Aircel teases iPhone 5 coming soon to India

With the launch of the iPhone 5 looming close in India, mobile phone carriers have begun teasing the handset. Aircel was one of the carriers that officially launched the iPhone 4S in India. The mobile phone services operator has now put up a teaser page on its site indicating that the iPhone 5 handset is coming soon.

As of now, there is no information on prices available or specialised tariff plans available. However, this all should change closer to the date of launch, which is scheduled for November 2, 2012.

 Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions

For those interested in purchasing the iPhone 5, the base model, the 16GB version will be launched at Rs 45,500, the 32GB version of the iPhone 5 will be available for Rs 52,500 and the 64GB model for Rs 59,500. These prices are more or less on par with the previous generation iPhone 4S, when it was first launched in India.

Ingram Micro has recently announced that it will offer the Apple iPhone 5 at leading trade stores and retail outlets across India beginning on Friday, November 2. It was recently reported that in order to expand its user base in India, Apple will start selling the iPhone 5 through specialised distribution companies. Apple has tied up with Ingram Micro Inc, which is a large US-based distributor of technologies, as well as Redington India Ltd, a local distributor with 12,000 smaller partners across the country.

Made entirely out of aluminium and glass, the iPhone 5 weighs 112 grams, and is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is the thinnest iPhone yet at 7.6mm. Apple has chosen to debut iOS 6 with the iPhone 5. The new OS includes Apple's own Maps app, an updated version of Siri and lots more. Overall, the new iPhone has been upgraded in almost all respects.

Siri has also been updated and new features include support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud.

Safari has also received a major update – the ability to go full screen on the device by touching the arrows on the corners. Another major feature of the new Safari app is the ability to sync tabs between the desktop and iOS versions of Safari. This new feature is called iCloud Tabs. The new Mail app has also received some updates, including the ability to mark people as VIPs and the ability to flag certain mails for follow-ups.

iPad mini available for pre-order in India for Rs 28,990

Apple recently took the wraps off the much hyped diminutive tablet, the iPad mini. This is the first new device to be launched with Tim Cook as CEO of Apple. When Apple announced the iPad mini, they mentioned that it was up for pre-order in numerous countries. However, India was not one of them. This 7.9-inch tablet is available to pre-orders on eBay. The 16GB Wi-Fi only version costs Rs 28,990.

When Apple announced the iPad mini, the base model which is the 16GB W-Fi only variant was priced at US $329. That translates to roughly Rs 17,750, depending on the conversion rate of the dollar. The eBay seller who has a fairly good track record is pricing it a lot higher than what it will cost overseas.

 However, you would be able to get your hands on the iPad mini before it makes its way here officially. The seller notes that the iPad mini will start to ship from November 12.

When Apple announced the iPad mini, speaking at the widely covered event, Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing shared, “iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad.” Schiller went on to add that the “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life”.

The iPad mini has an aluminium and glass design 7.2mm thick, and weighs only 0.68 pounds. As per an official statement by Apple, the iPad mini has 35 percent more screen real estate than 7-inch tablets, and up to 67 percent more usable viewing area when browsing the web. The dual-core A5 chip on the iPad mini allows for responsive graphics and a multi-touch experience that Apple believes to be both, fast and fluid while still providing all-day battery life.

The iPad mini features a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5-megapixel iSight camera at the back, which allows for recording full 1080p HD video. The iSight camera includes video image stabilisation and both cameras feature backside illumination, which Apple claims will allow users to capture great pictures in low light. The iPad mini also allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

The iPad mini features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for speeds up to 150Mbps, which Apple says is twice the Wi-Fi performance compared to previous the iPad models. The iPad mini is available in a Wi-Fi version and a cellular one, which are world-ready with built-in support for most wireless standards, including LTE and DC-HSDPA. The iPad mini data plans will be available sans contract; so users will be only required to sign up and activate service directly from their iPad. Using the Personal Hotspot feature you can share a fast cellular data connection via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB with up to five other devices such as the MacBook Pro, the iPod touch or another iPad.

India to have 11-digit mobile numbers next year

India will face a 'number crunch' by the middle of next year. With a swelling subscriber base in the country, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) are fast looking at other options, including the use of 11-digit mobile numbers. The Times of India now reports that the number series starting with 98 or 99 is nearing the end of its capacity and hence the need to quickly work out a way is both, crucial and time-bound. Rajan Mathews, director general of the COAI was quoted as saying, "There might be a serious problem if a new series of numbers are not brought in by the middle of next year. We are theoretically reaching the limit of existing number sets with a subscriber base of one billion."

Elaborating further on the process, Mathews shared that the numbers are assigned to operators in batches, depending the size of subscriber base and how well the existing number sets are put to use. He explains that a batch system is the one used, since it helps keep away chaos arising because of the different kinds phone numbers flooding the market.

It is common knowledge that a specified range of numbers are assigned to one operator and the first two digits of the number like the first two digits are associated with that operator.

Sandip Biswas, director at consultancy firm Deloitte was quoted as saying, "None of these number ranges can be used to their full extent due to the way in which they are allotted. Only a certain portion of these numbers are used as phone numbers. This is called percentage of numbering system utilization and it hovers around 50 percent, meaning only around half or more of the potential numbers are used as phone numbers”.

Biswas even went on to add that considering the numbers, there may even be 12-digit mobile numbers introduced in the future. "The numbers will have to be increased by at least one digit to accommodate new devices. However, to ensure there's absolutely no scope for any problem, we may even see the introduction of 12 digit numbers," he added.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had reportedly sent a similar proposal to the DoT, which the latter did not act upon. Mathews added, "DoT said that it may need remapping of networks and there might be issues conforming to international numbering standards too. DoT hasn't rejected the idea completely but is looking into alternatives."

Among the immediate measures, the TRAI has reportedly made recommendations to discontinue inactive numbers in a bid to free up some space. It even plans on getting over a million landline numbers to be used in the mobile domain.

Biswas went on to add further, “The numbering system in general is dependent on the number of subscribers. However, it is a different situation after mobility came into picture. Today, devices ranging from cars to tablets to washing machines are connected to networks.”

Nokia Asha 308 launched in India for Rs 5,865

Nokia has launched one of its latest phones from the Asha line in India. The Nokia Asha 308 is now available on Nokia India’s online store for a price of Rs 5,865. The phone runs on Nokia’s S40 full-touch interface.

The new device offers a fluid 'swipe' user interface and an open environment for third-party application development, characteristics that have earned the complete Asha Touch range full smartphone classification from global market research companies and analysts such as GfK and IDC.

Here are some of the highlights of the Nokia Asha 308:

• 3-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 400 x 240 pixels
• EDGE/GPRS
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• 2 megapixel camera, VGA frontfacing camera

In its official statement, Nokia previously shared that it has released a new version of Nokia Xpress Browser, which it claims enables up to 90 percent more efficient mobile browsing and faster access to rich web applications compared to conventional browsers.

"Our innovative Asha Touch family of devices is designed for people who want a great smartphone experience with lower running costs," said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia during the announcement of the phone. "By introducing the Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309, we're expanding our affordable smartphone lineup and bringing new mobile experiences to more people.”

According to Nokia, the Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309 phones are its most affordable capacitive touchscreen devices to date. A view shared by independent analysts is that the Asha line represents great smartphones available for less than USD 99. "Nokia's Asha Touch family delivers all the core smartphone experiences, and with the new software developer kit, provides ever-increasing flexibility for developers to build compelling new experiences for consumers," said Will Stofega, Mobile Phone Program Director, IDC.

