, sacrificing 42,000 jobs and billions in economic activity.

In an ironic show of bipartisanship, Republicans joined Landrieu and other Democrats like Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska in immediately condemning the announcement — the latest in a string of delays in a review process that has dragged on for more than five years.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Obama of kowtowing to "radical activists" from the environmental community, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the decision "shameful" and said there were no credible reasons for further delay.

"This job-creating project has cleared every environmental hurdle and overwhelmingly passed the test of public opinion, yet it's been blocked for more than 2,000 days," Boehner said in a statement.

But environmental groups fighting the pipeline hailed the delay, arguing that it shows the State Department is taking the arguments against the pipeline seriously.

"This is definitely great news," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president for the League of Conservation Voters. "We are very confident as they continue to examine the issues with the lack of legal route in Nebraska and the terrible climate impacts, at the end of the day the pipeline will be rejected."

Keystone XL would carry oil from western Canada's tar sands to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. The project requires State Department approval because it crosses an international border. The State Department vowed to move forward with other aspects of its review even while the situation in Nebraska remains in limbo.

"The agency consultation process is not starting over," the State Department said in a statement.

State Department officials said other U.S. agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, won't be notified of their new deadline for comment until the legal situation in Nebraska becomes clearer. Driving the delay is a concern that the legal wrangling could lead to a change in the pipeline's route that would affect agencies' assessments, said the officials, who weren't authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

The White House has insisted that Secretary of State John Kerry is in charge of the process, which involves a determination about whether the pipeline is in America's national interest. But Obama is widely expected to make the final call.

In a nod to environmentalists' concerns, Obama has said the pipeline will be deemed not in the U.S. interest if it contributes significantly to increasing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Environmentalists argue that the oil that's pulled out of Canada's tar sands is among the dirtiest on the planet.

The White House declined to comment on the State Department's announcement, which came on Friday afternoon, when many Americans were observing Good Friday. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, accused the administration of "a stunning act of political cowardice" by waiting until most Americans would be too busy preparing for Easter or observing Passover to notice the delay.

Obama and environmental groups dispute the notion that the pipeline would create many permanent jobs or have a substantial economic impact, but Obama has refused to say whether he will nix it. The 1,179-mile pipeline would travel through Montana and South Dakota to a hub in Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries in Texas.

This isn't the first time that machinations in Nebraska have delayed a Keystone XL decision. The pipeline's initial route had to be redrawn to address concerns that it would threaten the Nebraska Sandhills, a region of grass-covered dunes used as ranchland.

"We are disappointed that politics continue to delay a decision on Keystone XL," said Jason MacDonald, a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The pipeline project has become a proxy for a larger battle between environmental activists and energy advocates over climate change and the future of American energy — much to the dismay of Calgary-based TransCanada Corp., which has proposed the pipeline. The company's CEO, Russ Girling, said the company was "extremely disappointed and frustrated" with the latest delay.

Environmentalists' hopes that Obama would reject the pipeline were dealt a blow in January when the State Department, in a highly anticipated environmental report, said that building the pipeline would not significantly boost emissions because the oil was likely to find its way to market one way or another. The State Department concluded that transporting the oil by rail or truck would have an even worse environmental affect than building the pipeline.

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Russia says U.S. treating it like 'guilty schoolboy' over Ukraine

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday described as unacceptable a U.S. threat to impose sanctions if Russia fails to fulfil its side of an international deal on Ukraine, accusing the White House of treating Moscow like a "guilty schoolboy".

President Barack Obama said Thursday's deal in Geneva between Russia, Ukraine and Western powers to reduce tensions in the Russian-speaking east of Ukraine was promising but that Washington and its allies were prepared to impose more sanctions on Russia if the situation fails to improve.

"Statements like those made at a high level in Washington that the United States will follow in detail how Russia fulfils its obligations ... are unlikely to help dialogue," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.

"You can't treat Russia like a guilty schoolboy who has to put a cross on a piece of paper to show he has done his homework," Peskov said in an interview with Russia's First Channel. "That kind of language is unacceptable."

Thursday's deal called among other things for all illegal armed groups to disarm and end occupations of public buildings in Ukraine's east that Ukrainian authorities say have been orchestrated by Russia's intelligence services.

But pro-Russian separatists, over whom Moscow says it has no control, dismissed the accord, saying they were not bound by it.

