iTunes 11 may be launched today

The next big update to iTunes was announced at the iPhone 5 event and at the time, it was believed that iTunes 11 would be launched in October. However, this did not materialise. Now, a report by The Wall Street Journal published yesterday, while profiling Apple's senior vice president Eddie Cue, states that Apple could release iTunes 11 as early as Thursday, November 29, 2012. 

A report by The Wall Street Journal states, “This week, Mr. Cue faces a test of how well Apple can keep up in online services with the launch of a new desktop version of iTunes, which is expected as soon as Thursday.”

Earlier this month, Apple issued a statement that the new iTunes is taking longer than expected and Apple wants to take a little more time to get it right. It states that it looks forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its simpler and cleaner interface, and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November.

At the Apple event held in September, the company announced the new iTunes for Mac and PC featuring a completely redesigned player, seamless integration with iCloud, and a new look for the popular online music, apps, TV, and movie stores. The new iTunes will feature a simpler and cleaner interface that keeps your favourite iTunes content at the forefront. With iCloud integration, music, movie, and TV purchases made on any iOS devices or computers are displayed in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. The redesigned iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore have been rethought to make buying content on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC simple.
 
The redesigned iTunes features a full-window interface on Mac or PC keeping your favourite content in front of you. The new library view makes it easier to view music, TV shows, and movies, allowing you to click on the category of content you want to browse. The expandable album view allows you to see track listings for an individual album, while letting you continue to browse your music library. The new search feature searches across your entire iTunes library, including music, movies and TV shows. The MiniPlayer makes it easy to control your music with a small tool bar; you can skip to the next song or search for something new to play—all without having to open your library. Up Next is a new way to see what songs are coming up and queue songs or albums you want to hear next.
 
With iCloud, all of your iTunes purchases are in the cloud, and can be accessed from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC or Apple TV. The new iTunes features seamless integration with iCloud, which automatically puts all of your purchases into your library on your Mac or PC, regardless of which device you used to make the purchase. iCloud also remembers where you are in your favourite movies or TV shows no matter which device you’re viewing on.

WhatsApp promises to fix 'Status Unavailable' error message

WhatsApp users seeing the status message of their contacts as “Error: Status Unavailable’ need not panic. The popular messaging service has acknowledged on its Twitter and Facebook accounts that the status functionality is not working and will be resolved soon. Those spotting this unwelcome sight have been panicking, and what’s also fueling the entire episode is the string of false messages circulating on the netwrork. 

WhatsApp users have been inundated with lengthy messages asking them to forward the message to others on their list if they want to continue using WhatsApp as a free service. The message also warns that those who fail to forward the message will lose all their contacts and their accounts will remain inactive.

The message reads something like this: “Hello everyone, it seems that all the warnings were real, the use of WhatsApp cost money from summer 2012. If you send this string to 18 different on your list, your icon will be blue and will be free for you. If you do not believe me see tomorrow at 6 pm ending WhatsApp and have to pay to open it, this is by law This message is to inform all of our users, our servers have recently been very congested, so we are asking your help to solve this problem. We require our active users forwarded this message to each of the people in your contact list to confirm our active users using WhatsApp, if you do not send this message to all your contacts WhatsApp, then your account will remain inactive with the consequence of losing all their contactsMessage from Jim Balsamic (CEO of WhatsApp) we have had an over usage of user names on whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account is invalid and it will be deleted within the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or WhatsApp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to re-activate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the Whatsapp team” WhatsApp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your WhatsApp logo should turn Red to indicate a frequent user. Am sorry had no option! And check now the status of every individual contact is showing : Status : error."

The best way to deal with such messages is to ignore them altogether and remain calm; there's no need to panic. Also, do not consider these to be legitimate. 

Irate users have taken to popular social networking sites expressing their irritation over being bombarded with these messages by their contacts, while those who have been spared the hoax messages are expressing relief. Another good reason to rubbish these messages as hoax is a blog post (which although came out way earlier, deals with the same message) on WhatsApp that clarifies all doubts.

It says, “WhatsApp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your WhatsApp logo should turn Red to indicate a frequent user.

Please understand that this is a hoax and there is no truth to it. While we are flattered that we made it to Hoax Slayer, we would rather work on cool new features instead of debunking silly stories like these.

UPDATE: this is a hoax message as well:

Whatsapp is shutting down on 28th jan Message from Jim Balsamic (CEO of Whatsapp) we have had an over usage of user names on whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account is invalid and it will be deleted within the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or whatsapp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to re-activate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the Whatsapp team”

Microsoft says Gmail users would consider switching to Outlook.com : Reports Outlook Blog

Since the new Outlook.com launched in July, the positive feedback has been overwhelming.  Outlook.com was recently named one of Time Magazine's "50 Best Websites of 2012", won PC Magazine's Best Software and Internet Web App awards and has received a number of other accolades around the world.  To date, over 25 million of you are already actively using the new Outlook.com:

Intrigued, Microsoft took the help of a research firm to recruit users who used Gmail as their primary email to sign up and try Outlook.com. The numbers, says Microsoft, showed that 4 out of 5 of these Gmail users on the panel said they would switch to Outlook.com

Here is what Microsoft found out after talking to the panel:

• Users prefer Outlook.com's clean user design
• Outlook.com does a better job of blocking spam and outperforms Gmail when it comes to helping users manage unwanted messages like newsletters and daily deals
• Outlook.com makes it easier to share photos and Office documents.

Even if we take these numbers at face value, since verifying them is not possible, they seem impressive for a service launched only a few months ago. Outlook.com was formerly known as Hotmail. The service was stuck in a rut for a very long time and was in a dire need of a change when Microsoft stepped in and gave the email service a facelift. The new look has urged users of other email services to at least give the new Outlook.com a shot.

Microsoft went on to announce a host of new features for Outlook.com due to be rolled out within a few weeks. Ranging from colour themes and customisation options to one-click archiving and conversation threads, Microsoft is confident that these features will make the transition from Gmail to Outlook.com easier.

Very interestingly, Microsoft is launching an Outlook for Android app for Android versions 2.1 and higher. This comes as a major change, since besides Windows Phone platform, Microsoft typically launches apps on the iOS platform before Android. No prizes for guessing that this may be because Gmail is the default mail service for Android.