Nokia also introduced two extensions to its Xpress Browser Internet platform, which the company calls the only cloud-based web browser to support web apps.

The Nokia Nearby web app helps people discover new places by searching nearby locations and presenting the options on a map. The service is available via Nokia Xpress Browser or as a feature within Nokia Maps.

The Nokia Life+ web app will give millions of people access to content that spans education, health and infotainment to enhance their daily lives. Nokia Life+ is available in English across 18 countries, with local versions coming to India, China and Indonesia in the fourth quarter of this year. Nokia Life+ can be accessed through Nokia Xpress Browser or the Nokia Store.

Both the services work with Asha Touch smartphones. In addition to these services, Nokia also introduced a new web-based tool that makes it even easier to build new applications. With Nokia Xpress Web App Builder, publishers can create appealing web apps for Asha Touch devices, and even novices can turn their web content into a fun and sophisticated web app for Nokia consumers.

Nokia Lumia 510 announced for under Rs 11,000

At a press event held today in Delhi, Nokia officially announced the Lumia 510. The handset will be available for sale across the country in the first week of November at a price point below Rs 11,000.

Over the past few weeks reports has indicated that a budget Lumia smartphone was in the works, and that it would be first launched in China. Out of nowhere, Nokia India teased an arithmetic problem on its official Facebook page, which indicated that the brand would unveil the Lumia 510 sooner than expected, and that India would be one of the first to receive the handset.

The Nokia Lumia 510 will run Windows Phone 7.8 out of the box and this puts to rest any speculations that it would first run on Windows Phone 7.5 and later be updated to the new Windows Phone 7.8 platform. This budget Lumia is powered by an 800MHz single core processor and features 256MB of RAM. These details are on par with the specifications leaked earlier.

Apart from this, the handset features a 4-inch WVGA display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and 4GB of internal memory. The handset will also come equipped with 7GB of cloud storage. The handset features a 5 megapixel rear camera but unfortunately no front facing camera. The smartphone uses a 1300mAh battery that should offer a fairly good battery life.

Besides the above mentioned features, Nokia has also preloaded the handset with a bundle of other Nokia powered apps such as Maps, Transport, and Drive. Three months of unlimited access to Nokia Music Nokia MixRadio will also be available for consumers of this handset. To enhance the camera abilities, Nokia has also given users the option to download Camera Extras.

For those who use handsets run on the Windows Phone 7.8 platform, Nokia stated that it will deliver existing Lumia customers exclusive new Marketplace apps such as Camera Extras to bring new possibilities to the Lumia line up including panorama shots, a self-timer, Action Shot for capturing movement, and Smart Group Shot for creating the perfect group shot from several different images; new features for Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport; and also distributing a pattern of updates such as Wi-Fi tethering and flip-to-silence.

Handsets running the Windows Phone 7.8 operating system will not be able to get the Windows Phone 8 update. Nokia had stated that Lumia devices with Windows Phone 7.5 will be provided with updates to some of the new Windows Phone 8 features, such as the start screen. The devices will also be allowed to download new apps from companies such as Zynga, whose Words with Friends and Draw Something will be available by the third quarter of this year.

The official price of the Lumia 510 is not available yet. Nokia has stated that the handset will be released in the first week of November at a price of less than Rs 11,000.

Microsoft Surface RT pricing revealed, 32GB without Touch Cover costs $499

Pricing details of Microsoft's much awaited Surface RT tablet have finally 'surfaced' online. The details seen in the US store (which now seem to have been taken down) showed that the entry level 32GB version of the Surface RT will cost $499 without the Touch Cover and $599 inclusive of the cover. The top end 64GB model is priced at an all-inclusive $699. Furthermore, if you also choose to buy the Surface Type Cover individually, it will set you back $129.99.

While the US store seems to have pulled off the listings, the Microsoft Canada store still shows the pricing, which is higher than its US counterpart.The tablet is up for pre-orders and is scheduled to be delivered by October 26. The Surface will be available beginning October 26, following a kick-off event for media on October 25.

The pricing of the Surface RT tablet seems to be in line with Apple's new iPad with the Wi-Fi only models priced at $499 for the 16GB, $599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64GB version.

An earlier report by The Wall Street Journal stated that Microsoft has ordered production of 3 to 5 million units of the Surface tablet from its Asian component suppliers for the fourth quarter this year. As per the report, it seeks to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 tablets, which ramped up similar order volumes.

Citing two familiar people with the situation, the report confirms that mass manufacturing of the Surface tablets began earlier this month.

Microsoft just released two first ever commercials featuring its Windows 8 OS and the Surface tablet, clearly highlighting the Redmond-based company's aggressive marketing campaign. Steve Ballmer and his crew have a lot up their sleeve with just 10 days to go before the big event. 

HTC launches J Butterfly with 5-inch 1080p display

As rumoured, HTC has announced its first smartphone with a full HD display in Japan on Wednesday. Featuring a 5-inch Super LCD 3 display with 1920x1080p display, the smartphone is known as HTC J Butterfly and will be released on Japanese telco au by KDDI.
According to the company, J Butterfly will go on sale in the country in early December; however it did not reveal anything about the international launch.
This is the first full HD smartphone that we have seen till now; the display on the phone sports a huge 440 pixels-per-inch (PPI). Other features of the HTC J Butterfly include 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage.
The smartphone also comes with 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, Android 4.1, HTC Sense 4+ and 2020 mAh battery.
Connectivity options include HDMI out, microUSB, Infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC.
J Butterfly is expected to be a Japan specific model, but we hope to see similar phone from HTC in other countries.
HTC, which is struggling big time in the smartphone market, is trying to focus on high-end devices to get back to its original spot. Company had recently launched an improved version of its flagship One X, called One X+, which will soon available in countries across the globe.
We have also heard rumours of a Nexus smartphone from the company, which is going to be based on J Butterfly, but no credible reports have come out so-far.

Asus PadFone 2 launched: 1.5GHz quad-core, 13-megapixel, Android 4.0

A day after the PadFone 2 images were leaked via Twitter, Asus today officially unveiled the PadFone 2 at an event in Taiwan. Users can opt to buy the PadFone 2 either as a standalone or together with the PadFone Station. The price ranges between $620 (Rs. 32,739) and $750 (Rs. 39,607) for the smartphone alone and the entire combo costs an additional $210 (Rs. 11,089).

The unique smartphone-tablet hybrid consists of improved specifications especially in terms of design and hardware in comparison to the original PadFone.

As expected, the smartphone sports a 4.7-inch screen with a 720p Super IPS+ panel coated with Corning Fit Glass. This is an upgrade from the previous generation PadFone that came with a 4.3-inch screen. You can further increase the screen size by using it with the Padfone docking station, that gives you a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display.

The PadFone 2 will ship with Android 4.0, which is a bit disappointing but the company has promised a Jelly Bean upgrade in the future. The device features a 13MP rear camera with an f/2.4 BSI sensor from Sony, which supports 1080p at 30fps and there's a front-facing 1.2MP camera too.

Under the hood, the PadFone 2 packs in quite a punch featuring a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor 2GB RAM. Once again, that's an upgrade from the dual-core chipset seen on the earlier PadFone. The hybrid also flaunts NFC capabilities, comes with a 2,140mAh fixed battery and offers 50GB of Asus WebStorage for two years.

