Dropbox: 1 billion files are now being uploaded every day

One billion files are now being uploaded to Dropbox’s servers each day, CEO Drew Houston has revealed during a speech at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today.
It’s a staggering figure that is double the number of tweets that Twitter revealed were being published to its social network each day last October.
CNET cited Houston saying that Dropbox’s 100 million users are now accessing the cloud-based storage solution from 500 million devices worldwide. The company now expects users to connect an additional 150 million devices to the service during 2013.
Both milestones should help alleviate any concerns that the company is being affected by the growth in rival services such as iCloud, Google Drive and Skydrive. For comparison, Apple announced in January that its userbase has now passed 250 million – although it’s unknown how that is affecting the number of files being uploaded to its servers.
Dropbox isn’t resting on its laurels either. Earlier this month the firm improved its app for iOS devices, adding a new layout similar to Cover Flow and an improved reading experience when accessing multiple pages from a PDF file.
It follows a report by Quartz, which claims that Dropbox is planning to go public sometime this year. The publication has also valued the company at around $4 billion.

Instagram beats odds to hit 100 million monthly active users mark

Congratulations are in order for Instagram for bouncing right back into the game following a privacy fiasco to post the figure of a whopping 100 million monthly active users today.

Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, announced that Instagram reached the magical 100 million figure through an emotional blog post detailing how the company started off with barely a few thousand users in October 2010 to reach this landmark.

Instagram has more than proved its salt by breaching this figure at a time when naysayers had written it off thanks to the exodus the change in its Terms of Conditions had sparked off. "Now, more than ever, people are capturing the world in real-time using Instagram -- sharing images from the farthest corners of the globe," an exuberant Systrom wrote.

100 million users strong!

The app now boasts staggering figures of 40 million photos per day, 8500 likes per second and 1000 comments per second.

Instagram has found itself surrounded by controversy ever since Facebook closed the deal of its purchase in September 2012. Starting with its very public fallout with Twitter, Instagram found itself sinking into a pit of quicksand. Once Twitter’s darling, Instagram halted card support to Twitter even as the micro-blogging website started its own in-app photo editing service. Posting an Instagram image on Twitter now merely displays a link instead of the image coming up in the drawer. Past Instagram thumbnails too disappeared from the service.

Then came Instagram’s lowest point that put user privacy under a cloud. The photo-sharing app proposed a change in its Terms of Service that made it look like Instagram was going to claim ownership of all user-generated images and would even have the authority to sell them for advertising purposes. Users were understandably up in arms over their privacy. National Geographic even put out a notice saying that it would stop using Instagram till the company rolled back its Terms of Services.

Instagram apologised to its users about the "confusion" caused with regard to the language in its legal terms that made them believe that Instagram would own their images. Nearly as soon as the controversy broke out, Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, promptly released a blog post to clear the air, saying that Instagram had no intentions of selling user-generated content or to allow photos to be used in advertisements. “To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear,” Systrom said in the blog.

Asserting that Instagram does not own any photos submitted by users, Systrom wrote,”Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period.”

In a move to calm users down, the company promptly rolled back to the existing Terms of Services that had been in existence ever since the beginning. Instagram bounced back from the controversy by appeasing users and slowly reclaiming lost ground to post a figure of 90 million active users in January. If there ever was a success story of a social networking website, it would have to be Instagram.

Angry Birds cartoon premiering March 16

Rovio’s Angry Birds series has been one of the most popular mobile game series of all time, and Rovio is cashing in on all the licensing deals. The newest non-game Angry Birds project is an animated cartoon coming in March. It’s called Angry Birds Toons, and it’s set to premiere on March 16 and 17.   We knew an Angry Birds cartoon would be coming at some point, but today it’s official. We’ll finally get a look into the lives of the Angry Birds, as well as the mean ‘ole pigs who stole all the eggs. We could find out what makes the Angry Birds so angry, and why exactly the pigs are stealing bird eggs. The trailer below gives us a little tease.
in March. It’s called Angry Birds Toons, and it’s set to premiere on March 16 and 17.


We knew an Angry Birds cartoon would be coming at some point, but today it’s official. We’ll finally get a look into the lives of the Angry Birds, as well as the mean ‘ole pigs who stole all the eggs. We could find out what makes the Angry Birds so angry, and why exactly the pigs are stealing bird eggs. The trailer below gives us a little tease.

