This newly obtained patent describes a variety of user interface elements and the way users would interact with them, or better said, the patent pretty much describes the current smartphone experience that we get to take advantage of no matter what mobile platform we may temporarily favor: Some portable communication devices (e.g., mobile telephones, sometimes called mobile phones, cell phones, cellular telephones, and the like) have resorted to adding more pushbuttons, increasing the density of push buttons, overloading the functions of pushbuttons, or using complex menu systems to allow a user to access, store and manipulate data.

If you compare an iPhone with another iPhone, you can see a lot of similarities. You can see similar square icons, the white or gray interface, the same search bar design, and the same virtual keyboard. Unless you gain special access to your phone, you cannot see a big difference between two iPhones. On the other hand, when you compare two of the same Android devices, they may look identical on the outside but they can be different on the inside.

Although the BlackBerry DTEK60 is yet to be officially announced by the Canadian company, it is already up for pre-order in Canada and now the US. Just to refresh your memory, the BlackBerry DTEK60 will come with a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a 21-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel selfie-shooter. The phone is powered by none other than the Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The 3,000 mAh battery sounds pretty standard for a phone with that kind of screen size and resolution.

Those lucky enough to snag a Chromecast have something exciting to look forward to when their new device arrives: the ability to fling music, video, and web content from most any computer with Google’s Chrome browser installed to an attached TV. That functionality, shown at a press conference earlier today, is made possible in part by a Chrome extension, available for download now from the Chrome Web Store. According to Google, the Chromecast extension adds UI elements to help facilitate the sending of content to TV.

Update (7/1218): Just ahead of its ominous official release date of Friday the 13th, the spooky puzzle game Fracter is now available for download on Android and iOS. Check out the trailer above or head right over to the Google Play Store to download it now. As promised, Fracter features a creepy ambience and a series of puzzles centered around light. Your character seems to have lost part of themselves, and your task is to collect the missing pieces by exploring the mysterious labyrinth.

For the time being, the Samsung Galaxy S4 comes in two colors, although four more colors are said to be coming soon, one of which is exclusive to AT&T. If you’re looking to get your hands on a few more options and don’t mind paying a bit more for your Galaxy S4, ColorWare may just be able to help you out. Buying a GSM unlocked Galaxy S4 from ColorWare will run you $1,000.

What makes Google’s first-party Android apps generally get the thumbs up from the most users and get ranked very high in the most downloaded Google Play charts? Well, there are a number of things, but it’s mostly about support and the number of updates issued to iron out kinks, but also to always improve and tweak the user experience. Sure, you might say that Google would not need so many updates if the apps wouldn’t be so glitchy in the first place, but let’s not get caught up in details and look at the bright side of things.

Here’s how it works. Normally costing $4.99, Dash buttons can be ordered today for 99 cents each. In addition, Amazon will give you back $4.99 in Amazon credit the first time you press the button. That means you effectively get $4 for each Dash button that you order and use. Amazon Dash buttons are simple devices that you can place around your home that let you order one product only. Just tap the button and an order for that specific product will be placed on Amazon.

Dell is destined to become a private company. The massive PC maker has revealed that its founder and CEO Michael Dell along with financing from a Microsoft backed company called Silver Lake Partners will buy up all the stock and turn Dell back into a privately held company. The reasoning is that the Dell, which is facing stiff competition from Lenovo and has seen its profits falling dramatically during 2012, wants to continue its turnaround plans without the scrutiny and limitations of being a publicly traded company.

TL;DR The Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act could be a crushing blow to privacy in the US. The bill would require manufacturers to leave a backdoor that the government could access when needed. There’s plenty of opposition to the bill from security and privacy advocates. US Senators have introduced a new anti-encryption bill called the “Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act,” which would require makers of encrypted devices and operating systems to leave a backdoor that could allow law enforcement to access encrypted information when requested.