The PadFone 2 weighs a total of 649g which makes it lighter than theprevious hybrid which weighed 854g. The device's 6,600mAh battery has been compromised and slimmed down to 5,000mAh. It will be using micro-SIMs and a new 13-pin connector compatible with Micro-USB and MHL, replacing the earlier 40-pin one.

As far as pricing and availability for India is concerned, there is no official word yet. But what is certain is that the PadFone 2 will be sold in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models and come in black and white flavours. More details are likely to surface at the Milan event, so watch this space as we continue to update.

Asus recently launched the PadFone in India priced at Rs. 64,999. It is powered by dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and comes with 1GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 8-megapixel digital camera with Fuji image processor, F2.2 aperture and 5-element lens.

Microsoft sets Windows 8 price, opens for pre-order

Microsoft Corp  opened its Windows 8 operating system for pre-orders on Friday, setting the price for the full version of the software at $70 for a DVD pack.

Users can also wait for launch on October 26 to download the system onto their computers for $40, an offer price that will expire at the end of January.

Shoppers can reserve the software pack at Microsoft's own stores, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples and elsewhere. The price tag is significantly lower than the current price for a comparable version of Windows 7, which costs $200.

Any customer who buys, or already bought, a Windows 7 PC between June 2 and the end of January 2013 will be able to get an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $15, a move designed to prevent a drop-off in PC sales before the launch of Windows 8.

Microsoft also said PC makers such as Acer, Asustek, Dell , HP , Samsung and Sony were also now taking pre-orders for machines with Windows 8 pre-installed.

The world's largest software company did not mention its own Surface tablet PC, which is expected on the market at the same time as Windows 8. Microsoft has not revealed specifications or price of the product it hopes will challenge Apple Inc's iPad.

Windows 8-based Dell XPS 12, XPS One 27, Inspiron One 23 up for pre-order

Microsoft is all set to release its latest operating system, Windows 8 at the end of this month. According to PCMag, Dell has now started taking pre-orders for its Windows 8-based devices.

The Dell XPS 12 was first showcased by the company during this year’s IFA event. Along with desktop apps, the XPS 12 will also be able to run touch-based apps due to the 12-inch touch screen on the device. The XPS 12 is being advertised by the company as two products in one – a laptop as well as a tablet. The laptop has a flip-hinge design that allows it to convert from laptop to tablet. The pricing for the Dell XPS 12 starts at $1,199 (around Rs 63,451).

 Along with the XPS 12, Dell has also started the pre-orders for the XPS One 27, its all-in-one PC. The XPS One 27 will sport a touch-screen to take advantage of the emphasis on touch controls in Windows 8, as well as the touch-based apps. The pricing for the XPS One 27 starts at $1599.99 (Rs 84,671 approximately).

Dell has also started taking pre-orders for the Dell Inspiron One 23 – another all-in-one PC. The Inspiron One 23 comes with lower specs than the One 27, but also with a lower price tag. The pricing for the One 23 starts at $799.99 (approx Rs 42,335).

Microsoft has opened Windows 8 for pre-orders, and revealed the pricing of the latest version of the operating system. The full version DVD pack costs $70 (roughly Rs 3,704), and the digital version is available at $40 (around Rs 2,116) until January.

Shoppers can reserve the software pack at Microsoft's own stores, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, and elsewhere. The price tag is significantly lower than the current price for a comparable version of Windows 7, which costs $200 (roughly Rs 10,584).

Any customer who buys, or has already bought, a Windows 7 PC between June 2 and the end of January 2013, can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $15 (around Rs 793), a move designed to prevent a drop-off in PC sales before the launch of Windows 8.

The world's largest software company did not mention its own Surface tablet PC, which is expected on the market at the same time as Windows 8. Microsoft has not revealed the specifications or the price of the product it believes will challenge Apple's iPad.

Microsoft is all set to release all of its new operating systems and services in the next couple of months, including Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The company aims to make its own ecosystem, similar to that of Apple’s, with seamless integration between computers, phones, tablets, and eventually, gaming consoles.

Apple may unveil iPad mini on October 23

It is widely believed that Apple will showcase a new product, the iPad mini, in the fourth quarter of this year. As its name suggests, the iPad mini is a smaller version of the popular iPad tablet from Apple. While there is official confirmation of the existence of this device, leaks about it have been aplenty. The 7.85-inch tablet is now expected to be unveiled on October 23.

Now, as per a report published by AllThingsD states, “Apple will hold a special event this month, at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called “iPad mini” on Oct. 23 at an invitation-only event”.

 AllThingsD speculates that the unveiling will take place at Apple’s Town Hall Auditorium, which is the venue where the brand has announced a range of key products, including the iPhone 4S.

This iPad mini is believed to be Wi-Fi only, and will not come with cellular capabilities like the iPad models. A recent report by The Guardian stated that industry sources have indicated that they do not expect to see 3G-capable versions of the iPad mini. That would allow Apple to produce it for cheap, and limit the top price of the product, retaining mobile broadband connectivity for its pricier iPad line.

Apple has been losing its market share in the tablet segment to the likes of Amazon with its Kindle Fire, and Google with its Nexus 7 tablet. For Apple to stay in the run, and cater to a customer base that would want a smaller tablet, Apple would have to launch a 7-inch tablet to cement its throne as the leading tablet manufacturer. The Google Nexus 7 tablet is faring exceedingly well in the market and rumours suggest that a 3G version of the tablet may also be in the works. Apple would need to step into this segment to battle the increasing competition from other manufacturers.

Speculating on the competition at hand, while the prices of the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire are similar, both of which are Wi-Fi only, the Nexus 7 seems to be the device of choice as it comes with beefier hardware along with access to Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) as well as future Android releases. However, Apple has its own iOS operating system. When it does announce the iPad mini, it will most likely launch it with iOS 6 straight out of the box.

Microsoft Office 2013 may come to iOS, Android in March next year

With the Windows 8 launch drawing close, rumours about Microsoft’s offerings are flowing thick and fast. The latest seems to be about Office 13, the latest version of the company’s popular productivity suite. The Verge reports that Petr Bobek, Microsoft Product Manager yesterday confirmed to Czech news site IHNEZ that the software giant is planning to release a native version of Office 13 for both iOS and Android by March 2013. Bobek was apparently speaking at a press event in the Czech Republic yesterday.

The Verge states that it had seen a press release from Microsoft's Czech Republic team that confirmed Bobek’s statements. "In addition to Windows, Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian," The Verge cites the press release as stating. The press release also noted that there will be a new version of Office Web Apps too.

The press release goes on to state that Office 13 will be available for enterprise customers in December of this year, and the consumer launch is set to be in late February 2013. "Office 365 services and other Office products for mobile (phones and tablets) will be released from March 2013," it reads.

According to reports in the media, Microsoft has said that while Office Mobile will work across the Windows Phone, iOS and android platforms, it has nothing additional to reveal right now. The company has also released a statement on the matter denying the report: “The information shared by our Czech subsidiary is not accurate. We do not have anything further to share at this time.”

Both iOS and Android users have access to a host of productivity applications and suites that allow them to view, edit, and create documents traditionally used with Microsoft’s Office applications. What remains to be seen is whether Microsoft’s Office suite for Android and iOS would have as many features, or would work as well as it does on Windows Phone 8.

Microsoft has still not given out a concrete release date for the Office 2013 suite for, but it recently announced the official pricing. Standalone versions of the software in the suite will be available for activation on a single machine. Along with this, the entire suite will also be available in the form of different packages, depending on the needs of the users.

