Apple

You'll just LOVE Apple's latest called 'Air'

As expected, Apple refreshed its iPad lineup on Tuesday morning. Unexpectedly, it renamed its top-of-the-line 9.7-inch tablet to the iPad Air.
Seeing as how the MacBook Air has been one of Apple's most successful products in recent years, it's perhaps no surprise that Cook & Co.'s marketing folks decided to borrow some of that branding mojo for their latest iteration of the iPad.

The new Cupertinian fondleslab is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, with a reduced bezel size – 43 per cent thinner than the bezel on the previous version. It now weighs in at just 1 pound, down from the 1.4 pounds of the model it replaces. In addition, it's now 7.5 millimeters thick, down from 9.4 millimeters – a reduction of 20 per cent.
"To make an iPad this thin took a huge amount of work over years," Apple marketing headman Phil Schiller said during today's rollout event in San Francisco.
"The team has just been remarkable in finding every tenth and every hundredth of a millimeter from every level of the system, from the bezel to the multitouch surface to the display and battery and enclosure," he added, calling the slab the lightest full-size tablet in the world.

A fraction of a millimeter here, a fraction of a millimeter there – it all adds up (click to enlarge)

The iPad Air is powered by the same 64-bit A7 application processor that's in the iPhone 5s announced in September, and it also includes the battery-saving M7 motion processor that's in the top-of-the-line iPhone, offloading sensor-monitoring and processing duties from the A7.
Wi-Fi has been upgraded to a dual-antenna MIMO implementation of Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n – not 802.11ac – which Schiller promised will provide "up to twice as fast" 802.11n performance; Apple
If you were hoping for greatly improved cameras, however, the iPad Air will disappoint. It still has a 5-megapixel ƒ/2.4 rear-facing iSight camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera, as did its predecessor. The iPhone 5s, by comparison, has an 8-megapixel, ƒ/2.2 iSight camera. Schiller did claim, however, that the low-light performance of the iPad Air's FaceTime camera has been improved.
Despite rumors that a gold iPad was in the offing, the iPad Air will only be available in "silver and white" and "space grey and black" – that much gold bling, in our opinion, would have been too much for even the most "look at me" fanboi.
Schiller emphasized the processor and graphics performance improvements of the iPad Air over previous Apple tablets, saying that CPU performance is up to eight times greater than that of the original iPad, and GPU performance as much as 72 times greater.

The original iPad was known for it's 'tap and wait' performance lag; the iPad Air promises improvements

The iPad Air's Imagination Technologies GPU cores promise to provide a hefty graphics boost

The iPad Air will be available in 41 countries – and Schiller was quick to point out that one of those "wave one" countries will be China – when it goes on sale on November 1. Pricing for the Wi-Fi–only versions starts at $499 for the 16GB model, with $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB, and $799 for 128GB. The "Wi-Fi + Cellular" versions will run to $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, $829 for 64GB, and $929 for 128GB.

Latvians, Liechtensteiners, Lithuanians, and Luxembourgers take note: you have not been forgotten

The iPad 2 will remain in Apple's product line, and will be available for $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $529 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model from both AT&T and Verizon in the US.
"This is probably out biggest leap forweard in a full-sized iPad," Schiller opined. Whether or not the market agrees will be discovered in the coming months, but from where we sit the improvements are far from Earth-shattering though welcome, especially the weight reduction and improved performance.
As for the camera? We've always thought that taking photos or videos with an iPad was, well, more than a wee bit silly. ®

Lenovo

Lenovo announces A10 Android laptop amid slumping PC sales

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After unintentionally leaking its existence, Lenovo has today officially announced the A10 Android laptop. It's the first laptop from the world's top PC vendor to ship with Android 4.2 on board. As we learned before the A10 features a 10.1-inch HD display, 1.6GHz process, up to 32GB of storage, and a max 2GB of memory. That quad-core Cortex-A9 processor allows the laptop the reach nine hours of video playback, according to Lenovo's estimates.

Lenovo builds a file manager into Android

The A10's "laptop mode" brings Lenovo's customized Android user interface to the forefront, including an app launcher, task bar and status bar for "quick, intuitive access to the app library and desktop." The company has also built file manager software into the A10, which it claims "makes it easy to locate and manage a library of documents, videos and music." Laptop mode also nets users a full-size keyboard, though the A10 also accepts input via its multitouch display. But the A10 can also be flipped around into a "stand mode," which Lenovo says has been optimized for touch-enabled apps and entertainment. Stereo speakers are there for your Spotify and Netflix streaming, though don't expect to be taking many keepers with the integrated 0.3-megapixel webcam.

Lenovo's Android laptop leaked earlier this month when service manuals for the device appeared on the company's website. A spokesperson would later confirm its existence, though it's unclear how aggressively Lenovo plans to market the A10 — or why interested customers won't opt instead for a Chromebook. But with Windows PC sales slowing recently, we can't fault Lenovo for trying something new. We've reached out to the company for pricing and availability information.

Update: Lenovo tells us that the A10 won't be made available within the US (or North America as a whole). Instead, it will be sold in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific countries.  It's definitely a budget offering, with pricing set to start around $249 USD equivalent.

Blackberry

Blackberry's premium smartphone Z30 may release in India on October 24

BlackBerry Z30, also known as the A10 or A-Series under the codename 'aristo', was unveiled at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last mont
Blackberry is expected to launch their recently launched premium smartphone in India on October 24. The phone maybe priced around Rs45,000. 