Outlook.com was launched in July after killing off Hotmail in favour of a swankier service. Outlook was earlier remembered for being a drab old e-mail client bundled with Microsoft Office, but that perception changed as millions signed up for the service within hours of the launch.

There are several consistent touches between Windows 8, the new Microsoft Office and Outlook.com, and every familiar icon and label has been replaced with elements of Microsoft's increasingly ubiquitous Metro interface. Outlook.com has been designed to work well on tablets and touchscreens. One more interesting aspect of the service is that Microsoft is combining many of its past offerings, such as Hotmail and Windows Live Mail, into a single, simple online service. If you already have a Hotmail or Windows Live account, you can log in to Outlook.com with the same email address, keeping your inbox, folders and contacts intact.

To read the complete list of changes to Outlook.com, head over to the Microsoft Office Blog.

Nokia Lumia 920, 820 coming to India next year : I Guess

The new Windows Phone 8 devices by Nokia are probably the most sought after handsets of recent times. There has been a lot of debate as to when the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 will be launched in India. The brand recently announced that these devices will hit shelves in Singapore on December 8, 2012. This has led to speculations that these handset will make their way to India too, in December. For those looking forward to the new Windows Phone 8 Lumia handsets, our sources have just confirmed that these handsets are not coming to India this year and will be launched only by 2013. As of now, the official date of availability has not been finalised, but in all likelihood, the handsets should be available in January.

With the prices of the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 being released, we now have a vague idea about the pricing of the new Lumias when they are launched in India. The Lumia 920 is priced in Singapore at S$899, which roughly translates to Rs 40,750, whereas and the Lumia 820 costs S$699, which roughly translates to Rs 31,700. However, one should not expect the prices to be the same when the handsets come to India—the additional taxes could make the devices cost a bit more.

Nokia has a lot depending on the success of these handsets, and we expect them to launch an aggressive marketing campaign prior to the release of these handsets.

Nokia first took the wraps off its Lumia 920 at the Nokia World 2012 event in New York City. Featuring a a polycarbonate body, the Nokia Lumia 920 packs in a Snapdragon S4 processor and a PureView sensor. It also comes with the Blink app, which is the smartphone's Burst mode. The smartphone will feature an LCD display, which is a little better than the HD displays available now.

The Nokia Lumia 920 includes the latest Nokia PureView camera, which the company claims captures five times more light than competing smartphones. It gives bright pictures without flash, even indoors and at night. It also features built-in wireless charging, making it easy to keep the battery topped up throughout the day.

The Nokia Lumia 820 offers exchangeable covers in a range of colours. Both phones have the option of wireless charging, a sensitive touchscreen and Nokia ClearBlack display technology. The Lumia handsets come with the full suite of Nokia navigation applications, including Nokia City Lens and Nokia Music that streams unlimited music directly to the phone.

Windows 8 – 40 Million Licenses Sold: Microsoft Blog

As we pass the one month anniversary of the general availability of Windows 8, we are pleased to announce that to-date Microsoft has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses. Tami Reller shared this news with industry and financial analysts, investors and media today at the Credit Suisse 2012 Annual Technology Conference. Windows 8 is outpacing Windows 7 in terms of upgrades. We built Windows 8 to work great on existing Windows 7 PCs. And we also set out to make upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 super easy.

From Tami’s presentation:

“The journey is just beginning, but I am pleased to announce today that we have sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses so far.”

The launch of Windows 8 at the end of October also saw the grand opening of the Windows Store. There were more apps in the Windows Store at launch than any other app store at their launch and since then, the number of apps in the Windows Store has doubled. A number of apps in the Windows Store have crossed the $25,000 revenue mark and the developer keeps 80% of the revenue they make off downloads for the life of their app. A lot of great new apps have been added to the Windows Store since launch such as CBS, ABC News, ABC Family, Engadget, Flixster, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), Vimeo and my (current) personal favorite - Top Gear.

May 2013 launch rumoured for 5-inch 1080p LG Optimus G2

It has been only a few months since LG announced the Optimus G and it appears that plans for its successor are already in place. A report by MK Business News claims that LG plans to launch a successor to the Optimus G in May next year and it will reportedly go by the name Optimus G2.

LG is in talks with LG Innotek and LG Display to unveil a smartphone with a Full HD display half a year earlier than previously scheduled launch date. This handset, the Optimus G2 will supposedly go head-to-head against the Samsung Galaxy S IV, which is expected to be announced in the first half of next year.

The Optimus G2 is expected to have a screen with 440ppi and this screen will be 1.5 times clearer than the Apple iPhone. In comparison with a 40-inch Full HD TV, the display featured here is expected to be five to six times clearer. This display that will be supplied by LG Displays will measure 5-inches.

The report goes on to state that the launch of this handset will be around the same time Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S IV. The Samsung smartphone is expected to feature a Full HD AMOLED display and the launch of these two handsets are expected to build a fierce competition between both these brands. MK Business News says about Optimus G2's specs, “LG’s new smartphone is set to be imbedded with Qualcomm’s two gigahertz (GHz) quad-core chip for its application processor (AP), a key system for supporting running apps in a mobile operating system environment. The Optimus G2 will feature Key Lime Pie, a successor Android version to Jelly Bean, as its mobile operating system.”

Here is a quick look at some of the main features of the LG Optimus G:

• 4.7-inch True HD IPS+ display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels
• LTE, 3G, EDGE/GPRS and Wi-Fi capabilities for net access, NFC
• GPS, A-GPS
• Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0
• 13 MP camera with LED flash and 1.3MP secondary camera up front
• 32GB Internal memory
• MHL, DLNA

It possesses some other features such as a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, 2GB DDR RAM, a slim profile as well a new touchscreen panel technology as a result of the vertically-integrated development process.

LG claims that with the powerful quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor as its base, and the best technologies in the industry for enhanced viewing and longer battery life, LG adds the finishing touches on the Optimus G with a sleek design and innovative UX features. The brand claims that the offerings in the Optimus G will provide users an experience currently unavailable on any other smartphone.