Office Home and Student 2013 containing Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, will cost $139 (around Rs 7,500), Office Home and Business 2013 – which contains all the previous software, along with Outlook – will cost $219 (Rs 11,840 approx.) and the high end Professional package containing all the previous software and adds Access and Publisher to the list, will cost $399 (roughly Rs 21,560).

Firefox 16 released, brings support for web apps, more HTML5

Mozilla, the developers behind one of the world’s most popular internet browsers, has released a new version of Firefox. Firefox 16 for Windows, Mac and Linux packs initial web app support, a new developer toolbar, support for more HTML5 code, and accessibility improvements for Mac. You can download the latest version here.

Firefox 16’s initial support for web apps indicates that Mozilla is gearing up for the release of its Marketplace, which could take place in Q4 of 2012. Users will be able to run web-based applications on any of their devices as web apps are self-contained, don’t always require the chrome of a browser window (the borders of a Web browser window, which include the window frames, menus, toolbars and scroll bars), and can be built to be run offline

More importantly, the release notes for Firefox 16 state that HTML5 code such as CSS3 Transitions, animations, transforms and gradients are now unprefixed. This means that Mozilla considers them to be stable enough to run in Firefox without causing major issues. Stable features include CSS3 Animations, Transitions, Transforms, Image Values, IndexedDB and Values and Units. Firefox also unprefixes Battery API and Vibration API, two Web APIs that Mozilla helped create.

The new developer toolbar has buttons for quick access to tools, an error count for the web console and a new command line that lets you control the tools with your keyboard. According to the Mozilla blog, the toolbar is “intuitive” and completes commands and parameters for you.

The Mac version of Firefox 16 has preliminary VoiceOver support turned on by default. This is an accessibility feature built into Apple’s OSX that helps users with disabilities easily control the computer. Mozilla has mentioned the support for this is ‘preliminary’ and this indicates that VoiceOver shouldn't be expected to work perfectly with Firefox 16.

The Firefox browser for Android has also been updated and the new version brings a new feature to simplify reading on websites and blogs - Reader Mode. The new mode makes it easier for you to view, read and share articles and stories from your mobile phone or tablet. Tapping the “Reader” icon in the location bar on supported websites or blogs will change the layout of the page to reformat the text, increase the font size, change the size of images and remove advertisements. You can also use the "Share" menu item to send tabs to desktop/mobile devices through the 'Firefox Sync' option. Search suggestions pop up when you’re typing into the location bar, giving you quicker access to your websites. The live thumbnail images let you switch between tabs to show you updated snaps from your site.

Firefox 16 hasn’t brought about as many changes as the previous version, which fixed many memory leaks, both for the browser and its add-ons. Firefox has been receiving criticism from the time its first versions were introduced over its hoggish memory requirements. But in recent times, Mozilla has made great improvements to the browser’s memory management, which is a good thing.

iPhone 5 may be launched in India on October 26

A recent report by BGR cites multiple sources that claim that the Apple iPhone5 will be launched in India on October 26, in keeping with the festive season of Diwali.

As per the BGR report, “Multiple sources have confirmed to us that Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 5 in India on the last Friday of this month, which happens to be October 26. As we had exclusively reported earlier, Apple will be distributing the iPhone 5 in India on its own rather than relying on its carrier partners. We expect the iPhone 5 to have a wider availability unlike the past where it was not available readily everywhere.”

 Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions

Made entirely out of aluminium and glass, the iPhone 5 weighs 112 grams, and is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is the thinnest iPhone yet at 7.6mm. Apple has chosen to debut iOS 6 with the iPhone 5. The new OS includes Apple's own Maps app, an updated version of Siri and lots more. Overall, the new iPhone has been upgraded in almost all respects.

One of the biggest changes to iOS is the addition of Apple’s own Maps app in the place of Google Maps. The new Maps app has a built-in search for local points of interest, with over 100 million possible suggestions. Other features of the Maps app include navigation, routing, 3D maps, satellite imagery – that wraps around the 3D maps – and the ability to get directions directly through Siri. Most of the standard features of the Maps app, including satellite view, are available in almost all countries the iPhone ships to.

Siri has also been updated and new features include support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud.

Safari has also received a major update – the ability to go full screen on the device by touching the arrows on the corners. Another major feature of the new Safari app is the ability to sync tabs between the desktop and iOS versions of Safari. This new feature is called iCloud Tabs. The new Mail app has also received some updates, including the ability to mark people as VIPs and the ability to flag certain mails for follow-ups.

The handset is already selling quite freely in the grey market in India, but at a premium. One can expect the handset to retail at the same price at which the iPhone 4S was launched.

As emails turn 40, scientists recall India arriva

Ever since US programmer Ray Tomlinson sent the first email 40 years ago, the new communication tool has taken the world by storm, but it took another 20 years or so to reach the Indian shores, Indian scientists recall."In October 1971, Tomlinson wrote a software and was able to transfer a message from one computer to another, making it the first networked email, much before the advent of what we now know as Internet," Sugata Sanyal, former professor of computer science, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, said.
Tomlinson's 'invention' came while improving a program called SNDMSG, which was in use since 1960s, that allows a user to compose, address, and send a message to other users' mailboxes in a single computer.
The first email, containing a 'forgettable' message, was sent between two computers that were literally side by side with their only physical connection being through the ARPANET, one of the first computer networks of the world.
Sanyal, now Advisor, Corporate Technology Organisation of TCS, said many Indians studying or researching in the US around that time had their first experience with email through ARPANET or the BITNET, a network used to exchange emails by academics of universities across the US.
Rajiv Gavai, professor of the Theoretical Physics Department, TIFR, was one of those Indians. As a post-doctoral fellow in Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, in the early '80s, he used emails of both ARPANET and BITNET to interact with co-authors who were several miles away.
Gavai was so impressed by "the ease of collaborative work, without use of the then expensive fax machines or the too-cryptic telex machines", that he initiated setting up of a similar BITNET-based academic network in India.
"After returning to India in 1986, I tried to continue my collaborative work in the US using airmail or fax, but soon got frustrated, due to the huge time delays," Gavai said.
He talked to TIFR colleagues like Professors Sugata Sanyal, K P Singh and N K Mondal about how the academic community in the US was connected to the whole world.
"There was a strong enthusiasm to try and get such an academic network in India," Gavai said.
The network, named VIDYANET, was to be set up with assistance from CERN, the Geneva laboratory that hit the headlines recently following the finding of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson.
"However, at a meeting with the Department of Electronics (DoE) officials, we came to know of the ERNET (Education and Research Network) project being set up for academics," he said.
"ERNET showed willingness to take up the VIDYANET concept but offered dial-up lines with a system that did not match with the philosophy of VIDYANET," he recalled.
So in 1988, CERN and TIFR finalised technicalities of the leased line and modems to usher TIFR members into the world of email connectivity, Gavai said.
"Later with the advent of Internet, CERN gradually phased out BITNET by 1996 or so and the TIFR leased line connection switched over to that," he said.
In the meantime, the ERNET - which brought the Internet to India - was being developed under the aegis of DoE with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said Prof Srinivasan Ramani of the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore.
Ramani, who learnt about email and early developments of Internet technology during his research days at the Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh in 1971-73, said he and his colleagues had urged DoE in 1983 to launch a nationwide academic network.
After the government nod, five IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Madras), IISc (Bangalore), National Center for Software Technology (NCST) of Bombay and DoE were involved in the ERNET project, said Ramani, the founding director of NCST.
"In 1986, a dial-up link for email exchange was set up between NCST and IIT Bombay. Very soon all ERNET partners were on dial-up ERNET email and academics in these institutions started sending emails to all over the world," he said.
When there was no Internet service providers in the country, public or private, ERNET informally gave email facilities to software companies, said Ramani.
But what was the reaction of the common people on these pathbreaking achievements?
"In the beginning, people did not have much idea about email. A sure-shot method to convince one was to describe how easy and cost-effective it would be to contact with his/her son or daughter abroad," said Swapan Kumar De, former head, Computer and Informatics Group, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC), Kolkata.
"In the eastern region, ERNET was first installed in VECC. From there it was spread to other institutes in Kolkata and other states," said De, the pioneer in initiating ERNET in eastern India.
By 1991, the ERNET community crossed 1000 and hundreds of persons started using email in these sites, said De, adding that at that time, the initial investment to have ERNET mail was around Rs 30,000, without a printer.
And now, after two decades, a recent survey by the Internet and Mobile Association of India has predicted that Internet subscriber base in the country is expected to reach 150 million by the end of this year.