Blackberry sent out a media invite stating that 'they would be unveiling latest offering built to keep you moving'.
It is heavily rumored that the Z30 would be unveiled among other important announcements on October 24 as it is the latest offering by Blackberry in their smartphone kitty.
BlackBerry Z30, also known as the A10 or A-Series under the codename 'aristo', was unveiled at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month.
Specs
The smartphone comes with a 5-inch Super AMOLED display and is powered by a 1.7 GHz processor with quad-core graphics.
It is equipped with 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera.
This smartphone also has a 2880 mAh battery, the largest battery ever built into a BlackBerry smartphone. BlackBerry claims that this battery will last up to 25 hours of mixed use.
The Z30 has 2GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage and comes with micro SD memory card slot for expanding its internal storage.
The phone runs on the company's latest operating system.
The event on October 24 could hopefully also shed more light on the ever-so-long stall of BBM for Android and iPhone users.
BlackBerry some weeks earlier also unveiled a 4.7 billion dollar dealwith billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial, who is touted to be Canada’s Warren Buffet. The preliminary deal, subject to a six-week period of due diligence, is expected to be completed by November 4, valued the sinking smartphone manufacturer’s at 9 dollar-a-share.
Blackberry's new addition could give direct competition to the November 1 release of iPhone 5S. Samsung. LG and HTC's flagship phones will all now have one more warrior to face in the game.

Sony

Sony launches Galaxy Grand rival Xperia C at Rs 21,490

 Sony India has launched its Xperia C phablet in India, bringing yet another rival of the popular Samsung Galaxy Grand in the market. This device has a 5-inch screen, Android 4.2, dual-sim functionality and a quad-core processor and has been priced at Rs 21,490.

Xperia C will compete against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Grand, Micromax Canvas 4 and the upcoming LG Optimus G Pro Lite.

The new Xperia C has a TFT display with 960x540p resolution and has the Omnibalance design that Sony uses in its top-end smartphones. This phone comes with 4GB internal storage, microSD support up to 32GB, 1GB RAM and runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core Mediatek processor.

On the back, Xperia C sports an 8MP camera with LED flash, while a VGA unit is used in front. Connectivity options in the phablet include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. Powered by a 2,390mAh battery, this device is available in white, black and purple colours.

Sony is offering headphones worth Rs 1,490 with the Xperia C for free. It is also offering six months of accidental damage protection with the handset. The company has tied up with Airtel to offer 1GB of free data usage for two months for this device.

The Xperia C has been retailing at e-commerce websites in the country for around Rs 20,000. It was unveiled globally in June this year at Mobile Asia Expo.

Acer C720 Chromebook

Acer C720 Chromebook Available In India Now

The much-awaited Haswell-based Acer C720 Chromebook, which was launched last week by Acer, is now available exclusively at select Croma and Reliance Digital outlets in Mumbai and Delhi. This would also be available on Flipkart online e-store. Chromebooks are laptops powered by Google’s Chrome OS operating system.

The new Acer C720 is slim and sleek, and  features a  29.5 cms (11.6 inches) ComfyView HD  display with a 1366×768 resolution, and   includes a full-sized keyboard.  The device weighs only 1.25 kg, making it easily portable and can be easily fit  in a backpack or bag. This device has over 8.5 hours of battery life.
The Acer C720 connects to popular consumer electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones via its fast USB 3.0 port as well as a USB 2.0 port. It also has an HDMI port for pushing video and content to external displays and HDTVs.The Acer C720’s integrated HD webcam delivers sharp and detailed images and rich color saturation.
In addition, consumers can easily access their content at home or on the go – with 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. By visiting the Chrome Web Store users can customize their Acer C720 Chromebook with applications for work or play.  Other media and files can also be accessed through the SD card reader.
The Acer C720 has been launched with 2GB of memory and a 16GB SSD at a retail price of only Rs. 22,999 in India.
Acer has introduced some unique offerings for the benefit of consumers. This device is available with easy financing schemes from Bajaj Finance at nominal processing fee. Users can also enjoy high speed wireless connectivity on their Acer C720 through exciting data bundle plans by Airtel and Tikona, the service is only available in selected locations depending on the service provider. At just Rs. 2499, consumers can opt for a free Airtel 4G dongle worth Rs 1500 with monthly 10 GB data for 2 months, or choose a free Airtel 3G dongle worth Rs. 1299 along with monthly 6 GB data for 3 months. Consumers desiring broadband connectivity at home can get a free 4 mbps speed Tikona home broadband connection of 8GB data with a validity of 45 days or 100 GB data with a validity of 20 months at just Rs. 3499. Consumers can also receive a free Wi-Fi router along with 100 GB data with a validity of 20 months at just Rs. 4999.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds Playground Coming To India – Learning Will Be Fun And Creative!

In just a couple years from now, your kid could be taking his first steps towards life and education in an Angry Birds school. Finnish game-app developer Rovio Entertainment has collaborated with suitable partners in India to launch its fun learning project in the country. Henri Holm, Rovio Entertainment’s Senior Vice President (Asia) stated about this venture- “Angry Birds Playground is Finnish education packaged into a fun way of learning. The first product will be for pre-school, children aged five and six.” He added that there’s a great demand in Indian market for fun and creative learning, so they know they’ve an audience who would want to connect with this brand. Rovio is seeking Indian partners in several areas to make this connection possible.