LG claims that the technologies such as the Zerogap Touch and True HD IPSPLUS Display from LG Innotek and LG Display harmonise to offer the slimmest, sharpest and clearest viewing experience. The new battery from LG Chem which is a 2100mAh battery has a longer life of 800 cycles, a significant improvement over existing mobile phone batteries. An ultra high-resolution, compact 13MP camera is employed in the Optimus G to offer the sharpest photos without pixilation.

Google may be manufacturing touchscreen Chromebook

In the recent past, Google has announced a couple of new Chromebooks. These notebooks were designed for those who want an additional laptop at home, which can easily connect to the Internet and carry out basic applications. As per a report by China Times, Google intends to launch a self-branded notebook running on the Chrome OS, apart from the models that have been launched in partnership with Acer and Samsung.

The reports states that Google plans to launch the notebook with touchscreen capabilities. The project of manufacturing these notebooks have been assigned to Compal, a Chinese-based original design manufacturer. It is believed that components for these upcoming notebooks will be shipped by November 2012.
he report notes that Google has done this as a means to take a page out of Apple's book, where Apple built both the hardware and the software of the Playbook. In the process, it cut out third party OEMs. This has also been recently done by Microsoft, when it manufactured the Surface tablet.  By manufacturing their own products, brands retain profit margins. This move by Google will help it compete directly with the likes of Apple that already manufacture their own notebooks and desktops. 

Earlier this month, Acer launched the C7 Chromebook that runs Google’s Chrome operating system, and is priced at $199. The new Acer C7 Chromebook is designed to be an additional laptop for families, students and business people.

Acer states that the C7 Chromebook boots up in less than 18 seconds and resumes quickly from sleep mode. Users can access apps through the app launcher and find new apps from the thousands of Chrome apps and games featured in the Chrome Web Store.

Acer states that the C7 Chromebook has security features built-in to defend against malware and viruses. The Acer C7 is automatically updated. It comes with integrated 802.11b/ g/ n Wi-Fi, so customers can quickly connect to hotspots and wireless networks.

The brand claims that the Acer C7 Chromebook is easy to maintain and share with others around the home, school or work. Users can have separate accounts and simply log in to get things done. Acer Chromebook customers are offered up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, so files are stored in the cloud even if the Acer C7 is lost, damaged or stolen. Customers can also access files offline, or create and edit Google Documents and use Gmail offline as well.

The Acer C7 is portable and sleek and it weighs only 3.05 pounds and measures one-inch thin, so it can be easily taken anywhere as it fits into a backpack, briefcase, or purse. The slim size houses a full-sized keyboard. The fully-clickable touchpad allows customers to conveniently get things done.

The Acer C7 features an integrated HD 1.3MP webcam with an LED indicator and microphone that can be used for video conferencing, as well as capturing video and photos for sharing online. Acer claims that websites, documents, photos and high-definition video look crisp and clear on the C7’s 11.6-inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD.

The premiere offering in the Acer C7 Chromebook line is the Acer C710-2847. Powered by an Intel Celeron 847 processor (2MB L3 cache, 1.10GHz, DDR3 1333MHz) and 2GB of DDR3 memory, the Acer C7 provides the performance to speed through the web, access files, enjoy video and more. It also has 320GB HDD for storing files.

Apollo+ update to Windows Phone 8 slated for Q1 2013

The Windows Phone 8 platform has been launched only recently, and news about an update to it has already arrived. A tweet by @Football4PDA has revealed that Microsoft is going to roll out an update for Windows Phone 8 in the first quarter of 2013, and it is called Apollo+.

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Windows Phone platform. Most of it indicates that Microsoft may launch the Windows Phone 7.8 OS in the very near future.

The update to Windows Phone 8 may come as no surprise to most, as this platform has been plagued with some issues. Users have been experiencing random reboots as well as a Wi-Fi glitch.

Those who have recently jumped on to the Windows Phone 8 bandwagon may have noticed that there is a problem with the device losing connection to a Wi-Fi network when the screen is locked. In response to a tweet by a Windows Phone 8 user who said that the Wi-Fi shuts off after turning off the screen on every Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president, Windows Phone Program Management, stated, “Someone is gonna yell at me for saying this, but... fix is coming. :) Sshh. Just promise me a little patience though.”

When Microsoft first announced Windows Phone 8, one of the highlighted features was the improved Start screen. Quite a few users of the new Windows Phone 8 handsets are aggrieved by the Wi-Fi connectivity automatically turning off every time the screen switches off.

If one happens to be downloading an app using Wi-Fi, and then locks the screen, the Wi-Fi will suddenly turn off once the screen is restarted. As of now, users are adopting a temporary fix by keeping the screen turned on till the app is completely downloaded.

At the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 launch event that was held late last month, commenting on the Start screen, Belfiore shared that the Windows Phone, with the Start screen and Live Tiles, is highly customisable. Users can pin their favourite people, apps, games, and music to the Start screen and colourful Live Tiles will light up with real-time information and updates.

A new feature in Windows Phone 8 is Kid’s Corner, which offers a worry-free way for parents to share their smartphones when the kids start clamouring to play games on the phone. A simple swipe activates a protected place on the phone where kids can play on specific apps and features selected by a parent. Family and friends will also enjoy the new Rooms feature, which lets people create a private network to chat and share photos, notes, calendars and other content with a closed group of people, rather than the entire social network.

Windows Phone 8 was designed to be the best companion with Windows 8, adds the company in its official statement. Windows and Windows Phone now share common underlying technology, which allows for shared tools, increased hardware support for multi-core processors, and a wide range of other platform capabilities. It also features a common look and feel with Windows 8, which makes shifting from phone to PC seamless and natural.

Hopefully, with this update coming by the first quarter of 2013, these issues will be addressed.

Over 5mn Samsung Galaxy Note II units sold since launch

On November 2, Samsung had announced that the Galaxy Note II had surpassed 3 million sales worldwide since the launch of the phablet in September. In what has come as better news for the South Korean tech giant, global sales of the Galaxy Note II have now exceeded 5 million units.

