HTC is springing into 2013 with global growth and new phones in sight

The way HTC sees it, it's in perfect position to take over the world in 2013.

"We are definitely going to build off of the success of 2012 to push out new innovations in 2013," said Jeff Gordon, global online communications manager at HTC during a meeting at CES.

The company isn't showing any new phones at the event, save the Cricket Wireless-bound One SV.

Gordon stayed mum on what's coming down HTC's pipes, but the company will be at Mobile World Congress next month, an event it has attended for years and the prime time to release a phone to the mobile-centric crowd.

With a year that saw the release of the Windows 8X, Windows 8S and the TechRadar-recommended One X+, Gordon said the HTC line - with its bright colors and top tier design - is meant to inspire customers not just to buy but to use.

Solid foundation

Three pillars hold up the HTC brand, Gordon said: beautiful design, camera development and an authentic audio experience.

"I think we're second to none on design," he said. "And when people use our cameras, they are blown away by the speed. As for audio, we're second to none there, too. We want to create a visceral listening experience and we're able to do that with out Beats Audio partnership."

While Gordon sees the company's U.S. presence as strong, he said the European landscape could use some growth.

"There's a lot of growth potential with our One series there," he said. "We definitely want it to grow in the European market."

Though Euro-expansion is on HTC's radar, Gordon said there is an international issue facing the company.

"One of the big challenges we face is in how people see us," he said. "We don't want to be pigeonholed as a Taiwanese company but as a global company. There's nothing inherently Asian about our products or company, so we hope people see that."

The company is no stranger to struggling financials - its October revenue was down 60 percent year-on-year. However, it had a nice uptick in December sales that could signal happy times ahead.

HTC is tenacious and its phones, for the most part, hold up, so look for more mobile developments coming from the Taiwanese...er...global company in the coming months.

ZTE looks to be grand with new Grand S phone

Chinese phone maker ZTE introduced a new phone to the 5-inch playing field Tuesday at CES, lifting the lid off its latest smartphone, the Grand S.

Tagged as the company's flagship handset, the S joins the company's other Grand brands - the Grand X and Grand Era.

Standing on its own ground the S features a 5-inch FHD screen and 13MP camera filling in a slim 6.9-millimeter form factor.

ZTE isn't skimping on other specs either - a quad-core processor should help the S sail smoothly through any task.

Making a Grand appearance

The Grand S has been rumored for awhile, with a press shot outing the phone two weeks ago.

We'll get a hands on with the phone following the company's 1:30 PST press conference, so stay tuned as we tinker with the latest from ZTE.

Dropbox, Samsung announce deeper ties for Android partnership

Samsung has already integrated Dropbox into its recent products like the Galaxy S3 smartphone and Galaxy Camera, but the two companies promise to offer even more in the near future.

Softpedia reported Tuesday that Samsung and Dropbox have announced plans to build upon their existing partnership, which integrates the popular cloud storage service into the Korean manufacturer's Android-based devices.

Officially announced in August 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 became the first device to integrate Dropbox directly into the photo and video gallery for automatic uploading of new images or movies.

Apparently the alliance was a success, as the two companies now plan to extend the partnership even further to old and new devices alike.

Common goal

In addition to extending Dropbox integration to more current devices, Samsung plans to add document storage and additional sharing options to upcoming devices.

"Dropbox and Samsung share a common goal when it comes to connectivity across devices.," said Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen, head of Mobile Business Development at Dropbox.

"We believe that the things that matter most to people should be accessible at all times. Extending our successful relationship with Samsung from mobile phones to cameras gives users more opportunities to access and share photos, videos and documents, regardless of what device they are on."

The companies have yet to announce which devices have been earmarked for deeper Dropbox integration, or when such products will begin shipping to carriers.

Via Softpedia

Sony's TV SideView aims to enhance your TV using experience

Sony has launched its new TV SideView app at CES 2013 in Las Vegas as it looks to offer consumers an even better TV experience.

The app which runs on the firm's Android smartphones and tablets allows users to browse the EPG, find out additional information on programmes including details on cast and crew, and find related shows to what's been watched in the past – all without having to inturrpt what's currently on the TV.

Once you've found something you like you can then use the app as a remote control, allowing you to change the channel, adjust the volume and press the red button.

Third-party support

SideView incorporates third party services such as Netflix and YouTube while also supporting Sony's own Music and Video Unlimited packages.

There are downsides though – you will need a Sony made Smart TV and/or Blu-Ray player which supports this fancy technology and a Sony Xperia device such as the Xperia Z or Xperia Tablet S with the smarts to accompany it – which is all going to add up.

It's certainly a nice idea and we're always fans of being able to control home applications and entertainment systems from our mobile devices, but we'd rather see this technology become universal between brands instead of forcing you into a particular company's ecosystem.