HTC DLX leaked: 1.5GHz processor, 12-megapixel, Android 4.1

Long-time HTC developer 'Football' disclosed via Twitter the detailed specs of HTC's upcoming smartphone called DLX. There isn't much known about this device yet but if rumours are to be believed then it is likely to be named the One X 5 or the DROID Incredible X.

According to @Football4PDA, who's is becoming quite popular with such leaks, the 5-inch HD display smartphone (phablet if you please) packs in a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GB RAM. It will be seen running the yet to be released Android 4.1.2 and will come with 16GB internal storage.

As per the leaked details, the HTC DLX will also sport a 12MP rear snapper and a 2MP front camera as well. it is expected to come with a 2500mAh non-removable battery. HTC is officially yet to reveal anything related to this device, including pricing and availability.

Micromax becomes top tablet vendor with 18.4 percent market share

The country's tablet market registered sales of 0.55 million units in the April-June 2012 quarter, led by Micromax, a report by CyberMedia Research (CMR) said today.
According to CMR's India Quarterly Media Tablet Market Review, the India tablet PC market saw sales of 0.55 million in Q2 compared to 71,788 units in the same period last year.
In January-March this year, the total shipment stood at 0.34 million, it said.
During April-June, 2012, Micromax led the tally with 18.4 percent share of the market, while Samsung followed at the second position with 13.3 percent share.
Apple occupied the third spot with 12.3 percent in terms of sales (unit shipments) during the same period, it added.
Though the tablet market in India is still at a nascent stage, but at the same time, has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry-level offerings, the report said.
Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till Q2 2012.
The average selling value (ASV) in the said period dropped to little above Rs. 13,000 from Rs. 26,000 in the January-March 2012 period as a majority of vendors launched their products in the Rs. 5,000-10,000 price range.
"During 2Q 2012, 47.4 percent of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments," CMR Lead Analyst (Telecoms Practice) Faisal Kawoosa said.
This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at India's youth, he added.
Android operating system had the lion's share of the market at 87.5 percent.
"As Android devices become increasingly popular with users across the world, competition is increasing in the India tablets market with more and more vendors launching devices based on the Android OS," he said.
The share of devices based on other operating systems like Windows, iOS and QNX are expected to rise in future in view of the recent announcement of the Microsoft Windows Surface Tablet, the global launch of the Apple iPad 3 and reduction in BlackBerry Playbook prices, Kawoosa added.
(CyberMedia Research (CMR) has uses the term "shipments" to describe the number of Tablets leaving the factory premises for OEM sales or stocking by distributors and retailers. For the convenience of readers, the term shipments has been replaced by 'sales' but this reflects the market size in terms of units of tablets and not their absolute value.)

Micromax enters TV market, launches LED TV starting Rs. 15,990

 

 

Mobile handset maker Micromax announced its foray into the television segment with the launch of a range of LED TVs priced between Rs. 15,990 and Rs. 1,29,990.

The company expects a revenue of Rs. 225 crore from this the TV segment in this fiscal.
"Televisions is a natural progression. As consumers evolve, they want their devices and experience to be smart and personal. We aim to partner the growing aspirations of the digital consumers at all levels," says, Rajesh Agarwal, Micromax Managing Director and Co-founder .
The company is targeting 5-8 percent of revenues (Rs. 140-225 crore) this fiscal from the television segment, he added.
The LED TVs will be initially launched in nine states like Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan across 24-inch to 55-inch range. The televisions will be priced between Rs. 15,990 and Rs. 1,29,990.
Micromax, which sells mobile phones and tablet PCs in India, SAARC and the Middle East countries, is aiming to grow overall revenues to Rs 2,800 crore for year ending March 2013.
"In the next one year, we are looking at sales of one lakh units (TVs)...In the next two years, the aim would be to increase the TV segment contribution to 20 percent of the revenues," Agarwal said.
He added that though the overall television market is growing at 15-16 percent, the LED TV segment is witnessing 100 percent. LED and LCD TVs comprise 35 percent of the 17-18 million units market and is a fast growing segment.
The company is targetting 8-10 percent market share of the LED TV market.
Micromax will assemble the LEDs at its new facility in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. It is investing Rs. 100 crore in the plant.
"We have set up an assembly line in Rudrapur, which has a capacity of 2,000 units. This will eventually be ramped up to 5,000 units. The facility will also manufacture tablet PCs and mobile accessories," he said.
A major chunk of the investment has already gone in and in the next 2-3 years, a total of Rs 100 crore would be invested.
For distribution and after sales, the company will use its existing channels. Its also in the process of setting up its own service centres.
Micromax is launching its home theatre range and SMART Stick, using which users can connect to the Internet through their television sets.
"SMART Stick will be priced at Rs. 5000 and will connect to any television with an HDMI port. Its like a dongle and will help users access Internet on their TVs," Micromax Director Mukesh Gupta said.
Amkette and Akai have similar devices available in the market.

Rovio announces Angry Birds Star Wars

After teasing it on the official Tubmlr page of Angry Birds, Rovio Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd have recently announced a new entertainment franchise collaboration titled Angry Birds Star Wars.

As per the official announcement, the game will be launched worldwide on November 8, The game aims to combine all the fun of the classic Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space with the characters, stories and settings of the epic space fantasy Star Wars.

From the deserts of Tatooine to the depths of the Death Star, the game and merchandise will feature the Angry Birds characters starring as the iconic heroes of the Star Wars Saga.

“This is the best Angry Birds game we’ve ever done. It’s the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in a galaxy far, far away,” said Peter Vesterbacka, the Mighty Eagle and CMO of Rovio. “As a big Star Wars fan myself, I’m really excited about this new universe. The Force is definitely strong with this one.”

In addition to the game, this fall will also see the unveiling of a massive retail launch for Angry Birds Star Wars. Merchandise ranging from Halloween costumes and apparel to action figures and collectible plush toys will be available at select retailers, starting October 28.

“Both Star Wars and Angry Birds share the instant and irresistible appeal of hands-on fun,” said Colum Slevin, Vice President, Head of Studio Operations for Lucasfilm Ltd. “People seem to instinctively know what to do when handed a lightsaber or a bird in a slingshot, so this is a natural combination.”

The announcement ends by stating that in the coming weeks, fans of the franchise can expect additional new videos, characters, and much more content to be revealed. The game will be available on iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows Phone and Windows 8.