In early November, Samsung had announced that the 5.5-inch smartphone is selling at three times the pace of the original Galaxy Note. 10 million units of the Galaxy Note had been sold across the globe since it was launched.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II features most of the specifications that had been written about in the past but Samsung has thrown in a new feature that can potentially change the way mobile phones are used nowadays. Apart from the fact that it features the Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) out of the box, and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, the major talking point about the Galaxy Note II is that it features an all-new Air View feature.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the Galaxy Note II:

• 5.5-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 1280 x 720 pixel density
• 4G LTE, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi HT40, NFC
• GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS support
• Bluetooth v4.0 with USB 2.0 Host
• 8 megapixel AF/ Touchfocus camera, 1.9MP VT Camera, BSI front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, all with expandable support up to 64GB
• 2GB RAM
• MHL for AV out

Samsung currently sits at pole position as the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. The Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II are two of the brand's hottest selling devices this year, and this has made Samsung's smartphone sales look good. A recent report by Yonhap, a financial analysis company, estimates that Samsung will have a good fourth quarter, and will sell over 60 million smartphones.

Samsung's smartphone shipments are likely to exceed 60 million units in the fourth quarter of this year, proving its prowess in the world's mobile phone market, despite its ongoing patent war with Apple, an investment bank said on Wednesday.

UBS, an investment bank and financial analysis company, estimated that Samsung Electronics will sell 61.5 million units of smartphones in the October-December period, up 5 percent from an estimated 58 million in the previous quarter. The number could reach as high as 63 million depending on the sell-through, or the volume that is actually sold to consumers.

The report stated that a major contributor to these numbers will be the Galaxy Note II that was released in September. Nicolas Gaudois, an analyst at UBS said, “The Galaxy Note 2 has shipped 3 million units in its first five weeks of sales, with sell-through strong in Asia and Europe, and the U.S. gathering pace post-launch. We hence forecast 7 million Galaxy Note 2, compared to our initial expectation of 5 million for the fourth quarter.”

The report goes on to add that the high sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note II may affect the impact of the latest Apple flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5. The Swiss bank notes that the flagship Galaxy S III, which hit the market in late May, continues to show strong performance, with more than 5.5 million units sold in October alone. "We see a limited ramp-down, if any at all, for the Galaxy S III, and we feel comfortable with our 15 million estimate for the fourth quarter of 2012," Gaudois said.

Nokia announces Asha 205, Asha 206 with new Slam feature

Nokia today unveiled two devices in its mobile phone portfolio, designed for offering consumers devices with Internet connectivity at affordable price points. The Nokia Asha 205 and Nokia Asha 206 are both available in single-SIM and dual-SIM versions, and give people ways to access social features and share content.

The Nokia Asha 205 and Nokia Asha 206 are the first mobile phone devices to include Nokia's Slam feature. Slam allows users to share multimedia content such as photos and videos with nearby friends almost instantly. Slam works with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones without the need to pair devices. The recipient need not to have Slam installed. Nokia states that without consuming Internet data users can 'Slam' their content to another device faster than with Bluetooth alone in just a few clicks.

 

"The latest Nokia devices give super-social consumers new ways to express their personalities through design, color and innovative new features like Slam," explains Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "Both devices are built with the trust and quality people have come to expect from Nokia, and offer smarter Internet experiences that help save money today and tomorrow."

The Nokia Asha 205 has a tactile QWERTY keyboard.  It also introduces a new, dedicated Facebook button. Combined with eBuddy Chat, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 205 is designed to allow that people are never more than a few clicks away from their social networks.

Other key features of the Nokia Asha 205 include:

• eBuddy screen notifications that keep users up-to-the-minute on new conversations
• The free Nokia Life+ web app, including the Life Skills and Live Healthy services
• A mobile entertainment package, including 40 free EA Games available for download, along with tens of thousands of other apps available from the Nokia Store
• Dual-SIM model features Nokia's exclusive EasySwap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• Great standby time of up to 37 days with single-SIM and up to 25 days with dual-SIM

The Nokia Asha 205 is available in cyan, magenta, and orange. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 205 is around $62 (Rs 3,500 approximately), excluding taxes and subsidies, and it is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2012.

 

The Nokia 206 features a classic alphanumeric keypad and a 2.4-inch display. Nokia claims that users can also enjoy fast access to Facebook and Twitter right from the home screen. Featuring a vibrant colour options including cyan, magenta, and yellow, the Nokia 206 is the ideal phone for those who want familiarity and ease of use, coupled with the benefits of mobile Internet.

Other key features of the Nokia 206 include:

• Imaging technology that optimises photos taken with the 1.3MP camera for sharing on Facebook
• A social and mobile entertainment package with eBuddy Chat, WhatsApp and a gift pack of 10 free and premium content items
• Dual-SIM model features Nokia's exclusive EasySwap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• Standby time is up to 47 days with single-SIM and up to 28 days with dual-SIM

The estimated retail price for the Nokia 206 is around USD 62, excluding taxes and subsidies, and it is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The new devices use the Nokia Xpress Internet platform, which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90 percent, helping consumers enjoy more affordable Internet access. They also feature Nokia Nearby, a web app that helps consumers discover points of interest such as restaurants, shopping and ATM machines close to their location.

Datawind rubbishes claim that Aakash 2 is 'Made in China'

Datawind, the makers of the low-cost Aakash 2, has refuted claims made by a media report that the tablet is a cheap Chinese import and not Indian. A report carried by Hindustan Times had alleged that Datawind founders and NRI brothers Suneet and Raja Singh Tuli ‘may have procured these devices off-the-shelf from manufacturers in China' for $42 (Rs 2,263 then), exactly the price at which they sold these to the Indian government.

The report further added that Datawind bought more than 10,000 or more ‘A 13’ made-in-China tablets from at least four manufacturers in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The company’s Indian manufacturing partners in Hyderabad, Delhi, and Amritsar had not played any part in the manufacturing process.

The UK based company that has been authorised to supply Aakash 2 denied this report, calling it ‘misleading’ and ‘inaccurate'. CEO Suneet Singh Tuli insists that the tablets are built in India, including all circuit boards, which are made in Hyderabad.

Tuli further added that Datawind had the motherboards and kits of the first 10,000 units for IIT manufactured in its Chinese subcontractor’s facilities for the sake of expediency. The units had been ‘kitted’ at various manufacturers in China, whereas the final assembly and programming had happened in India. Tuli said that Datawind had won approval for this prior to its shipping.

The major difference between Aakash 1 and 2 is the latter’s capacitive touchscreen that Tuli reveals has been manufactured in the company’s Montreal facility and assembled in China. Datawind is setting up its second touchscreen facility in India, which it hopes will be up and running by another month.