However, the cartoon series will have a slightly different vibe than most cartoons. First off, Angry Birds Toons will only be distributed through the Angry Birds mobile app, so you won’t be able to turn on your TV come Saturday morning and watch the new show. The cartoon was initially expected to launch back in November, but it had to delayed until the spring.
We first learned about an Angry Birds animated series in April of last year, and Rovio says they expect to air 52 episodes per year, and each episode will only be a few minutes long. Aside from the cartoon, there’s also going to be an Angry Birds movie as well, which is set for a 2016 release and will be directed by Despicable Me‘s John Cohen.

Apple's iOS 6.1.3 update set to kill evasi0n untethered jailbreak

The iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 update from Apple won't work with evasi0n, according to one of the developers behind the untethered jailbreak for iPhone 5 and newer iOS devices.
Apple's latest beta, which the company began pushing to iOS developers late last week, patches one of the five bugs that the evasi0n jailbreak exploits, evasi0n creator David Wang told Forbes.
"If one of the vulnerabilities doesn't work, evasi0n doesn't work," Wang said.
"We could replace that part with a different vulnerability, but [Apple] will probably fix most if not all of the bugs we've used when 6.1.3 comes out."

Untethered jailbreak cat-and-mouse game

Apple's undoing of the three-week-old untethered jailbreak doesn't mean this is the end of the jailbreak store Cydia or custom software on iOS devices.
Wang told Forbes that his team of "evad3rs" found other bugs in the iOS platform besides the aforementioned five exploits, and could build an entirely new jailbreak based on them.
Yes, Apple's move looks like it will be just the latest update in the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between the Cupertino company and the jailbreak community.

iOS 6.1.3 lockscreen fix

As the first untethered iOS 6 jailbreak, evasi0n was downloaded 270,000 times as soon as it went live. It continued to break records with almost 7 million downloads over the next four days.
While avid users of Cydia will want to avoid updating, the iOS 6.1.3 patch may be essential for other security-focused iPhone and iPad users.
Besides patching one of the five exploits used by the evasi0n untethered jailbreak, the iOS 6.1.3 update is set to fix the persistent lockscreen bug.
Even though Apple knew about this lockscreen bug before it released the iOS 6.1.2 update, users can still bypass the not-so-secure lockscreen without entering the "required" four-digit keycode.
Once again, the benefits of jailbreaking an iOS device come with giving up a little bit of security.

Internet Explorer 10 is now live for Windows 7, bringing speed bumps and boosted standards compliance

If you are a Windows 7 user that is frustrated with Chrome, today may be your lucky day. This morning Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 in a total of 95 languages
Internet Explorer 10, released first for Windows 8, is an obvious piece of software for Windows 7, as it delivers a slew of updates to the code base of Internet Explorer 9, a key browser upgrade that moved Microsoft from the Ice Age to the modern era of browser technology.
Microsoft is, if you call them, touting two figures: that IE10 is 20% faster and that it delivers 60% more “support for web standards.” Naturally, your mileage will vary, but Microsoft is proud of two things that it was not proud of in the past: speed, and ability to render the contemporary web.
Let us dwell on the sins prior of Internet Explorer, and how far they have come. This is not to let them out of the wood completely – tabs remain misplaced in their user interface – but the Internet Explorer team has certainly made real and material changes to its operational strategy.
On the horn, Microsoft stressed how keen it was to absorb and adapt to standards: code once, run everywhere. This is certainly a new era. With the inclusion of Windows 7, Internet Explorer 10 can reach, in Microsoft’s view, around 700 million computing machines.
Microsoft, naturally, has a new advertisement in mind for Internet Explorer 10. It doesn’t need it, at least in the short term, given than it intends to deliver the new browser as an update that will ping nearly any computer running Windows 7 to slate an automatic upgrade.
In short, the next generation of Internet Explorer is here for the current Windows champion. Web developers rejoice.

MWC 2013: Sony launches 10.1-inch Xperia Tablet Z

Sony today unveiled a 10.1-inch Android tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z, at the Mobile World Congress. At just 6.9mm in depth, Sony claims the Tablet Z is the thinnest in its category. The new device joins Sony's flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z.