Angry Birds Playground is mostly based “but not limited to” the Finnish National Curriculum for Kindergarten. Sanna Lukander, Vice President Learning and Book Publishing at Rovio, stated in her blog post that the concept was scientifically analyzed and proven in cooperation with the University of Helsinki’s Cicero Learning Network. The key here is to inspire children in various life skills such as language, interaction, math, music, arts, craft and both physical and social education. Rovio has partnered with some Chines organizations to debut Angry Birds Playground in Shanghai.

Angry Birds revolutionized the mobile gaming ecosystem, enjoying over 2 billion downloads across platforms and all its games. The success of the Angry Birds brand has prompted Rovio Entertainment to develop a revenue model which skips the virtual world, which means that apart from the games and video delivery channel which have been embedded in the newer version of Rovio’s games, you’ll even have options in merchandises and activity parks where you’ll get to physically interact with the bad green pigs and the vengeance seeking birds across the world, even in India. Holm may be right when he says that it’s the world’s fastest growing franchise.

The new game from Rovio Entertainment- Angry Birds Go!- is scheduled to launch December 11, 2013.

Tata Sky launches TV on mobile for subscribers

Company will charge Rs 60 per month from its existing customers, who can initially watch over 50 channels on their mobile phones

DTH (direct to home) company Tata Sky on Wednesday announced the launch of Everywhere TV, by which its subscribers will be able to enjoy all their favourite TV channels and movies on demand on their mobile. The services entitle a subscriber to access 50 channels with a monthly payment of Rs 60.

Available to Tata Sky subscribers, this service could be availed by downloading Tata Sky's mobile app from the Apple and Android stores. Everywhere TV will be accessible on 3G and broadband services.

On the latest innovation, Vikram Mehra, chief commercial officer, Tata Sky, said, "Our research has shown lifestyles are getting busier in today's day and age. People spend hours in transit or waiting daily. Today over 60 per cent of the (Tata Sky) population use the internet to view videos on their smartphones and tablets either at home or at office. Everywhere TV is a unique service for all those valued subscribers who want to keep in touch with their favourite shows,  programmes and channels that they have subscribed on Tata Sky even when they are on the move through their mobile handsets."

Consumers will be able to view varied TV content on a single platform with Everywhere TV instead of downloading and paying for multiple apps offering different channels or services, as had been done traditionally. In addition to Everywhere TV, one can also use the Tata Sky mobile app to record on set-top box their favourite TV shows, browse the EPG when they are outside their homes and use their mobile devices as a Wifi remote at home.

With the launch of this service, Tata Sky will extend its range of services from indoors (at home) to outdoors and on-the-move.

Xolo

Xolo launches Play Tab 7.0 at Rs 12,999

Smartphone maker Xolo has expanded its tablet portfolio with the launch of Xolo Play Tab 7.0 – the first of its Tegra series of tablets.
The Play Tab 7.0 is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra mobile processor, which sports quad-core architecture and a fifth battery-saver core resulting in extended battery life, the company said in a statement.
"We're replicating the success we've achieved in the smartphone category now in tablets. Xolo Play Tab 7.0 marks the first tablet in the XOLO Play category of products. Similar to XOLO Play T1000 smartphone launched in July, the Tab delivers similar entertainment now on a bigger 7-inch screen," said Sunil Raina, Business Head at Xolo.
Last month, Xolo entered a new segment of devices with the launch of Xolo Tab after launching various phones in the mid- to high-end smartphone segment. With the Xolo Play category of products, the brand is particularly focused on the growing mobile gaming community in the country, said the company.
The 7'' device has 1280 x 800 WXGA IPS LCD display and 8 GB inbuilt memory which can be expanded up to 32 GB with Micro SD card. The tablets has full HD 1080p video playback and comes packed with a 4000mAH battery for long power back-up
​The Play Tab 7.0 comes pre-loaded with TegraZone, where consumers can find, explore and download Tegra-optimized Android games, for a console-quality gaming experience, with more realistic, interactive and challenging gameplay and graphics.

Key Specifications

NVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile processor with quad-core CPU and 5th battery-saver core
12-core NVIDIA ULP GeForce GPU
NVIDIA TegraZone for Gaming
7" 1280 x 800 WXGA IPS LCD Display
Full HD 1080p video playback
4000mAH battery for long power back-up
8 GB inbuilt memory with facility of Micro SD card up to 32 GB

tiny remote

Indian techies develop tiny remote for smartphones

 Indian technologists have developed a Bluetooth-enabled device that can serve as a Swiss army knife for smartphones.

Gecko, which is about the size of a quarter, can be programed to perform a host of functions, like lost-and-found, a personal photographer, a pet sitter and a home security system.

According to Mashable, Gecko is a tiny wireless remote that lets the user control his smartphone by shaking or turning it.

The device can also operate as a motion detector that sends alerts to your phone and its built-in ambient temperature sensor allows for climate tracking too, the report added.

Gecko will be compatible with smartphones having Bluetooth 4.0, including iPhone 4S and above, Android phones running Android 4.3, or Samsung devices running 4.2.

YouTube

Google in talks with DTH cable providers to bring YouTube to TV screens

 Google is making a big push to boost YouTube usage in India and is in talks with direct-to-home cable providers to bring the service to televisions screens, its global director of platform partnerships, Francisco Varela, said.

Varela, who is on his first trip to India, said the country was among the video service's fastest-growing markets and that talks were on with partners to boost usage further. Strategically, YouTube is an important part of Google's revenues, which crossed $50 billion (about Rs 3.1 lakh crore) in 2012.

About 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube and about 100 hours of video are uploaded to the service every minute. "When we talk to direct-tohome providers or television makers or device makers, it's so that you can watch YouTube on every screen you have, in a fully scalable way," Varela told ET.