“The initial devices were assembled and programmed at our facilities in New Delhi and Amritsar.  We finished this batch of 10,000 units and delivered them to IIT and will be starting another batch of 20,000 units for them in two weeks,” said Tuli, adding that the media were welcome to visit when they were making this batch. “We also have four partner manufacturers across India that will work on the deliveries to the government but we just couldn't get them started to assemble our new Aakash 2 units in time but they will start to ship early in December.”

Commissioned by Government of India’s Human Resource Development, the ambitious Aakash project has hit several roadblocks since its inception. Aakash 1 had been shrouded in controversy with several delays and issues with its quality. Later, Datawind and its erstwhile assembly partner Quad Electronics Solutions parted ways, and the company's strained relations with manufacturer VMC resulted in delays that pushed the shipping of Aakash 2 to December.

Aakash 1 was built by Datawind with IIT-Rajasthan overlooking the production. The MHRD slapped a showcause notice to the institute over its failure to set up a timely tablet testing facility and procedure, along with the institute's failure to ease differences with Datawind. Cracks had appeared between the two over production values in the beginning itself with IIT-R seeking military-style specifications, like water-resistance, shock-resistance etc. Datawind stood its ground on making the Aakash tablet an affordable tablet with the basic specifications.

While Tuli insists this latest controversy is ‘a desperate attempt by somebody to sabotage the image of India’, whether or not this affects the sale of Aakash 2 is something only time will tell.

Facebook, Nokia partner to bring dedicated FB button to Asha 205

Facebook and Nokia have announced a partnership with the introduction of a built-in Facebook button available on the new Nokia Asha 205.

The Nokia Asha 205 is the first Nokia phone that includes a dedicated Facebook button, designed for people who want one-click access to popular features from the social networking website.

"People around the world use Facebook Mobile to connect and share with their friends," said Javier Olivan, head of growth, engagement and mobile for Facebook. "We are focused on delivering the best Facebook experience to as many people as possible and our partnership with Nokia perfectly complements our strategy of giving people around the world a rich Facebook experience for keeping in touch with their friends."

 

 

Globally, young consumers have increasingly started using Facebook for socializing, keeping in touch and striking new friendships. The launch of the Nokia Asha 205 responds to this growing demand and gives them a unique option for accessing Facebook while on-the-go," said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "We have seen that many people who use Nokia Asha devices are hyper-social and we are proud to partner with Facebook to improve the user experience of those consumers further with the introduction of the Facebook button."

The new Nokia Asha 205 enables people to easily access the Facebook for Every Phone app and use messaging, one of its most popular features. People using the messaging features in Facebook for Every Phone can now:

• See which of their friends are online to start chatting with them right away
• Start messages and group chats fast
• Reach more of the people they know, wherever they are, no matter what device they are using

People using the Nokia Asha 205 can also easily access other Facebook features, such as sharing photos and status updates with their friends, so they can stay close to the people around them with the touch of a button.

Nokia had launched the Nokia Asha 205 earlier today. The Asha 205 is available in cyan, magenta and orange.

Here are some of the key features of the Nokia Asha 205:

• eBuddy screen notifications
• The free Nokia Life+ web app, including the Life Skills and Live Healthy services
• Includes 40 free EA Games available for download, along with other apps available from the Nokia Store
• Available in single-SIM and dual-SIM models
• Dual-SIM model features Nokia's exclusive EasySwap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• Standby time is up to 37 days with single SIM and up to 25 days with dual-SIM

Windows 8 Store now houses over 20,000 apps, about 18,000 are free

The Windows Store for Windows 8 OS has crossed the 20,000 apps milestone which according to the tweet of WinAppUpdate was reached on Tuesday

As per the information provided by WinAppUpdate, there are now over 20,610 apps worldwide in the Windows Store, of which 87% or 17,958 apps are free.

According to TNW, about 7,715 apps were added in the last 17 days, which gives an average of about 453 apps being added per day and it is indeed a great news as the number of apps reaching the Windows 8 Store is accelerating.
 

It is being said that this is a great time for developers to bring their apps to the Windows 8 Store as they might get a great exposure as the visibility of the apps would indeed be great until the store get crowded in the coming few months.
 

If the Windows 8 Store sees the addition of apps at the present rate, we could see the store crossing the 30,000 apps mark before the end of year 2012 or even be nearing the 40,000 mark. The holiday season is nearing and the sales of Windows 8 devices is ought to increase which again, could prove beneficial for developers.

Please Note that the number of apps in each market will differ from region to region so there might be less apps in one market and more in another.

Nokia has got pre-orders for 2.5 million units of Lumia 920: Report

If a report from Yahoo China is to be believed, then Nokia has received pre-orders for 2.5 million units of Nokia Lumia 920.

The number is indeed impressive for a smartphone that has just been available for less than a month now.

 

It is also good to see that consumers are again taking interest in a device from Nokia and the reason can also be attributed to that the Nokia Lumia 920 arrives with an 8 MP Carl Zeiss optics with PureView technology and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) which is just brilliant. This gives the smartphone an edge over other WP8 devices.
 

The device has even gone “out of stock” in a few countries due to tremendous demands from consumers and we hope that Nokia is working on filling up the sold out stands. Also as the Nokia Lumia 920 reaches more markets in the coming few weeks, including India, the numbers are bound to go up.
 

Oh did we tell you Nokia sold just 2.9 million smartphones last quarter, which again tells us that the 2.5 million number of pre-orders is great.

Also take a look at the video below wherein Nokia's chief of design Marko Ahtisaari explains the design process that went into the making of the Lumia 920.