Russia's Foreign Ministry accused U.S. officials of seeking to whitewash what it said was the use of force by the Ukrainian government against protesters in the country's mainly Russian-speaking eastern provinces.

"The blame for the Ukrainian crisis and its current aggravation is unreasonably being placed on Russia," the ministry said in a statement.

"The American side is once again stubbornly trying to whitewash the current actions of Kiev's authorities, who have embarked on a course for the violent suppression of protesters in the southeast who are expressing their legitimate indignation over the infringements of their rights."
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Yahoo wants to replace Google to become default search engine on iOS, report says

Marissa Mayer has been working diligently to revive the fortunes of Web firm Yahoo since taking the reins back in July 2012, though the enormity of the task means the challenge is far from over.

Decisions have included hiring hundreds of engineers to help bolster Yahoo's gargantuan site and its slew of services; making a ton of acquisitions, such as Tumblr, which has given Yahoo access to a younger generation of users; and making a commitment to mobile, a growing sector of the market where it needs to establish itself in order to take on the likes of Google and Facebook, who currently dominate when it comes to revenue from mobile ads.

According to a Re/code report Wednesday, part of Mayer's plan to make the company's presence felt in the mobile space involves trying to convince Apple to replace Google with Yahoo as the default search engine on all of those iDevices out there.

Speaking to unnamed insiders at Yahoo, the report says Mayer has prepped a detailed pitch that she hopes will be enough to persuade Apple executives to take a serious look at her proposition and ultimately make Yahoo the default search service on the Cupertino company's mobile phones and tablets.

No official meeting has yet taken place between the two companies, though Mayer has reportedly talked with some Apple executives about the idea, including long-time friend Jony Ive.

Trying to 'grab the pole position in iOS search'

"This is the aim of the whole effort here, to grab the pole position in iOS search," an unnamed source told Re/code, adding that it's currently one of Mayer's main goals.

That the Yahoo boss might get her way is not impossible. After all, Yahoo already provides the data for the weather and finance apps on iOS devices. In addition, Apple had few qualms about getting rid of Google Maps as its default mapping app, though admittedly the company replaced that one with its own equivalent app (sort of).

However, when it comes to search, Google remains the go-to service for Web users across most platforms, so Apple would be understandably wary about suddenly switching to Yahoo. Service quality would be a concern, too, with one of Re/code's sources questioning whether Yahoo has adequate technology yet to power an effective and efficient mobile search product.

Oh, and there's also the small matter of the annual $1 billion payment that the Mountain View company currently hands over to Apple for keeping its search engine as the default option on iOS devices.

Of course, iOS users can switch search engines by going into settings, but considering many just go with the default service, Yahoo's apparent plan to get its offering front and center on millions of Apple devices is perfectly understandable. Whether it can achieve this is another matter entirely.

[Image: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock]
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Project Ara to launch $100k module contest to focus minds of developers

On the second and final day of the Project Ara Developers Conference in Mountain View, California, Paul Eremenko, the guy leading Google's ambitious initiative, unveiled plans for a $100,000 module contest to encourage developers to start designing parts for the build-your-own handset. The announcement came a week after the team released its first developer resources for the project.

The contest, which it's hoped will incentivize talented developers into designing an array of useful modules for the revolutionary smartphone, will be officially unveiled next month. Other prizes include all-expenses paid trips to other Ara developer conferences to be held in the coming months. Entrants have until September to submit their module ideas.

To enter the contest, developers must first submit an outline of their module idea together with a hardware loan agreement so they can receive special tools to build their proposed part.

"Google wants a functional form factor module around this prototype hardware or the developer's own prototype hardware," Eremenko told the conference audience Wednesday, adding that entrants have to design not only the driver but also any necessary apps for their module.

The entries will be judged according to their uniqueness, as well as their novelty value, functionality, elegance, and overall quality. Potential for commercialization will also be taken into consideration.

The first Project Ara frame is projected to hits stores in January next year with a $50 price tag. Buyers can then build their handset according to their smartphone habits and needs, choosing from various modules, each one offering a different feature.

The idea for the highly customizable handset emerged last year from the Advanced Technology and Projects Group (ATAP), which used to be part of Motorola Mobility. Google held on to the group when it sold Motorola to Lenovo at the start of the year.