Varela declined to name the DTH providers he was in discussions with and would only say the company was working on a tie-up "as soon as possible". The video platform receives more than 55 million unique monthly users from India, up from 15 million in 2011, a number set to grow as internet and mobile penetration in the country rises.

Access to DTH subscribers would open up more viewers for YouTube, which has already become a key component of companies' digital marketing and advertising spend. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, there were about 54 million DTH subscribers, at the end of last year.

The major DTH players are Dish TV, Tata Sky, AirtelBSE 2.77 Digital TV, Videocon D2H, Reliance Digital TV and Sun Direct. YouTube already has partnerships with television makers like Samsung, LG, Sony for making the video sharing site available on their smart TVs. As of March, India had about 164 million users, with seven out of eight of them accessing the internet from their phones. But network speed still remains a barrier for YouTube in India.

Apple Inc's iPhone

Apple Inc's iPhone 6 to have 4.8-inch retina display

iPhone lovers who always wished to have a much bigger screen might have their dreams come alive when Apple Inc. launches its most awaited 1Phone 6 as forecasted by Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.
Soon after the brief meet with the Apple's Asian suppliers, Misek issued a note to investors on Monday saying the iPhone 6 would offer a 4.8-inch screen. Obviously a great news as currently the iPhones come with only 4 inch display screen.
Apple Inc. may unveil iPhone 6 at a top end price of Rs 60,335
Though the analyst did not disclose the reason behind his prediction, he mentioned in his note that the new screen size would drive a huge number of upgrades.
"We think the 85M iPhones eligible for an upgrade when the iPhone 6 launches (we think Apple is targeting Sep 2014) could be boosted by another 5-10M from people who skipped the 5S/5C cycle," Misek wrote.
On the downside, iPhone 5C sales have been weak, according to Misek. As such, manufacturing builds are being slashed to 15 million to 20 million from 30 million, he said.
On the plus size, that could lead to an even larger number of upgraders who gravitate toward the iPhone 6.
In the past, Apple has lost significant market share to the Android phones having larger display size.
Last year, Apple has raised the display size of iPhone 5 to 4 inches from the prior 3.5 inches, so time is right for another development.

curved screen phones

LG announces curved screen phones to launch in 2014

 

LG has announced it is to start mass-production of what it calls the "world's first flexible OLED [organic light-emitting diode] panel for smartphones".

The South Korean firm said it hoped to start selling the first handsets to feature the tech next year.
The news comes weeks after Samsung made a similar announcement.
Samsung said it intended to launch its first product - a special edition of the Galaxy Note 3 - later this month.
Both companies already use the technology to offer curved OLED television sets.
Although the displays used in the TVs are in theory "flexible", they are mounted in fixed shells so they cannot be bent or otherwise re-shaped by the owner.
A press release from LG's display division indicated its handset screen would curve from top-to-bottom rather than side-to-side, the design Samsung described in a recent patent.
It said the advantage of using the tech was that the panel was "bendable and unbreakable".
"The new display is vertically concave from top to bottom with a radius of 700mm [28in], opening up a world of design innovations in the smartphone market," LG added.

 

"What's more, it is also the world's lightest, weighing a mere 7.2g [0.25oz] even with a 6in screen, the largest among current smartphone OLED displays."
One industry watcher was not convinced the product, as described, would have much appeal.
"I think LG is doing this to show it is innovative, to do something different and to stand out from the rest of the bar-style screen devices that we have at the moment," said David McQueen, a mobile device expert at tech consultants Informa.
"But I don't think consumers are going to be that interested by a slightly curved design.
"However, we do think there will be interest if flexible screens are used to offer different form factors.
"For example a device that you snap round your wrist or a traditional shaped smartphone whose screen wraps around the sides onto a bit of the back so that the edges become touchscreen rather than hard buttons."

smartwatches

Samsung's new Galaxy Gear ad shows historic use of smartwatches by sci-fi heroes

In a bid to promote its latest smart watch Galaxy Gear, Samsung has reportedly taken to sci-fi heroes being the pioneer users of smartwatches in its new ad.
Samsung’s new ad goes with the claim that people’s favourite heroes have ‘ALWAYS’ talked to their watches, featuring Dick Tracy, Captain Kirk and even Fred Flintstone.
According to Cnet, Samsung is trying hard to sell its ‘Next Big Thing’ Galaxy Gear smartphone, after consumers found it falling short of expectations.
With Apple next in line for its iWatch release, it is speculated that smartwatches might be able to get more consumer attention after the tech giant’s anticipated launch.

Samsung Galaxy Round smartphone

Samsung Galaxy Round smartphone with a curved display may be launched this week

Samsung said last month it would introduce a smartphone with a curved display in October as the world's top handset maker seeks to set the pace of hardware innovation amid slowing growth in the high-end smartphone market.
Curved displays are in the early stages of development and allow bendable or foldable designs that could eventually allow mobile and wearable gadgets to take new forms that could radically change the high-end smartphone market.
LG Display Co Ltd said on Monday it has started production of a six-inch display curved top to bottom. LG Electronics plans to launch a smartphone with the curved display in November, a source familiar with the matter said.
By contrast, Samsung's phone will have a display curved side to side, another source who has direct knowledge of the matter said.
In January Samsung, which has taken over from Apple Inc as the global smartphone leader, showed off prototype products with a flexible screen and a display that extends from the side of a device.
Technology firms have yet to figure out how to mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat resistant.
Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions. Samsung and LG Electronics started selling curved OLED TV sets this year priced at about $9,000.