Mobile connections in Delhi reach 4.25 crore

Use of cell phones is increasing at an incredible rate in Delhi with the number of mobile connections in the city reaching 4.25 crore against its population of around 1.70 crore, implying that on an average every Delhiite has at least two phones.
The number of mobile phone connections in 2010-11 was 3.88 crore which increased by 37 lakh to reach 4.25 crore in 2011-12, as per Delhi government statistics released by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today.
The number of mobile connections in the entire country is estimated to be around 90 crore. In 2009-2010, the number of connections in Delhi was 2.82 crore.
The number of fixed line phone connections in Delhi has also risen marginally from 28.38 lakh in 2010-11 to 29.12 lakh in 2011-2012.
The figures have been published in the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2012.
As per the statistics, around five lakh vehicles were registered during 2011-12 taking the total number to 74.38 lakh vehicles against 69.32 lakh in 2010-11. The number of cars and jeeps in 2011-12 increased to 23.43 lakh from 21.73 lakh in 2010-11.
On use of public transport, the figures showed that around 162 crore passengers travelled on Delhi Transport Corporation buses during 2011-12. Around 111 crore passengers had travelled on DTC buses during 2010-11.
The per capita income of people in Delhi at current prices without factoring in inflation has been estimated at Rs.1,75,812, which is a rise of Rs. 25,159 from Rs 1,50,753 in 2011-12, according to the statistics.
While Goa topped the list of per capita income, Haryana with per capita income of Rs. 1,09,227 has occupied the third position. The national average has been worked out at Rs 60,972.
On the basis of constant prices, the per capita income in Delhi was estimated at Rs 1,19,032 in 2011-12, a jump of Rs. 10,156 compared to Rs. 1,08,876 the previous fiscal.
Dikshit said the literacy rate was recorded at 86.34 percent. The literacy rate among males is 91.03 percent while it was recorded at 80.93 percent for females.
As per the data, a total of 33,40,538 families are staying in Delhi out of which 68 percent have their own houses whereas 29 percent are putting up in rented accommodation. At least 30 percent families are putting up in two-room accomodation.
Around 44 percent households have four members in their families while 20.4 percent have five members and 7.6 percent comprise two members.
According to the statistics, 20.7 percent households have their own cars.
As per the data, 99.1 percent households have electricity connections while tapped water supply is available to 81.33 percent houses. Every Delhiite consumes 50 gallons per day. The generation of water in Delhi was 847 MGD in 2012.
It said 89.5 percent families have toilet facilities within their dwelling units.
As per the handbook, 88 percent households in the city have TV sets.

iPad mini may debut in India soon, starting at Rs 21,900

With the iPhone 5 already launched in India, and the iPad mini reaching stores in select markets across the globe, there is much curiosity about the date the iPad mini will be launched in India, and the price it will be sold at. According to a recent report, the launch of the iPad mini is not far off, and the base version of the 7.9-inch tablet will sell for Rs 21,900.

The website claims that batches of the iPad mini are on their way to India, and these units will be shipped to resellers by the end of the next week. We contacted Apple and it stated that it is yet to finalise the date of availability and pricing of the iPad mini in India.

The 16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi only version will supposedly be available for Rs 21,900, while the 32GB and 64GB versions will be available for Rs 27,900 and Rs 33,900 respectively. The iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular version will come with a price tag of Rs 29,900 for the 16GB version, and the 32GB version will be available for Rs 35,900. The top of the line iPad mini, the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version, will sell for Rs 41,900. Taking into consideration the US pricing and adding to it the relevant taxes applicable in India, if these prices are correct, then Apple has priced the device competitively here.

.

Apart from the iPad mini, Apple has also taken the wraps off the fourth generation iPad. This model is also expected to debut in India at around the same time as the 7.9-inch slate tablet.

The prices of the fourth generation, 9.7-inch iPad have also been revealed, with the Wi-Fi only version possibly selling at Rs 31,900, the 32GB model at Rs 37,900, and the 64GB version at Rs 43,900. The Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad 16GB version would cost Rs 39,900; the 32GB tablet, Rs 45,900; and the 64GB variant, Rs 51,900. If these prices hold true, the fourth generation iPad is priced higher than the third generation model it was intended to replace. 

In the recent past, Apple priced some of its products rather high in India. A prime example is the new iPod touch portable media players. The Apple India website shows the iPod touch 32GB version priced at Rs 23,900 and the 64GB version at Rs 30,900. Keeping in mind the fact that the iPod touch is a portable media player minus the connectivity offered by a phone, the price for India could have been a bit lower. If the above mentioned price of the iPad mini is true then this tablet is cheaper than the PMP by Rs 2,000.

While both devices can be used for entirely different purposes, the option of purchasing an iPad mini would be a lot more feasible than the iPod touch. However, one would lose out on approximately 16GB of space, Retina Display capabilities and a few other features.

40 percent of all mobile phones sold in Q3 2012 were smartphones: Report

Figures released as a part of the Ericsson Mobility Report 2012 reveal that global mobile penetration touched 91 percent in Q3 2012, while total mobile subscriptions reached the 6.4 billion mark. Ericsson, however, clarifies that the actual number of subscribers is roughly 4.3 billion, since a lot of users have several subscriptions. The number of mobile subscriptions in India fell by roughly 18 million in the review period. Elaborating on this, the report shared that the numbers were the result of increased focus on active subscriptions, and the removal of many inactive subscriptions. The report found mobile subscriptions rising by roughly nine percent year-on-year and two percent quarter-on-quarter.

Roughly 40 percent of all mobile phones sold in Q3 2012 were smartphones, as opposed to 30 percent in 2011. The report found that approximately 15 percent of the worldwide installed base of mobile phone subscriptions used smartphones, revealing their scope.

As a part of its predictions, the Ericsson report shared that by the end of 2012, total mobile subscriptions would have reached around 6.6 billion. By the end of 2018, they are expected to reach 9.3 billion. Ericsson clarifies that these figures do not include M2M subscriptions, which will also add to the number of subscriptions.

Global mobile broadband subscriptions will reach around 1.5 billion in 2012, and are predicted to reach 6.5 billion in 2018. Interestingly, most of the devices are, and will continue to be, mobile phones. "Mobile broadband will gain a larger share of total broadband subscriptions in many markets, complementing xDSL in certain segments and replacing it in others," it added.

Total smartphone subscriptions will reach 1.1 billion by the end of 2012 and are expected to grow to 3.3 billion in 2018. It shared that a majority of mobile subscriptions are currently on basic phones.

The report added that despite a significant increase in smartphone us, Ercisson expects subscriptions for basic phones and inactive subscriptions to stay at around 5 billion in the coming years. It stated that the reason for this is that a large part of subscriber growth will come from the lower-end phone segment. Regional differences will be large. In 2018, almost all handsets in Western Europe (WE) and North America (NA) will be smartphones, compared with only around one third of handsets for Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC).