On September 27, Rovio Entertainment released its newest game, Bad Piggies, for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. Told from the pigs’ point of view, this innovative game lets fans build amazing machines that crawl, roll, crash, and fly the pigs to the eggs!

“We’ve never done anything like this,” said Petri Järvilehto, EVP of Games. “Where Angry Birds was all about destruction, Bad Piggies is all about the joy of construction. It’s not just about getting three stars -- in this game, failing is almost as much fun as succeeding!”

The game is set on Piggy Island, where the Bad Piggies are after the eggs again -- but as usual, nothing is going according to plan. They need help in creating the ultimate flying machine and steering it safely to their destination.

According to a statement by Rovio, with more than 60 levels, and free updates in the offing, the game takes you through hours pig-crashing, exploding, and flying fun. Fans can unlock an additional 30 levels by getting three stars. Four sandbox levels let them stretch their creativity to the utmost. 33 objects are available to create the ultimate machine, if you can navigate around all the obstacles first.

This is the first time the Bad Piggies are protagonists of a game, but it is just the beginning of a series of Bad Piggies-related games and other entertainment. 

Samsung unveils 3-inch ICS smartphone, Galaxy Music

We had only heard rumours about its existence so far, but the Samsung Galaxy Music turns out to be real after all. Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy Music, a smartphone that aims to cater to the needs of music lovers. The Galaxy Music will run on the Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. The smartphone has a 3-inch QVGA TFT screen and is powered by an unnamed processor. Galaxy Music will also be available in a dual-SIM version in the form of the Galaxy Music Duos. The dual-SIM version of this smartphone will bear the same specifications, but will have two SIM slots.

Although it doesn’t look like it’s an audiophile-grade offering, the prominent stereo speakers on the top and bottom of the phone don’t let you doubt for a moment that it’s meant for those who use their smartphones mostly for music. Apart from this, the phone’s specifications sheet boasts of support for any major audio format you’re likely to come across, including mp3, ogg, aac, aac+, eaac+, amr-nb, amr-wb, wav, mid, imy, flac, and wma. You also have a music player with SoundAlive technology, and SRS audio modes. Other features include Smart Volume, Music View and a stereo FM radio with RDS.

Interestingly, Samsung has decided to equip this phone with a projector, much like it did with the Samsung Galaxy Beam. However, the projector here is of the WVGA variety with a brightness of just 9 lumen, unlike the Galaxy Beam, which had a DLP projector with a much higher brightness of 15 lumen.

The Galaxy Music seems like quite a chunky little phone with the dimensions pegging it at 12.25mm in depth and 106 grams in weight. The Galaxy Music comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin on top of the ICS UI, along with a variety of bloatware, including Samsung Hub, Samsung Kies and the Samsung ChatON messenger. You get 4GB of internal memory, 512MB of RAM and a standard Li-ion 1300mAh battery. The device has a fixed focus 3- megapixel camera with no flash. It can capture video in wvga format at 25 frames per second (fps).

In our recent report listing the Samsung devices slated for a Jelly Bean upgrade, there was indeed a mention of an “unknown device, the Galaxy Music”.  That was perhaps the very first time this phone was mentioned.

Here’s a quick look at the highlighted specifications of the Galaxy Music:

• 3.0-inch QVGA TFT touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS with GLONASS
• Bluetooth v. 3.0, USB 2.0 (Micro)
• 3 megapixel rear fixed focus camera, no flash
• 4GB internal memory, microSD expandable up to 32GB
• Built in FM Antenna (FM Intenna)

Google, Samsung may team up to manufacture 10.1-inch Nexus tablet

Google and Samsung have an extremely good relationship, and this has led the last two Google phones to be manufactured by the Korean brand. As per a report by CNET, the next Google Nexus tablet will be manufactured by Samsung. It will be a high-end model unlike the 7-inch Nexus 7, which was recently released by Google and Asus.

As per the report, the NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Ship told CNET that Samsung and Google will soon co-manufacture a high end 10.1-inch tablet, which will feature a pixel density higher than that of Apple’s new iPad.

The report states, “The 2,560x1,600 display will have a PPI (pixels per inch) of about 299, said Shim. That tops the 264 PPI on the 9.7-inch 2,048x1,536 Retina iPad. "It's going to be a high-end device," Shim said -- in contrast with Google's $199 Nexus 7 and upcoming $99 tablet. But probably the biggest news is the partnership with Samsung. They'll partner with Samsung and cobrand it with Samsung," Shim said. To date, Google has partnered with Asus on the Nexus 7 tablet.”

The report also states that Shim says that Google will start working on a $99 tablet by December.

In September, at an Asus press event, the brand confirmed that the Google Nexus 7 tablet will reach Indian shores by November. Announced at the recently concluded Google I/O 2012 event, the Google Nexus 7 tablet is not just designed to take on Apple’s highly successful iPad, but it will also pose a stiff threat to the Amazon Kindle Fire. Google aims to tackle the competition better with its pricing strategy of this Asus-manufactured tablet.

The Google Nexus 7 tablet is available in two storage capacities, which are 8GB and 16GB, and the brand has priced them extremely competitively at $199 and $249 respectively. Google has added a lot of high-end hardware to the mix, and has kept the price down to a minimum by pricing it at $199 for the base model.

The Google Nexus 7 was in the news recently for it started cropping up on a couple of online sites. We had earlier reported that Indiatimes Shopping had the tablet in stock and had priced the Nexus 7 at Rs 16,952. EMI options were available on the retail website as well. Online store eBay.in had a seller that shipped the product to India within 14 days, which we are guessing is still quicker than whatever the official launch date may be. The seller has priced it at Rs 17,690 for the 8GB version, which roughly converts to around $321. To remind you, Google’s price for this base model is $199.

The 7-inch tablet measures 198.5 x 120 x 10.5 mm, and weighs 340g. These dimensions allow it to go head-to-head with the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Google Nexus 7 will be the first device running on Google’s latest operating software, which is Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean).

Aakash 2 to be available from November 11: Sibal

Telecommunications minister, Kapil Sibal, recently stated that the Aakash 2 tablet may be expected to reach students on November 11 this year, i.e., roughly in a month’s time from now. The timeline for its launch was earlier set for October.

Sibal was at the Economic Editors' Conference, when he revealed the expected date for the availability of the Aakash 2 tablet. “Hopefully on November 11, you will see the President talking to 20,000 students across the nation [who] will have their hands on Aakash," he was quoted as saying.

While referring to the low-cost tablet as an instrument of empowerment, Sibal added that in the future, the price of the tablet can expected to go as low as $35 (Rs 1,500), once manufacturing activities are set in India. Sibal was further quoted as saying, “At the moment, we are actually formulating a Cabinet note for the manufacturing of five million Aakash tablets without any financial burden on the Ministry of Finance.”



In the later half of September this year, Datawind started supplying units of Aakash 2 to IIT Bombay. In a statement, the company revealed that an October launch of the tablet was likely. Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli told PTI, “Supplies are on to IIT Bombay. In the next few weeks, it should be launched. I do not have the exact date, but HRD Minister (Kapil Sibal) has said he wants to launch on the anniversary date which is October 5”. However, Tuli added that the launch would depend on Sibal’s schedule.



Recently, two units of the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet were presented to the Gujarat CM Narendra Modi by Kapil Sibal. The ministry is reportedly toying with the idea of sending units of the Aakash 2 to all state chief ministers for feedback, a move particularly strange considering the tablet is yet to make its way to several of its pre-designated locations. India’s attempt at low-cost computing has primarily been one to ensure quality education is made available to those who earlier found it beyond their means. Despite criticism, there still is a lot of optimism surrounding the low-cost tablet.