Google announces Android KitKat contest

Google announces Android KitKat contest; winners to get Nexus 7

Google has started an Android KitKat contest in India under which it is assuring to provide Nexus 7 to 1000 winners.
All you have to do is to buy a KitKat chocolate with Android logo on it. Each of these KitKat will have a special eight digit code on inside the wrapper. Then you have to SMS that code to 09880298802. To SMS, type KITKAT<8 digit code>, and then send it to the said number. However, the offer is available on KitKat 2F, 4F and Dark versions only.

You can winners list on Android KitKat page; they will also contact if you emerge as a winner. The contest was started on 27th September and will be valid till 15th November.
Google had earlier this month announced that the next version of its Android operating system will be called Android 4.3 aka Kitkat

Samsung

Samsung to launch smartphones priced between Rs 5,000-Rs 15,000

Samsung will launch two smartphones in India this month for less than Rs 15,000, intensifying competition in the mid-segment mobile market.
The Korean company, which has a 49 per cent share in India's smartphone segment, will offer options in local languages to attract non-English speaking customers.

"We will be launching two new smartphones priced for the mid-segment market. Every phone from Samsung will have nine vernacular language options," Samsung Country Head (Mobile Business) Vineet Taneja said, without mentioning the prices.
However, a company official said the phones may be priced in the Rs 5,000-15,000 range. Most mobile phones in India are sold in this price range, including Nokia Lumia 520 and 620, Blackberry Curve, Xolo smartphones and Micromax Canvas 2.
The Samsung phones will offer access to content and applications in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Gujarati.
"The competition now in the smart phone market is how to make the phone size small without compromising on the screen size," Taneja said.
The company is set to launch its premium high-end smart phone, the Galaxy Note 3, on Tuesday.
Samsung currently offers about 17 smartphones priced between Rs 5,000 (Samsung Star) and Rs 39,000 (S4).
Taneja said the company is focusing on the mid-end to high-end smart phone market and will provide dual-SIM option in all handsets.
Going forward, you will see more and more dual-SIM phones coming up," he said.
According to telecom magazine Voice&Data, Samsung toppled Nokia from its leadership position in the financial year 2012-13 with revenue of Rs 11,328 crore and a 31.5 per cent market share. Nokia's market share stood at 27.2 per cent.

64-bit processors

Samsung mimics Apple by using 64-bit processors for its next smartphones 

This comes amidst Apple's release of its next iPhones featuring A7, 64-bit processors, claimed to offer 'desktop-class architecture'.

Samsung has reportedly confirmed that its next range of smartphone would feature 64-bit processors.
This comes amidst Apple’s release of its next iPhones featuring A7, 64-bit processors, claimed to offer ‘desktop-class architecture’.
However, the Android operating system, on which the Samsung gadgets work, would require to be updated before the devices could be compatible to the 64-bit shift.
According to the BBC, experts believe that most apps are unlikely to benefit immediately from the shift from 32-bit technology and could lead to compatibility problems in the future including more battery consumption.
The Android operating system would need to be updated before Samsung's Galaxy devices could take advantage of a shift to 64-bit.
The report said that operating systems written for 32-bit chips can only access up to 4GB of RAM, but those written for 64-bit processors can, in theory, support up to 16 billion gigabytes of RAM.
Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy Note 3 handset would come with 3GB of RAM and also feature a bigger-than-normal 3,200 mAh battery.
Stephen Lum from Visual Candy Apps welcomed the shift and said that though many apps won’t be able to take advantage of 64-bit initially but the beauty of what Apple did is that they said it takes an iOS developer, like him, two hours to convert to 64-bit, which is amazing.
Chris Green from the Davies Murphy Group consultancy, said that when app makers do decide to transition to fully 64-bit, it will create a divide in the market, like seen in the Windows world when software makers moved from 32-bit to purely 64-bit, the report added.

IRCTC App for Windows Devices

IRCTC App for Windows Devices Launched For Making Railways Reservation Easer in India 

 In July, IRCTC made possible to book railway tickets via SMS and now making the ticket booking more easier, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has once again launched a new application for Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices. This is an addition to their already existing booking portal which is widely used. Click Here For New Smartphone's Gallery IRCTC App for Windows Devices Launched However, the App which is developed in collaboration with Microsoft is made for Windows devices. Thus users of smartphones, desktop, tablet, laptop running on Windows platform can download the application free of cost as per their requirement from the Windows Phone Store and Windows Store respectively. Moreover, for Android devices the app has already been made available around August. The 1 MB weighing app also contains Citibank as a Payment Gateway. Users can also choose other bank's debit or credit card as well while making payment. The App enables the users to do a multiple tasks at a go. One can make railway reservations, check the PNR status easily. Sadly it is not a 24 hour round service but will function between 8 AM and 12 AM and 11.30 PM and 12.30 AM as per the existing Railway guidelines. Reportedly, Rakesh Tandon, CMD of IRCTC said, "With this alternative channel of booking, the passengers will have an additional convenience and better experience of booking e-ticket,". Users can download the app for Windows Phone from here and for Android devices click here.