Sony claims that the Xperia Tablet Z features the same OmniBalance design as the Xperia Z. Xperia Tablet Z will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and will be upgradable to Android 4.2 when it hits the market. The Tablet Z is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro asynchronous quad-core processor and is IP55 and IP57-certified water-proof (IP55 & IP57), which means it can be immersed in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

Runs Jelly Bean

The Xperia Tablet Z is powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, which the company claims delivers enhanced colour reproduction for a brilliant TV-like viewing experience. The 8 megapixel rear camera features an Exmor R for Mobile image sensor and the 2 megapixel front-facing camera is great for self-shots and video chatting. The tablet comes with Sony's S-Force Front Surround 3D, while Sony's Clear Audio+ mode and the two built-in speakers help the tablet deliver amazing sound no matter how it is held, Sony claims. The Xperia Tablet Z also offers a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of expandable storage.

Xperia Tablet Z is available in a Wi-Fi version in the US. It includes Sony's Near Field Communication (NFC) One-Touch functions, which allow users to transfer content among compatible devices, including audio, video and images. The Xperia Tablet Z weighs 495 grams.

The tablet's Universal IR Remote allows users to control their TVs and other Sony devices as well as products from other manufacturers directly with the tablet.

"The living room continues to be the number one location for tablet usage in the US. Consumers are using their tablet as a second-screen companion while watching TV, which is why we packed the Xperia Tablet Z with more connectivity options than any other tablet on the market," said Phil Lubell, vice president of networked technologies and services at Sony Electronics. "The Xperia Tablet Z makes it easier than ever to connect, share and discover content across all your devices in the home."

The Xperia Tablet Z will launch with a number of accessories, including a Cradle, an LCD Screen Protector and a Leather Carrying Cover that comes in black, white or red colours. These will be available from Sony stores and registered retailers.

The Xperia Tablet Z is available in black in 16GB and 32GB versions, and will be sold at Sony Stores, including online, and other authorised dealers for about $499 (around Rs 26,888) and $599 (around Rs 32,277), respectively. A white 32GB version will be available exclusively at Sony Stores, including online.

Yet another iPhone passcode security flaw allows access to internal storage

At this rate, Apple will have to update iOS every month. Close on the heels of the passcode bypass vulnerability found on iOS 6.1 earlier this month comes another passcode bypass vulnerability that lets attackers access users' photos, contacts and more by following a series of steps on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 6.1.

The vulnerability was revealed in a post on the Full Disclosure mailer last week by Benjamin Kunz Mejri, Founder and CEO of Vulnerability Lab. In the email, Mejri gives step-by-step instructions to reproduce the flaw. It is similar to the loophole around the passcode discovered earlier this month. The most ominous part of this bug is that it allows any hacker direct access (via USB) to your iDevice’s content stored on the internal storage without needing to enter a pin.

Apple will reportedly fix the passcode bypass flaw in an upcoming update

All anyone has to do is dial an emergency number directly from the lockscreen. Immediately after dialing, you have to cancel the call and press the power button. Follow this by pressing the home button. Till here, the steps sound simple, but the next few require some dexterity. Depress the power button for 3 seconds and on the last of the three, press the power button while tapping the emergency call button. Next, remove the finger off the home button before releasing the power/unlock button. Here, Mejri says your screen (minus the top bar) will go black. In this state, connect the USB cable to your phone. This will allow you to access photos, contacts and whatever else you have stored in your iDevice’s internal storage without a pin from your computer.

The first half of the exploit is very similar to the earlier vulnerability. In fact, the Vulnerability Lab references this in its proof of concept. Apple released a 6.1.2 update last week that didn’t fix this security flaw. But the company is planning a 6.1.3 update, which it has started seeding to developers. iOS 6.1.3 will supposedly plug the passcode bypass trick. The forthcoming update will also reportedly kill the evasi0n untethered jailbreak.

Of course, it is not always possible to reproduce this flaw. iMore reports that if an attacker uses a computer that has not previously been connected to a particular iPhone or iPad, the passcode on that device cannot be bypassed. “With the device plugged in, once you enter your passcode, iTunes will never require you to enter it again. iTunes has some mechanism in place that will now allow your computer to talk to the device, even when the lock screen is present. Had the person in the video plugged their device in to a computer that it had never been plugged in to before, they would have met with an error message instead,” iMore’s report said.