Sibal, in his letter to Modi, expressed his disappointment over the latter’s views on the Aakash tablet, "Education is a collaborative venture beyond the pale of politics and we need to work together in the best interests of the children of the country".



Earlier last month, reports had emerged about Modi taking a dig at India’s low-cost dream tablet – the brainchild of Sibal. It all happened when, as part of its campaigning ahead of the Assembly elections, Congress announced that it would distribute free laptops to students if they were voted to power. Critical of this, Modi took a dig at Congress and said, "Kash [If only] this Aakash tablet could land on earth, then the lie [promise of free laptops] they [Congress] are spreading now would hold some weight". Modi went on to accuse the Centre of 'dragging its feet' in distributing Aakash tablets. Modi asserted that the Centre failed to deliver on its much-hyped commitment.



The Aakash 2 is said to run on the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Android OS, priced aggressively at Rs 2,263. It comes packed with more features and enhanced speed than its predecessor, Aakash. Talk about Android v4.0 (ICS) being included in Aakash 2 began in April, when Suneet Singh Tuli stated in an email that the Aakash 2 tablet will have 2GB flash storage, an 800MHz processor, and 256MB RAM, which should be enough to handle ICS. Aakash 2 is a significant upgrade over the original Aakash tablet. The initial version of the tablet had a 7-inch resistive touchscreen, which was not very touch-sensitive. It ran Android v2.2 (Froyo) on a 366MHz processor, based on an older ARM architecture. The Aakash 2 tablet is likely to be replaced by a successor, which will have a dual-core Cortex - A9 processor, by the end of this year.

 

Nokia releases update for Lumia 610 with performance tweaks

While owners of Nokia’s Lumia line of handsets are eagerly waiting for the release of the Windows Phone 7.8 update, Nokia has released a minor update that improves the general performance of the Lumia 610. According to the announcement on Nokia’s developer blog, the update delivers improved system performance, camera performance, and usability.

Those who recently purchased a Lumia 610 already have the update, but for others, the update will be rolled out to different countries at different times. Users will be able to update either over-the-air, or by using the Zune software on their computers.

Recently, Nokia had released the beta version for its Nokia Xpress app for Lumia devices. The app enables you to view web-based content the way you would read a magazine. The Nokia Xpress Beta app enables you to set up feeds for your most-visited sites. It also automatically places livetiles to sites you frequent on the home screen. Another major feature is one-click language translations for viewing websites that are normally in a foreign language.

The Nokia Xpress app compresses the data you download while you are using it, thus greatly reducing data usage. This is especially useful for those who have caps on their data plans. The app also allows you to store any page you have viewed and view it later when you don’t have access to a data connection. Another feature is SkyDrive integration. The app enables you to save to SkyDrive, videos and other forms of content that you view in the app, without downloading it separately for SkyDrive. The videos can then be downloaded on to any device with SkyDrive.

Recently, the technical specifications, price and a photo of the Nokia Lumia 510 were leaked. According to a report by GSMArena, the website that received the leaked photo of the Lumia 510, “We first heard about the Lumia 510 last month, in a leak that revealed that the low-end smartphone would sport a 4-inch display, have 4 GB of internal memory, and run on just 256 MB of RAM. Those specs have just been confirmed by our own source, who also sent us the picture above and hinted that the initial price will be $150. The Lumia 510 is aimed at targeting the entry-level smartphone market, and will likely start in China where smartphone ownership has nearly tripled since 2010.” The website mentions that the handset could be launched across the globe by early 2013.

There is no word yet on the operating system the Lumia 510 handset will run on, but given its previous track record, Microsoft has managed to run Windows Phone 7.5 on handsets featuring 256MB of RAM. So this could be the OS used on this yet unannounced entry level smartphone.

When Microsoft announced Windows Phone 8, the company also announced Windows Phone 7.8 which is a sort of ‘value pack’ for existing Windows Phone devices and not Windows Phone 8. All handsets running WP 7.5 or Mango will be upgradeable to WP 7.8, and one of the new features that the update brings with it is the new customisable home screen from WP 8.

Samsung ATIV S - A new Windows 8 phone

The Samsung ATIV S was first unveiled during this year’s IFA in August. Commenting on this latest smartphone from its Windows Phone stable, Samsung said, “Samsung ATIV S is a new smartphone for both work and entertainment featuring Windows Phone 8. ATIV S brings a stunning hairline design and high performance with a range of content-sharing and productivity options”.

Here is a look at the highlighted features of the Samsung ATIV S:

• 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
• GSM, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA, NFC
• GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, microUSB v2.0
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 8 MP AF, LED flash with full HD video recording, 1.9MP front facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB versions with expandable support up to 32GB via MicroSD card.

Samsung introduces ATIV series of Windows 8 devices

Samsung has announced its brand new ATIV devices based on Windows 8 operating system. Introducing the new sub-brand for Windows-based devices, Samsung has unveiled ATIV Smart PC, ATIV Smart PC Pro convertible laptops and Windows RT running ATIV Tab.Starting with ATIV Smart PC, this notebook comes with a detachable keyboard docking system, which allows users to switch between a tablet and traditional laptop. ATIV Smart PC also features 11.6-inch touchscreen full-HD LCD, S-Pen, Intel Atom processor, and USB 2.0.
On the other hand, ATIV Smart PC Pro, which uses the same form- factor as ATIV Smart PC, features Intel Core i5 processor, USB 3.0, S-Pen, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen full-HD LCD.
According to Samsung, both Smart PC and Smart PC Pro come with Windows 8 on-board, however they are also fully Windows 7 compatible.
The Korean manufacturer has also revealed its first Windows RT tablet along with Windows 8 devices. Dubbed as ATIV Tab, it features 10.1-inch display, Office Home and Student 2013 RT, 8200 mAh battery, USB port and 1.5 GHz dual-core processor.
"Samsung is delighted to introduce a wide portfolio of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8-powered devices. With our leadership in design and technology and Microsoft's leadership in operating systems, together we are able to provide customers with a full range of ATIV devices for cross-category convergence," said Seong Woo Nam, Executive Vice President of IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics.
There is official word on the availability or the pricing of these devices.



Samsung ATIV Smart PC key specs

• Display Size: 11.6" (PLS type) with 1366 x 768p resolution
• 31Wh battery
• 304.0 x 189.4 x 9.9mm(without keyboard) | 304.0 x 189.4 x 19.9mm(with keyboard)
• Weight: 750g(without keyboard) / 1.48kg(with keyboard)
• Operating System: Windows 8
• Processor: Next generation Intel Atom Processor
• System Memory: LPDDR 2GB
• Integrated Camera: Front 2M, Rear 8M(w/ flash)
• Storage Hard Disk Drive: 128GB eMMC
• Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0
• USB2.0x1, USB2.0x2(KBD), mHDMI, microSD

Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro key specs

• Display Size: 11.6" (PLS type) with 1920 x 1080p resolution
• 47Wh battery
• 304.0 x 189.4 x 11.89mm(without keyboard) | 304.0 x 189.4 x 21.89mm(with keyboard)
• Weight: 884g(without keyboard) / 1.6kg(with keyboard)
• Operating System: Windows 8
• Processor: Intel Core i5
• System Memory: DDR 4GB
• Integrated Camera: Front 2M, Rear 5M
• Storage Hard Disk Drive: Up to 256GB SSD
• Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0
• USB3.0x1, USB2.0x2(KBD), mHDMI, microSD

Samsung ATIV Tab key specs

• 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
• Display: 10.1 inch (256.5mm ) HD LCD (1366x768)
• OS: Windows RT
• Camera: 5MP rear camera with LED Flash, 1.9 Megapixel front camera
• NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• GPS, S-GPS, Glonass
• 32/64GB User memory, 2GB (RAM)
• microSD (up to 64GB)
• Dimension: 265.8 x 168.1 x 8.9 mm, 570g
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-ion 8,200mAh

Samsung, Nokia or HTC which has the most distruptive Windows Phone 8 line-up?