IT NEWS : Nokia music web store shuts shop

IT NEWS : Nokia music web store shuts shop: Nokia music web store shuts shop in India, available on phones though Nokia’s web and desktop music store that served as...ghfgh

Nokia music web store shuts shop

Nokia music web store shuts shop in India, available on phones though

Nokia’s web and desktop music store that served as a medium for downloading music for various subscribers across India, has been shuttered for good. It should be noted that only the web version of the service has been shut down, Nokia Music available in most devices manufactured from the company continues to be available.
This is not exactly a new development as the web version of the Nokia music store had stopped giving subscriptions to new customers way back in December 2011. The service had continued to operate for users who had already subscribed to it and now that their term period has come to an end, the Finnish manufacturer has decided to pull the plug on it in the Indian region.

The news was first spotted by the guys over at Medianama and BGR India who got wind of it, contacted a Nokia spokesperson who confirmed that they have indeed closed the website down. The company representative said that the mobile version of the service is going strong and interested users can download online and offline music through it, if they are the proud owners of a compatible Nokia handset.
The web service allowed users to download high bitrate music, unlike the mobile version that relies on low bitrate quality for downloading songs in less than a minute, regardless of the user’s data connection speed. This mobile service is free for a limited time, after which the company may ask people to subscribe to it by paying up a certain amount as charges.
So which music service are you planning to turn to, now that Nokia Music web is no longer available?

Apple iPhone 5S & iPhone 5C

Apple iPhone 5S & iPhone 5C: India price and features

Apple launched the iPhone 5S & the iPhone 5C amidst huge hype and brouhaha over its features and pricing, most of which were already leaked out pretty accurately.
We bring to you all the information you would need to know about the iPhone 5S & iPhone 5C.

Apple iPhone 5S Features & Pricing in India

Display & Body

The display on the iPhone 5S remains the same at 4.0 inches with a pixel density of 326 ppi. As expected, the design is also the same as the iPhone 5.

64 bit A7 chip and M7 motion co-processor

The iPhone 5S comes with the new A7 chip which Apple claims to be the world’s first 64 bit desktop-class architecture in a smartphone. Apparently Huawei Ascend D Quad launched in Feb 2012 last year also boasted of a 64 bit chipset.
M7 motion coprocessor gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to offload work from the A7 for improved power efficiency. Apple has allowed developers’ access to the new CoreMotion APIs that take advantage of M7, thus allowing them to create better fitness and activity apps.

Touch ID – Fingerprint Scanner

Built into the home button, Touch ID uses a laser cut sapphire crystal, together with the capacitive touch sensor, to take a high-resolution image at about 550ppi of your fingerprint. Touch ID will allow you to authenticate Appstore purchases and app updates besides providing security lock to the iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 5S boasts of a new 8MP iSight camera, which features a larger f/2.2 aperture and a new, larger sensor with 1.5μ pixels for better sensitivity and low-light performance. The camera has capability to shoot 10 frames-per-second in burst mode, and 120 frames-per-second slow motion video at 720p.
The dual LED Flash, called the True Tone Flash by Apple adjusts colour and intensity for over 1,000 combinations to give better images under dark light conditions.

The new iPhone 5S now comes in three new different colours called Gold, Silver and Space Grey. Apple has also introduced new leather covers for the device with 6 colours to choose from i.e. beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and red.

The iPhone 5S comes with iOS 7, Apple’s latest redesigned UI along with the option to download the iWorks apps Suite for free which includes iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps that are otherwise paid for apps.

The iPhone 5S is priced at $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB on two-year contract in the US, while you can expect it to be priced at around Rs. 50,000 in India for the 16GB version and upwards for the others.
The iPhone 5S will be available starting Sep 20th in the US, while it is expected to be made available in India sometime during mid-November.

Apple iPhone 5C Features & Pricing in India

Body & Design

The iPhone 5C comes in a new polycarbonate shell design which we feel, resembles the Nokia Lumia 620 a bit. It’s available in five colours viz, blue, green, pink, yellow and white.

Other Features

It sports the same features as the iPhone 5 which include:
4.0 inch Retina display
8MP iSight Camera
The A6 chip
iOS 7
The iPhone 5C comes with iOS 7, Apple’s latest redesigned UI along with the option to download the iWorks apps suite for free which includes iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps that are otherwise paid apps.

Pricing & Availability

The iPhone 5C is priced at $99 for 16GB and $199 for the 32 GB version, both on a two year contract in the US. The iPhone 5C is expected to be priced at around Rs. 35,000 in India.
While the iPhone 5C will be made available in the US on the 20th of September, it is expected to arrive in India only by the mid week of November.

end security updates for Windows XP

Microsoft to end security updates for Windows XP by April 2014

The end of security updates to XP would mean that any flaws reported by hackers will not be fixed by the company.

Microsoft announced that it will not be releasing any more security updates for its Windows XP operating system, meaning XP-loyal users are going to face a difficult time in converting their systems to the latest version of Windows 8.
The end of security updates to XP would mean that any flaws reported by hackers will not be fixed by the company.
Microsoft ended security updates to many of its previous Windows versions like Windows 95, 98, Vista and XP would be the latest to finally face the axe after Microsoft updated it several times before, Fox News reports.
XP has key security features missing, can't support the latest, safest and most Web-compatible versions of Internet Explorer and can’t take full advantage of the latest hardware advances.
Users familiar with the good-old Windows XP might have to upgrade to a new computer, upgraded software and possibly new accessories like printers and scanners and yet the biggest change would be the switch to the Windows 8 OS which has its own set of complexities to access.
According to the report, Windows 8 is the only operating system available on new computers and since it is radically different from previous versions, desktop owners will find the system complex to operate which is ideally meant for touch-screen tablets

security

Windows 7 has 6 times more security threats than Windows 8, according to Microsoft