Google Glass may be yours for "less than $1,500"

Google Glass, one of Google's most ambitious projects yet, may not be too far away. If The Verge is to be believed, the search giant will release Glass to consumers by the end of this year. What's more, the tech site has also been informed that the company will make Glass available for "less than $1,500" when it goes on sale.

If true, such a price would definitely make the wearable display easier to own for rich enthusiasts. However, we can't say anything more about the pricing unless Google defines "less than $1,500" better.

First put up for sale at last year’s Google I/O, the limited edition Glass Explorer Edition is yet to be shipped, but Google has increased its stock by an additional 8,000 devices. Google has re-opened pre-orders for Glass, but developers and enthusiasts will have to qualify to get a piece by submitting ideas to the company. The new round of pre-orders only applies to residents of the USA. Those who wish to get their hands on Google Glass will have to post their ideas for the wearable display on Google+ or Twitter; applicants will need to explain their ideas for the headset in fifty words or less, and may attach up to five photos or one 15-second video clip.

Will rich people be wearing this for Christmas this year?

Glass will likely feature bone-conduction technology instead of traditional speakers for sound, and a small screen in front of the user’s eye to display information. The wearable display will also feature a camera, which was shown off by the company’s co-founder Sergey Brin when Google Glass was first revealed.

Applications for the pre-orders are being accepted up until February 27, which means applicants only have a week to come up with a killer Glass concept. Each person can submit up to three ideas, but the fact that you will have to publicly disclose your concept means there is a chance of ideas leaking out or being improved on by other applicants.

Google this week unveiled a comprehensive video of Glass in action. The video shows off the capabilities of the wearable display and presents a variety of scenarios where it can be used. The video is shot from the perspective of people wearing a Glass. It has scenes and sights from the eyes of the wearer and the device's features are demonstrated while they go about doing things.

Nokia unveils new 105 and 301 featurephones, shipping soon for $20 and $85 respectively

wo weeks after Nokia announced a new Asha 310 dual-SIM smartphone for Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Brazil, the Finnish mobile phone giant has lifted the lid on two new featurephones on the opening day of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Nokia 105

Running on the Nokia Series 30 platform, the Nokia 105 features a color screen and will be available in cyan or black models. It will serve as the successor to the Nokia 1280 (which has a black and white screen), which shifted in excess of 100 million units since it was launched in March 2010.
As with the 1280, the new Nokia 105 will be aimed primarily at emerging markets and it will go on sale around the world, including China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam and other markets in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

During a pre-briefing in London last week, TNW was told that the 105 is expected to go on sale at the end of Q1 2013 for around $20 (€15) before taxes and subsidies.
The handset will will feature an FM radio, speaking clock and built-in flashlight (which beams out the top of the device), as well as “up to” 35 days on standby (12.5 hours talk time). We had a brief hands-on with the device and, well, it was extremely lightweight. It could actually serve as a fairly reliable second handset for those looking for basic mobile phone functions and who won’t have access to charging facilities for extended periods.
It features a 1.45-inch ‘true color screen’, and unlike the recently announced Asha 310, only comes in a single-SIM model. It will also come with Nokia Life, which serves up tips on education and health, as well as entertainment topics, though is only available in India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria and shortly Kenya.

Nokia 301

The second handset officially announced today at MWC was the Nokia 301, which runs on the Nokia Series 40 platform and features 3.5G (HSPA) and a smart camera.

Similar to the 105, the 301 sidesteps touchscreens to offer an alphanumeric keypad but this one sports a much larger 2.4-inch screen. Indeed, while it is still a featurephone, it certainly leans much closer towards the ‘smart’ fraternity.
The Nokia 301 features a 3.2MP camera with a range of image-capture, editing and sharing options, including ‘panorama’ for wide-angle snaps and group photos, letting you stitch together individually shot photos to create a single scene. It also lets you snap five frames in a row by clicking once, thereby giving the change to pick the best of the bunch.
One particularly interesting feature was the self-portrait mode, which helps users snap themselves with the rear-facing camera (there isn’t a front one), with voice prompts guiding the user to position the phone correctly without needing to see the screen. You can see our  demo of this feature here:
Additionally, users can post photos directly from their gallery onto social networks, and share other content using Slam, which was first unveiled back in November for its new 206 and Asha 205 models. Slam works by transferring content such as images or contact cards to an adjacent Bluetooth-enabled phone, without needing to pair the devices.
The handset allows YouTube streaming, while apps such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp will also be made available, while a ‘lite’ version of Mail for Exchange lets users check work email and sync their calendars and contacts.
The Nokia 301 should cost around $85 (€65), and will come in single and dual-SIM models. The single-SIM should offer standby time of up to 39 days, while the dual-SIM promises 34 days standby, with talk time of “up to” 20 hours. Oh, and it will come in five different colors – cyan, yellow, magenta, black and white.
The 301 will be available from Q2 2013, and will be available in more than 120 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Middle East and Latin America.