[via TechNewsWorld]
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Samsung expands Gear 2 and Gear Fit compatibility, but still keeps it in the family

Samsung has increased the number of devices which are compatible with its new Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit to 20. The news comes from an official blog post listing all the new hardware with which its refreshed wearables will work. It's an effort to make them more popular, particularly to those who aren't about to upgrade to the Galaxy S5.

Interestingly, Samsung has not only included smartphones, but tablets too. There are 12 smartphones in total, starting out with the the two current flagship devices, the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Note 3 Neo is also there, along with the Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S4, and the Galaxy S3. The Galaxy S4 Active, Mini, and S4 Zoom will also run the Gear range, and the list is completed by the Galaxy Grand 2, and both the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and the Mega 5.8.

The recently announced Galaxy Tab 4 range – which includes the Tab 4 7.0, Tab 4 8.0, and the Tab 4 10.1 – tops the tablet list, and is joined by the three Galaxy Tab Pro models too. Finally, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition are both compatible. 

Upon release of the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Samsung made the mistake of not making it compatible with many devices, cutting down its audience considerably. The Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit went on sale last week, and it obviously has no wish to see the new range languish on store shelves in the same way.

However, Samsung is still keeping the Gear devices to itself, with no indication whether owners of non-Samsung smartphones will ever be able to use them. In an interview, a Samsung executive did discuss opening up future wearable products to the world, but it seems unlikely this will apply to the current range. 

In the meantime, you can read our thoughts on the Gear Fit and Gear 2 smartwatches here, and find out where to buy them here.
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The LG G3 gets pictured in a leak, plus all the other rumors we’ve heard

The G2 is not only one of LG's best ever smartphones, but also one of 2013's best buys, and its sequel is highly anticipated. Rumors of the so-called LG G3 have been spreading for several months now, and we're edging closer to its eventual release. To prepare for its arrival, we've gathered together all the most exciting gossip on the phone, and it's shaping up to be very exciting.

Updated on 04-17-2014 by Andy: Added in an image supposedly showing the LG G3. It's an "artist's impression" of the phone, created after some hands-on time with the unofficial device.

It'll probably be called the LG G3

Reports from the end of 2013 said LG hadn't settled on the G3 name, and the phone is currently under development using the codename B2. LG abandoned the Optimus name for its high-end hardware last year, so we know that's not going to make a return, but it also proves the firm isn't afraid to reinvent itself.

Various model numbers have also been attached to the G3. For example, one leak claims the phone will be the LG-D851, while the Verizon version will be reclassified as the LG-VS985. The LG-D972 is another possibility, along with LG-D830. A Sprint document may have revealed the network-specific version will be the LS990, following on from the G2′s LS980 model number.

For the record, the regular, unlocked LG G2 wears the model number LG-D802, while the Nexus 5 is the LG-D820.

What will it look like?

Considering the amount of rumors surrounding the LG G3, it's surprising it has taken this long for an image of the device to leak out. Our first look at the phone comes from a Bulgarian site, where a mockup of the phone has been created using notes made by someone who got some hands-on time with the device. According to the report, the phone has similar dimensions to the Galaxy S5, despite the likelihood of it having a larger screen, and will be wrapped in a polycarbonate body shell. The shell may have a brushed metal finish, making it look like the HTC One M8.

The image shows a dual-LED camera flash, and what could be an infrared blaster, flanking the camera lens on the rear. The G2′s trademark rear volume and power buttons should make a return, and with a slightly revised design if the mockup is accurate. We'll have to wait until the official unveiling to find out for sure, so in the meantime, treat this as a fan-made picture which may give us a vague taste of what's to come.

Release could come sooner than initially expected.

The LG G2 was announced in August 2013, so it's still several months away from turning one year old. It's therefore logical to expect LG to at least wait until summer to replace the device. Early rumors pointed to a July date, which sounds reasonable. However, some sources have also claimed LG is aiming for June instead, making the G2 only 10 months old when it's superseded. June isn't the final offer either. A report published in January said LG was targeting May 17 as the release date for the G3.

In mid-April, Korean sources claimed LG plans to reveal the G3 smartphone near the end of June, and will put the device on sale in July. This would certainly bring it closer to the G2′s one year anniversary, and ensure it's out before the next iPhone gobbles up even more attention than it is now. However, a July release would still put it several months behind the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8, two if its strongest smartphone rivals.