It might not be at the forefront of most people's minds when choosing an OS, but protection from security threats like malware is definitely a big deal. Microsoft wants you to know: Windows 8 is the most secure version of Windows ever. 21 times more secure than Windows XP, in fact, and 6 times more secure than Windows 7.
That's probably not a big surprise given how long hackers have had to find vulnerabilities and and target those OSes; Windows XP is 12 years old and Windows 7 is 4 years old, compared to the one-year old Windows 8. I mean, Windows 8 is just an infant.
Besides that, though, Windows 8 does come with more security features. Chris Hallum, Senior Product Manager for Windows outlines those benefits in this blog post Secure Boot, for example, prevents malware from starting as the system loads. Windows 8 also supports a new type of drive called encrypted hard drives, as well as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. The upcoming Windows 8.1 update will add more security features.
Okay, so these aren't mind-blowing revelations or upgrades, but every bit of additional security is a good thing, especially if you use your computer for work or own a small company. From Microsoft's infographic, this is the impact of hacking on organizations:

The graphic and blog post are a not-so-subtle reminder, too, that support for Windows XP is ending on April 8, 2014.

subsidy for mobiles, tablets in rural areas

Government lines up Rs 10,000 crore subsidy for mobiles, tablets in rural areas

The Congress-led government plans to charge Rs 300 for a mobile phone which will be bundled with a monthly recharge of Rs 30 for a period of two years

 The government is set to spend Rs 10,000 crore to give away 2.5 crore mobile phones at subsidised prices in rural areas and 90 lakh tablets free of cost to class XI and XII students across government schools, as it continues efforts to woo voters ahead of upcoming state and national elections.

The Congress-led coalition government plans to charge Rs 300 for a mobile phone which will be bundled with a monthly recharge of Rs 30 for a period of two years, according to an internal government document reviewed by ET.

The recharge will entitle the user to 30 minutes of airtime, 30 SMSes and 30 Mbps usage a month.

A separate document shows that the free tablets will come with 75 minutes talk time, 75 SMSes and 500 MB of data usage. For any usage beyond the prescribed limit, the beneficiary will have to pay. The objective of the tablet scheme is to empower the higher secondary students of XI and XII, the telecom department highlighted in the document.

Xolo Tab

Xolo Tab with voice calling, Android 4.1 launched for Rs. 13,499

Xolo has just officially lifted the wraps off its first tablet, the Xolo Tab. The tablet was earlier spotted at an online retailer at its launch price of Rs. 13,499.The Xolo Tab (QC800) comes with an 8-inch IPS display with 1280x768 pixels resolution and boasts a pixel density of 160ppi. The tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225Q processor along with 1GB of RAM and Adreno 203 GPU. The tablet comes with SIM support and voice-calling. The tablet includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.
The tablet sports a 2-megapixel rear camera that comes with HD video recording support and features like auto focus, geo-tagging, touch focus and face detection. It also includes a VGA fromt-facing camera. The Xolo Tab runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Connectivity options on the tablet include Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPRS, GPS and 3G. It is backed by a 4000mAh battery which can deliver up to 360 hours of (3G) standby time while up to 4 hours of Web browsing on 3G network or up to 4.9 hours of Web browsing on Wi-Fi network.
Xolo's newly launched tablet will be up against tablets from Samsung, Micromax and Karbonn which have devices in the same price segment.
Earlier, Xolo launched the Xolo Q1000S smartphone at a price point of Rs. 18,999. The Xolo Q1000S features a 5-inch HD IPS display with OGS display technology and boasts a resolution of 720x1280 pixels with 294ppi pixel density. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Xolo Tab key specifications

• 8-inch IPS display with 1280x768 pixels resolution and a pixel density of 160ppi
• 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225Q processor with Adreno 203 GPU
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• VGA front facing camera
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 4000mAh battery

Galaxy Note 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review: A stylish makeover