Among its other interesting findings, the Mobility Report shared that the mobile devices such as the smartphone are emerging as a "natural part of the video experience". Sharing bits from The Ericsson ConsumerLab TV and Video Report 2012, Ericsson shows that over 80 percent of respondents browse the Internet while watching video and TV. It went on to add that over 60 percent used social forums or blogs while watching video and TV on a weekly basis. Of those who use social forums and chats while watching, the report found 42 percent to be, on a weekly basis, discussing all that they are currently watching.

Samsung Galaxy S IV rumoured to feature 13MP camera

Over the past few days, rumours of the Samsung Galaxy S IV are pouring in at a rapid rate. The major feature associated with the handset is a 4.99-inch, 1080p display. The rumour mills are now abuzz with news that the upcoming flagship smartphone will come equipped with a 13MP camera.

This news comes as no surprise because the Samsung Galaxy Note II was supposed to feature these camera capabilities. However, that did not happen. The camera optics of the handset, supplied by Sony, were in short supply. Hence, the optics could not be placed in the handset.

Christian Post reports this information had been leaked online from a document that had surfaced this week. It reports, “A higher amount of megapixels will make it more challenging for Samsung to have the handset perform well in low light conditions, since pixels get smaller and noise gets in easier in those conditions. This 13-megapixel sensor was originally planned for the Galaxy S3 and second-generation Galaxy Note, but when the time came to release the two devices, Samsung chose to stick with an 8-megapixel sensor for efficiency.”

  

For Samsung to use this camera on its upcoming smartphone, the handset would require more processing power as well as extra RAM. If Samsung does use this 13MP camera on its smartphone, then one would be able to capture images at a resolution of 4208 x 3120 pixels.

Apart from the one about the camera, the other rumour linked with this handset is that it will feature a 2.0GHz quad-core Exynos 5450 processor. It is reported that this chipset will be faster than the one used on the Nexus 10 tablet that was recently introduced by Google and it will be made on a 28nm process.

Samsung may showcase its Super AMOLED displays at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013 scheduled to be held in January. Samsung may also unveil its next flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S IV at the event.

This has led to speculation that Samsung could reschedule the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S IV, and unveil it at CES 2013 in January instead of in February or March at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event as previously believed. This move could also work in its favour as it could build up from the momentum of the highly successful Samsung Galaxy Note II, and the record-breaking Samsung Galaxy S III.

If Samsung does introduce the Samsung Galaxy S IV at CES, it would come just eight months after the unveiling of the current flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III.

Opera Mini 7.1 launched for J2ME, BlackBerry devices

Opera has recently announced that it has released a new version of Opera Mini for Java and BlackBerry devices. This main feature of this release is the improvement made to the download manager on Java and BlackBerry devices.

"The love for downloading content has been evident in Indian mobile web users' browsing habits. As a result, popular download portals have always made their presence felt in the most visited domains by Indian users," says Sunil Kamath, vice president for South Asia at Opera Software. "I am sure our users will appreciate Opera Mini's feature-rich download manager that is available with this upgrade."

The Opera Mini 7.1 browser features a new and revamped download manager that lets the user easily handle downloaded media such as documents and multimedia. Opera states, “Many mobile users know that internet connections can be fickle at times. Sometimes it may feel like the universe is trying to tell you something when the 10 MB presentation from your boss stops downloading at 9.99 MB after your train enters a tunnel, and lose the mobile signal for a few seconds.”

With the Opera Mini 7.1 browser, downloading of a file can be paused when the connection disappears, and then resumed when you're back on track.

On the BlackBerry platform, a file can be accessed directly from the browser. On J2ME or Java devices, the user can choose to let the phone open the file directly in, for example, a media player or save it for later use.

Opera Mini works on more than 3,000 different phone models, in all price categories. Opera states that thanks to its compression technology, Opera Mini can save time and data cost, by up to 90 percent. Opera Mini can be downloaded for free from here.

Opera Mini 7.1 Changelog
J2ME:

• Pause-resume downloads across sessions.
• Smaller files (up to around 15MB) are downloaded faster.
• Renaming of files before downloading.
• Last download folder is remembered.
• Option to open files on the device instead of downloading through Mini.
• Various stability and performance improvements.

BlackBerry:

• Smaller files (up to around 15MB) are downloaded faster.
• Renaming of files before downloading.
• Last download folder is remembered.
• Open files through the download manager.
• Various stability and performance improvements.

Opera states that currently some BlackBerry models have a problem with pause-resume feature, which it is working on fixing.

In related Opera news, the brand has recently launched the final version of Opera 12.10, with improved extensions. Opera's Speed Dial allows for easy overview of sites and shortcuts. Your Facebook pictures can appear in the Speed Dial entry for Facebook, the chosen entry from Pinterest appears automatically, and the weather forecast is always present without even browsing to the weather website.

Here's how extensions can improve your browsing experience:

• Keep up with the feeds from Facebook and Twitter, with the new and improved Facebook and Twitter Speed Dial extensions.
• Share your Pinterest pictures right in your Speed Dial or video via StumbleUpon.
• An extension such as Readability, which focuses on text, and not all the pretty pictures accompanying it, can save you a lot of time. To read it later, send the text to your Kindle or put it in the to-read list. With Gmail and Google Calendar extensions right in your Speed Dial, you'll be able check email without typing a single address in the address bar.
• Keep track of the latest weather updates, sports scores, and news on handy entry in the Speed Dial, to get the news delivered directly to you. No surfing is necessary. Install the StumbleUpon Speed Dial extension.

Google forgets to include 'December' in Android 4.2

Someone at Google doesn't seem to like Christmas, or more specifically, the entire month of December. In a rather glaring omission, the People app in the latest version of Android (v4.2) does not let you set any date in December as the birth date of a contact (see screenshots above).

The issue was first reported to the Android development mailing list on November 14:

Today I was inserting birthday of a friend in my contact list so that I can sync the birthdays in my calendar. I noticed that the December month is missing. When I pressed new event the calendar came but it was not having the option for the month December. I'm using Galaxy nexus running on 4.2 jelly bean which I installed yesterday on 14 November 2012.
Please help me with this as I use the calendar a lot

Just to be clear, the problem is that the option is missing from the front-end. If you add a contact via Gmail, the information syncs up just fine with your phone. Just that you cannot add/ edit contact details to include a date in December.