A 1440p touchscreen is almost certain

This has been one of the longest running rumors regarding the G3. In August 2013, LG showed off a prototype 5.5-inch smartphone screen boasting a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, which it referred to as Quad HD. LG didn't provide any indication on when the screen would be fitted to a smartphone we could buy, but as it didn't show up on the G Pro 2, the G3 is the next bet. 1440p screens are no longer science fiction, and are fitted to a pair of Chinese smartphones, the Vivo XPlay 3S and the Oppo Find 7. 

At the end of December 2013, a Korean news source said the G3 would be the first phone to use the Quad HD panel, but it also said we'd see the device launch during Mobile World Congress. Almost a month later, another report from Korea repeated the rumor, adding the screen size could increase to a monster 5.9-inches. Subsequently, the G Pro 2 was announced with a screen that size, suggested the wires were crossed somewhere.

This is LG's new 1440p super HD screen.
More recently, a tweet from the @evleaks Twitter account showed a screenshot taken from a User Agent Profile (special documents created by manufacturers which contain information relevant to content providers), which listed an LG phone with the model number D850 as having a 2560 x 1440 pixel display.

Another User Agent Profile was discovered in April, this time on Sprint's website. It lists an LG phone with the model number LS990, and shows it sporting a 2560 x 1440 pixel screen resolution. Additionally, the OS is shown to be Android 4.4.2 KitKat, and that the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon processor with 3GB of RAM. The document also reveals the phone has a 13-megapixel camera on the rear, and a 2.1-megapixel camera above the screen. There's no proof this is the rumored LG G3, and the LS990 model number is one which hasn't been seen before. However, Sprint's version of the LG G2 was also known as the LS980, so it's not a massive stretch to assume this is its sequel.

A photo, claimed to show the LG G3 passing an AnTuTu benchmarking test, was published around the same time as the Sprint UAP profile was discovered. Once again, it showed a display resolution of 2560 x 1440, with a pixel density of 640ppi. This figure is almost certainly wrong, as it equates to a screen size of around 4.6-inches, far smaller than we're expecting. Before dismissing the image entirely, this could be an anomaly with the AnTuTu system. 

If LG does equip the G2 with such a high-res display, it'll successfully kick sand in the face of Samsung, which has gone with another 1080p panel for its Galaxy S5, Sony's Xperia Z2, and probably HTC's All New One too.

A new user interface, and "advanced personalization" features rumored

A screenshot, supposedly giving us a preview of the LG G3′s user interface, has been leaked. It's of particular interest because it shows a new look for LG's Android skin, with a flatter, more modern look than before. What's more, the image apparently had a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, seemingly confirming the reports LG will use its Quad HD display on the phone.

In mid-March, a rumor circulated LG was working on custom, intelligent software features for the G3. These could take advantage of Google Now's abilities, and add in learning capabilities to adapt the device to the way you use it. These are supposed to make the phone more personal, and you more productive, although we're not sure about a series of "helpful ideas" LG wants to provide on the device. This just gives us flashbacks to Microsoft's Clippy.

An octa-core processor is on the cards

In the same December 2013 report which claimed the G3 will have a 1440p screen, it was also suggested the device would be powered by an octa-core processor running at 2.2GHz. This would be a change from the G2, which used a Snapdragon 800, and like the screen resolution, would see the G32 stand apart from the competition.

However, which octa-core chip will it use? Opinion seems to be split between it being the MediaTek MT6595, and LG's own Odin chipset. The MediaTek "true octa-core" processor is seen as a cheap alternative to Qualcomm's chips, which probably isn't the impression LG wants to give potential buyers about the G3. MediaTek is keen to gain a wider international audience though, and any offer it made to LG may have been hard to resist.

MediaTek is one of several chip makers that could power the G3.
If it's not the MediaTek chip, what about the Odin? LG hasn't confirmed its existence, and unlike Samsung, isn't known for its mobile processors. Rumors first circulated in November last year. Apparently, LG is developing both a quad-core and an octa-core version, the latter running Cortex A15 and Cortex A7 cores at 2.2GHz. In late December, a reference to an LG Odin chip appeared on a benchmarking website, but running at a slow speed. 

On April 10, a Korean report said LG had enlisted the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build the Odin processor, and that it would start doing so soon. The rumor is it'll be built using a 28nm process, but adds that it won't be powering the LG G3 when it's released. 

The leaked photo mentioned above, which apparently shows an AnTuTu benchmarking result, also suggests the phone has an Adreno 330 GPU, which is used by both the Snapdragon 800 and the Snapdragon 801 processor.