Samsung is giving its latest Galaxy Note smartphone a stylish makeover. The Galaxy Note 3, unveiled Wednesday, has a soft, leather-like back. It feels like you're holding a fancy leather-bound journal. Grooves on the side of the big-screen phone make it easier to grip.
But I found the new phone to be complicated to use. There's too much going on. Between Scrapbook, My Magazine, Air Command and dozens of other functions, it might take even the most experienced smartphone user several hours to figure out.
I tested out the Note 3 for about 45 minutes on Wednesday at a Samsung press event in a New York hotel. The company also unveiled its next tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, which is basically an extra-large version of the Galaxy phone, but without the cellular service. The phone and its pen were both tied down to a table with a security device, so I was hampered testing it out. A colleague spent several minutes with the tablet and was likewise hampered.
But I saw enough of the Note 3 to at least like its look and feel.
With its leather-like back and the stitching around it, the phone feels expensive and well made in my hands. The soft back can be snapped off the phone to reveal the battery. Samsung will sell replaceable back covers in several different colors, but the phone itself will come in just three: black, white or pink.
The Note 3 has a bigger screen than its predecessor, measuring 5.7 inches (14.5 centimeters) diagonally compared with the Note 2's 5.5 inches (14 centimeters). But it still weighs less (5.9 ounces (167 grams), compared with 6.4 ounces (182 grams) and is slightly thinner [at 0.33 inch (8.4 millimeter) rather than 0.37 inch (9.4 millimeter)].
The biggest changes are with the S Pen. The pen unlocks a new feature called Air Command. With that, you can open five other features: 
* With Action Memo, you can handwrite a note.
* Scrapbook lets you circle content you like, such as a YouTube video or a news article. It automatically saves and organizes the content into a format that's easy to scroll through. Scrapbook, with its boxy format, looks a lot like social media site Pinterest.
* Screen Write captures a screen and allows you to write comments on that captured image.
* S Finder is the phone's search engine, to find chat messages, documents or other content on the phone.
* Pen Window, the most promising of the five, lets you access one of eight apps by drawing a box of any size on the screen. Let's say you're on a Web page and need to calculate something. You can open Air Command, then Pen Window. Draw a box on the screen, and eight icons pop up. You then click the one for the calculator. Pen Window currently opens a limited number of applications: calculator, clock, YouTube, phone, contacts, a Web browser and two separate chat apps _ Samsung's ChatON and Google's Hangouts. (Two different ones? Did I mention the phone's complicated to use?) It's possible Pen Window will support additional apps later.
I couldn't figure out how to open Air Command on my own. During a presentation beamed into the New York hotel's TV sets from Berlin, where Samsung unveiled the device, a company executive said pointing the pen to the screen was all it took to open Air Command. That wasn't the case. A Samsung representative in New York showed me how to use it. I learned that I had to click the S Pen's button while hovering over the screen to get to Air Command.
Another new feature, My Magazine, was also hard to find. My Magazine was developed in partnership with Flipboard, an app that pulls content from news sources and your social media accounts and presents it in an easy-to-read magazine format. My Magazine does the same thing. It is customizable, pulling news content from various news sources based on subjects you want to follow, such as business or food related articles. You can also sync it with your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and other social media accounts. My Magazine is well designed and is a place where you can easily catch up with all your social media accounts and news in one place. 
But first I had to find it. A representative had to show me that an upward swipe at the bottom of the screen opens it up.
The redesigned S Pen is tough to use. It is small and thin, making it hard to grip. Not surprisingly, the button on the stylus was quite small, too. You end up spinning the pen around every time you need to click it. The phone and tablet is very geared toward the pen, rather than pinching and swiping with your fingers as with other phones such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone and even Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4.
I had no problem converting my handwritten phone numbers into digital contacts on the phone. But my colleague, who admits she has messy handwriting, says the tablet had trouble reading it.
The phone's screen is crisp and very clear. I watched several YouTube videos and a preview for "Iron Man 3.'' The bigger screen makes watching video a joy, and I can see myself watching movies on it instead of a tablet. The new phone's screen resolution is far better on the Note 3 – at 386 pixels per inch rather than 264 on the Note 2. (By comparison, the iPhone 5 is at 326 pixels per inch.)
The phone's 13 megapixel camera took clear shots, but it was slower than I'm used to on my iPhone 4S, the model from 2011. A processing alert pops up for a second while a photo is saving.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, also unveiled Wednesday, has the same features of the Note 3 phone, just with a bigger, 10-inch (26-centimetre) screen. Like the phone, it has the leather-like backing and grooves on the side.
The tablet has a few extra bells and whistles. One of the big perks is the tablet's file organization system, which is similar to that of a traditional personal computer. It lets you create folders and sub-folders for documents, providing easy access. Also like a PC, the tablet lets you create up to eight profiles, so you can let your kids, spouse or guests use the tablet without fear that they will read your email, delete your photos or access apps you don't want them to. 
The tablet also comes with a host of freebies that the phone doesn't have, including free trial subscriptions to The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and other news sources, along with extra space with online storage service Dropbox.
The tablet's display is bright and clear, good for watching TV or viewing photos. It also has stereo speakers and cameras on both its front and back sides.
Samsung said the phone and tablet will ship worldwide in most countries on Sept 25, but it will come later in the US Samsung didn't say when, other than some time before the holidays. The company also didn't say how much the devices will cost.
I'm eligible for a new phone upgrade on my Verizon Wireless contract. I was waiting to see if Apple Inc. will launch a new phone this month. But after testing out the Note 3, I'm considering both. I need more time with the Note 3, though, to figure it all out.

eye tracking

Advertising models based on 'eye tracking' 

Pay-per-gaze! Advertising models in the future may be based on a 'Gaze Tracking System' that monitors eye movements to pin down what the user is looking at and charge advertisers accordingly.
The move from 'clicks' to pupil dilations may come after technology giant Google's patent for a Gaze Tracking System became public last week.
Pay-per-click is an internet advertising model currently used to direct traffic to websites, in which advertisers pay the publisher - typically a website owner – when the ad is clicked.
Originally filed in May 2011, the patent presents an idea for wearers of a head mounted device - and in 2013 observers are guessing this may be Google Glass – to have gaze tracked so that the system can pin down exactly what the user is looking at and even the emotional responses via pupil dilation, phys.org reported.
Information about where the user was gazing when viewing the external scene would be sent over to a server. An image recognition algorithm would be executed on the scene images to identify items within the external scenes viewed by the user.
A gazing log tracking the identified items viewed by the user would be generated.
"To date eye tracking systems have mostly been limited to research endeavours because of the intrusiveness, high cost, and reliability of these systems," according to the patent.
"A technique and system that can provide a reliable, low cost, and unobtrusive, eye tracking system could have a variety of useful everyday applications," it said.
Advertisers could be charged according to the number of views an ad received while wearing Glass, both offline and online. Google's patent refers to the process as "pay-per-gaze" advertising.
Google plans to set up an advertising model of pay-per-gaze.
"Under a pay per gaze advertising scheme, advertisers are charged based upon whether a user actually viewed their advertisement," the patent explained.