In a world being ruled by iOS and Android, Microsoft hopes to bring in a whiff of fresh air with Windows Phone 8 operating system. For the ones, who have'nt been paying attention to what Microsoft has been up to, Windows Phone 8 is expected to be the next major version of its mobile phone OS. Talking about this new operating system, Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for NPD's Consumer Technology Market Research says, "I think Windows 8 phones definitely represent a new, strong and different competitor in the smartphone market. Not only does Microsoft take a different approach to the usage model with their tile based architecture but the ability to leverage the huge installed base of Windows PCs and Xbox game consoles should help them, over time, create a viable third path for smartphone users."
Most smartphone makers have already announced their front runners for the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The first major announcement was made by Samsung, when it unveiled its ATIV S. This smartphone has a 4.8-inch display coated with Corning "Gorilla" glass, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.
Nokia soon followed to take the wraps off its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 windows Phone devices. Nokia Lumia 920 comes with 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, Wireless charging support and 2000 mAH battery. While the Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range smartphone that sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Clearblack display and 8GB of internal storage.
Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC too expressed its love for Windows Phone by announcing the HTC 8X and 8S The HTC 8X comes with 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, while the HTC 8S is a mid-segment smartphone, which has 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory.
Though these were the major announcements from the big league, even Huawei has come out in support of Windows Phone 8 and is expected to launch the Ascend W1 on September 25 according to reports. The Chinese telecom company also plans to launch more devices running on Microsoft's latest OS by the end of this year.
We have already done a head-to-head comparison of these flagship smartphones from HTC, Nokia and Samsung to understand where each stands. Now we quiz the analysts in this business to understand which amongst these three has the most disruptive Windows Phone 8 line-up.
Robert Enderle, Principal Analyst at Enderle Group opines that, "Samsung currently looks the most disruptive as they have a full set of phones, tablets and PCs so they cover all use cases for the platform which is operating on a 'better together" meme". He also adds that, "They are also the most motivated to go after Apple at the moment thanks to that $1 billion judgment".
In 2007, Samsung was one of the first to get on the Android wave and its strategy on that front seems to have paid off well. Now it's trying to replicate the same with Windows Phone 8. However, the major difference now is that Samsung seems to be juggling three hats at the moment with - Windows, Android and its own Bada operating system. So, the biggest challenge confronting Samsung right now is to come out with a prefect balancing act if it plans to score in the Windows Phone 8.
John Strand, CEO of Strand Consult feels that Nokia currently has an upper hand with its Windows Phone 8 line-up. "I will say that Nokia's Windows phones are cool. Some of the specs that they are advertising are ahead of the new iPhone. Also, Nokia is 100 percent dedicated to WP8, while Samsung and HTC's focus it primarily on the Android platform." He further goes on to elaborate that, the fact that Samsung and HTC are offering Windows Phone 8 will only help Nokia. This is because Nokia and Microsoft will now have a better bargaining power with operators because if the operator does not want to stock Windows Phone devices, it will have to say no to three separate vendors.
Having said that he still feels that being a new operating system, Microsoft and Nokia have a long way to go. "From my point of view it is up hill and I think that it will be difficult for both the companies. On the brighter side, Microsoft and Nokia have the necessary resources to emerge as winners."
Baker too agrees that though Microsoft is trying to bring in a lot of differentiation in the market, it may not be smooth sailing for them. "The real issue is how aggressively they market their unified philosophy and how tightly they tie the different aspects together, and finally, of course, while the analysts and the industry likes their approach it remains to be seen if the consumer will also find the integration a valuable differentiator."

Steve Jobs monument unveiled in Ukraine

The Ukrainian city of Odessa has unveiled the world's second public monument to late Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs.

The 200-kg, two-metre-high metal monument is shaped like an open palm, with Apple's logo, an apple with a bite mark, cut through it, the Odessa administration reported on its website.

The sculpture titled "Thanks, Steve!" was welded from bits of scrap metal, including screws, nuts, bearings and even an ax, and is illuminated at night by white-and-blue lights.

The artwork, created by local artist Kirill Maximenko, was installed in front of a college on Novoselskaya Street Friday, which marked the first anniversary of Jobs' death due to cancer at the age of 56.

The world's first public monument to Jobs was presented in Budapest last December. The Russian cities of St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk have also announced plans to honour Jobs with statues.

Apple's iPhone 5 gets thumbs-up from Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports, the influential reviewers' group that blasted the iPhone 4 for a faulty antenna, on Friday gave Apple Inc's latest smartphone a thumbs-up despite echoing widespread complaints about its patchy mapping service.

The organisation, which in 2010 withheld its recommendation for the iPhone because of spotty reception when the gadget was held in a certain way, said laboratory tests confirmed that the new iPhone 5 ranked among the best smartphones, but its mapping function clearly fell short.

Apple's latest iPhone, sporting a larger 4-inch screen and 4G capability, drew scathing reviews for glaring errors in a new, self-designed mapping service. Chief Executive Tim Cook apologised last week and directed users to rival services run by Google Inc and others.

"Despite the widespread criticism it has received, Apple's new Maps app... is competent enough, even if it falls short of what's available for free on many other phones," reviewer Mike Gikas wrote on the group's website yesterday.

"As Apple has recently apologised and promised to fix these and other map glitches, we expect the Map app to improve in time," he wrote.

Apple's shares were down 1.3 percent at $658.43 in early afternoon trade on Nasdaq.

The consumer electronics juggernaut began selling its latest smartphone last month. Sales of over five million in its first three days in stores fell short of outsized expectations as it struggled with supply constraints.


Its homegrown Maps -- stitched together by acquiring companies and employing data from a range of providers including TomTom NV and Waze - was introduced with much fanfare in June by software chief Scott Forstall. It was billed as a highlight of the updated iOS 6 software.

Errors and omissions quickly emerged after the software was rolled out. They ranged from misplaced buildings and mislabeled cities to duplicate geographical features. Users also complained that the service lacked features that made Google Maps so popular, such as public transit directions and street-view pictures.

The last time Apple faced such widespread criticism -- including from Consumer Reports -- was during 2010's "Antennagate" furor, when users complained of signal reception issues on the then-new iPhone 4. This year the consumer group, which reviews everything from cars to kitchen appliances, also warned initially that Apple's new iPad threw off too much heat.

A defiant Steve Jobs at the time rejected any suggestion the iPhone 4's design was flawed, but offered consumers free phone cases at a rare, 90-minute press conference called to address those complaints.

"Now that our auto experts have completed their tests, including some carried out some days after the launch, they describe the app as relatively streamlined, and concluded that it generally provides clear guidance, including voice and on-screen directions," Gikas wrote.

"However, they did find that it lacks the details, traffic data, and customization options offered by the free Google navigation app found on Android phones."