The other option is the use of the new Snapdragon 805 processor. It's Qualcomm's update to the immensely popular Snapdragon 800, and we're expecting the 2.5GHz, quad-core chip to find its way into smartphones during the summer. Failing all that, the Snapdragon 801 would fit in nicely too.

A 16-megapixel camera with OIS+ is possible

LG fitted a 13-megapixel camera to the G2 and to the G Pro 2, and it looks like it'll do the same with the G3, should the information given with this leaked picture be correct. When camera test shots are leaked, it's often of something boring like a desk or wall, but for the G3, we got an awesome picture of a cat. It was shared at the beginning of March through an online chatroom, and according to the poster, comes from the G3's 13-megapixel camera.

This pic may have been taken by an LG G3.
LG added OIS+, a tweaked optical image stabilization system, to the G Pro 2, along with a depth of field adjustment tool, so it's possible both will also be included on the G3.

However, if LG does stick with a 13-megapixel camera, it'll fall behind the Galaxy S5. Last year, a rumor did emerge LG was planning to add a 16-megapixel camera to the G3, which would match that of its arch-rival.

LG could make the G3 waterproof

Waterproofing flagship smartphones is all the rage, with both Sony and Samsung making their high-end hardware resistant to the wet stuff. A report from Korea says LG will do the same with the G3, and it's apparently working on a new way of keeping the phone dry. No specifics were shared on what this technology could be though. A week earlier, an additional report also spoke about a waterproof and dust proof G3, adding weight to the rumor.

LG considering fingerprint or retina scanning features

During a February press conference in Korea, LG's VP of Europe, Cho Seong Ha, was quoted as saying the company is considering the possibility of adding fingerprint or retina scanning technology to the G3. Fingerprint scanning is another Galaxy S5 feature, and is also present on the Apple iPhone 5S.

Will you unlock your G3 with your eyes?
Back in January, another Korean report indicated LG wanted to add fingerprint scanning to the G3, and that a sensor had been dropped from the G2 during the final development stage.

LG's G Watch to join it?

LG's G Watch may not have received the same level of attention as the Moto 360, but it's currently the only other Android Wear device we know of, and that makes it exciting. LG hasn't said much other than it having a summer release date, and therefore it may debut alongside the G3. Samsung treated its new Gear 2 watches in the same way, and put them alongside the Galaxy S5 during its MWC 2014 press conference.

There's still plenty we don't know about the G3, including what it'll look like, and whether the now famous rear-mounted controls will see an upgrade. We'll be keeping a close eye on the news, and update here when anything new breaks regarding the G3.

Updates:

Updated on 04-16-2014 by Andy: We've added in the latest rumors regarding the G3′s launch date, now speculated to be in June, plus more evidence the phone will have a 1440p screen.

Updated on 04-10-2014 by Andy: We've added more news on the LG Odin processor, which may not debut inside the G3, plus a leaked screenshot of the phone's new user interface, and talk of intelligent, personalized software features.

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Samsung and Amazon to launch Galaxy-only Kindle store, complete with free book offer

Samsung has reportedly signed a deal with Amazon, where the online retailer will build a custom version of its Kindle book store made specifically for Galaxy phone and tablets. Exact details are slim at the moment, coming only from Engadget at this early stage, but it's said Amazon will be formally announcing the partnership later today.

There's more to the deal than just a Samsung-branded Kindle app. Apparently, Galaxy S5 owners will be entitled to download 12 free books per year, taken from a choice of four offered up each month. The books on offer will be "prominent" titles according to Engadget, so expect an Amazon-curated list of well-known novels from which to choose.

Initially only available on the Galaxy S5, the Kindle book store app joins a wealth of other free apps and services which come with the phone. Samsung's Galaxy Gifts offer includes $500 worth of free content, ranging from a year's worth of RunKeeper Premium access, to six months subscription to the Wall Street Journal. The package is a considerable extra incentive to buy a Galaxy S5, and the dedicated Kindle book store should offer something for everyone.

The system sounds similar to Amazon's Kindle First program, where subscribers can have early access to brand new books. The titles are all chosen by Amazon's publishing team, and provided you're an Amazon Prime member, the books are free to download.

Neither Amazon or Samsung has issued a press release on the Kindle partnership at the time of writing, so we don't know the finer details. It's indicated the store will eventually make it onto other Galaxy devices, but it's not known which ones, or when. We'll update here when new information is revealed.
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