Thankfully for Google, Android 4.2 users form a tiny fraction of the Android user base, so this is nothing more than a mere embarrassment for its QA team. If you are amongst the few already on Android 4.2, there's good news as Google has acknowledged the problem, so you can expect a fix pretty quickly.

Until then, hope Santa doesn't forget you this Christmas because your phone doesn't have 'understand' December!

Microsoft gives a taste of Office 2013 with 60-day free trial

If you use Microsoft Office regularly for work or learning, you are in for a real treat this November. Microsoft is offering a 60-day free trial of Office 2013 Professional to users. The latest instalment of the Office suite includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, and Publisher and has all the same features as those in the paid version, so users can make the best use of it.

The most ambitious version of Office yet, Office 2013 boasts of being more “cloud based” than its predecessors. Interestingly, the default save location for this version of Office is the Microsoft SkyDrive. The newest entrant in the Office bouquet is Lync, the new conference and instant messaging software. Lync will come bundled with the Office 2013 Professional Plus version, and will be omitted in the Professional one.

The trial is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, though Microsoft recommends that like Office 2010, the 32-bit version be used even if you run a 64-bit system, so that add-ins from older versions of Office are compatible. The catch, though, is that Office 2013 is compatible only with Windows 7 and 8, thus completely alienating users on Windows Vista and the very popular Windows XP.

The Office 2013 Professional trial can be downloaded from TechNet. The only pre-requisite for a no-strings-attached trial is a valid Microsoft account belonging to the user. The download is pretty hefty at 667MB for the 32-bit version and around 785MB for the 64-bit one.
Though Microsoft has not specified how many markets will actually have access to the trial, India seems to be on the list. Besides English, the trial is available for download in Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

The company is looking to push the subscription based Office 365 through the 60 day trial. The package at $99.99 a year offers support for up to 5 PCs, add Access and Publisher, add 20GB to your SkyDrive and get 60 minutes of world calling on Skype per month. Once the trial expires, the Office 2013 Professional suite itself will be priced at $399.99.

Some features of the newest edition of the Office suite include:
•    Touch Mode along with touch enhancements.
•    New Start Experience
•    New graphical options in Microsoft Word
•    Online picture support with content from Office.com, Bing.com and Flickr
•    Resume Reading in Word and PowerPoint

Predictibly, the Office 2013 suite will be available in Home & Student, Home & Basic and Professional versions, all with different mix of applications, when it is finally up for purchase.

Microsoft’s announcement for the Office 2013 Professional trial’s availability came close on the heels of the revelation that iOS and Android are likely to get Office Mobile in early 2013. Quite like SkyDrive and OneNote apps, Office Mobile will require a Microsoft account to view documents on the go. Editing functions can be accessed on Office Mobile only after a subscription to Office 365 is purchased.

3,600 iPad Minis worth $ 1.5 million stolen from JFK International Airport

According to a report in The New York Post, 2 thieves stole iPad Minis worth $1.5 million from New York’s JFK International Airport back on Monday night.

 

 

The well-coordinated heist took place as the criminals arrived in their white tractor trailer, loaded two pallets of iPad Minis which accounted to 3,600 Minis and left the warehouse when an Airport worker confronted them.

The New York Post reports:

The crooks arrived at Building 261 around 11pm in a white tractor trailer marked with the name CEVA on the side, according to the sources. They pulled up to the side of the airport building that faces onto a street and has less security than the other side, which is accessible from the airport tarmac.

Sources believe someone let them into the area and then let them out after they grabbed the iPads.

They grabbed about 3,600 of the minis that were being shipped by a company called Cargo Airport Services, which said the iPads had just arrived from China and were destined for locations around the US.

There were three more pallets of iPad Minis which could have been stolen but some worker interrupted the thieves and they left. An inside hand is definitely not being ruled out.
 

It is still not clear as to which model of iPad Minis were stolen but as the LTE variant of the Mini is about to be available to users, there is a strong possibility that they might be the ones which are gone!

HTC 8X now available for Rs.34,149 at online retailer Saholic

It is the third week of November and as we were expecting, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC has gone on sale in India.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC or popularly referred to as HTC 8X is now available for prospective users to grab on online retailer Saholic for Rs.34,149.

The HTC 8X is a signature Windows Phone 8 smartphone which was unveiled back in September and was announced for launch in India earlier this month. It is the first Windows Phone 8 smartphone to hit the shelves in the Indian subcontinent.
 

The HTC 8X packs in the following specs:
 

• 4.3 inch Super LCD 2 720p display
• Gorilla Glass Protection
• Polycarbonate Unibody design
• 1.5 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon S4 chipset
• 1 GB RAM
• 16 GB Internal storage
• Windows Phone 8 OS
• 8 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture
• 2.1 MP front facing camera
• Beats Audio
• Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, NFC
• Bluetooth 2.1, microUSB

Click here for detailed specifications of the HTC 8X 

For the given price tag HTC has priced the 4.3-inch smartphone aggressively and this would indeed put pressure on Nokia to price its Nokia Lumia 920 at a competitive price.
 

So if you were waiting for the HTC 8X, it could be all yours for Rs.34,149 from Saholic.

HTC Desire SV goes on sale in India for Rs.21799

HTC had at the beginning of the month announced the launch of a dual-SIM Android 
4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running HTC Desire SV for the for the Indian subcontinent.

And today, the 4.3-inch smartphone is available for prospective users to buy for Rs.21,799 from online retailer Saholic.

 

The HTC Desire SV comes loaded with the following specifications:
 

• 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display
• Display resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
• Powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 768 MB RAM
• 4 GB internal memory
• Expandable to 32 GB via microSD Card
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS
• HTC Sense 4.1 UI
• 8 MP Autofocus Camera with LED Flash with an aperture of f/2.2
• Beats Audio
• microUSB v2.0, Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G connectivity
• 1620 mAh battery

Click here for detailed specifications of the HTC Desire SV

The owners of HTC Desire SV will get 25 GB of Dropbox storage for 2 years. The smartphone will be available Radical Yellow and Stealth Black for Rs.21799.