Alcatel One Touch Fire joins the Firefox OS cuddle party

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ZTE may have had a head start in the Firefox OS race ahead of MWC, but Alcatel's also got something similar to ride on the waves of some "500 million Mozilla users." Suitably dubbed the One Touch Fire, this entry-level phone is basically a rehash of the budget One Touch T'Pop announced back at CES, packing a 3.5-inch HVGA TN display, a 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB storage and a 3.2-megapixel camera. There are also the usual bunch of radios: WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, FM radio and UMTS 900/2100 and 850/1900/2100 (up to 7.2Mbps for download and 5.76Mbps for upload). Underneath the removable 1,400mAh battery you'll find a microSD slot that'll take anything up to 32GB (a 2GB card is included), as well as a slot for an old-school Mini-SIM card.
We got the chance to play with the Fire earlier today and while the glossy plastic body -- in either orange or pink -- felt solid enough, the performance wasn't quite there yet: the touch and software response were significantly sluggish, as you'll see in our hands-on video after the break. On the brighter side of things, the surprisingly large loudspeaker on the back produced some punchy bass, but don't expect too much from its audio quality. Alcatel has a few more months to grease up the phone before its June launch across Latin America and Europe, so we'll be able to give it a proper score then. Press release after the break.

Mozilla to bring marketplace to Firefox OS later this year, allow payment through operators

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Mozilla has just announced live at its MWC 2013 event that it'll launch its marketplace for Firefox OS "later this year," and that you'll be able to pay for apps directly through your mobile operator. That's obviously different from Google and Apple's approach, perhaps to entice carriers to jump on board with devices packing the new mobile OS. You'll be able to grab apps in categories like games, news and media from outfits like EA, Disney, Facebook and Twitter. Mozilla's also touting "one-time use and downloadable apps" to let users test out apps before they buy them. The organization said that developers will be able to use "web technologies at the core," to create HTML5-based apps, in order to populate the new ecosystem quickly. The marketplace won't arrive to Firefox OS until later this year, but you can get a preview on Firefox for Android Aurora. For more info, check the PR after the break.

Samsung announces Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet with Android 4.1

Samsung Electronics is beefing up its tablet range with a competitor to Apple's iPad Mini that sports a pen for writing on the screen.

The Korean company announced on Sunday in Barcelona that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will have an 8-inch screen, putting it very close in size to the Apple's tablet, which launched in November with a 7.9-inch screen. It's not the first time Samsung has made a tablet that's in the Mini's size range: it's very first iPad competitor had a 7-inch screen, and it still makes a tablet of that size, but without a pen.

Samsung will start selling the new tablet in the April to June period, at an as yet undetermined price. It made the announcement ahead of Mobile World Congress, the wireless industry's annual trade show, which starts Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

The Note 8.0 fills a gap in Samsung's line-up of pen-equipped devices between the Galaxy Note II smartphone, with its 5.5-inch screen, and the Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-size tablet. Samsung has made the pen, or more properly the stylus, one of the tools it uses to chip away at Apple's dominance in both tablets and high-end smartphones. Apple doesn't make any devices that work with styluses, preferring to optimize its interfaces for fingers, mice and touchpads.

On Samsung's Note line, the pens can be used to write, highlight and draw. The screens also sense when the mouse hovers over the screen, providing an equivalent to the hovering mouse cursor on the PC. However, few third-party applications have been modified to take full advantage of the pens.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 technical specifications

• 8-inch WXGA (1280x800) display, 189 ppi
• 1.6GHz quad-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16/32GB internal storage, expandable up to 64GB (microSD card)
• 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi direct, AllShareCast, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0
• A-GPS + GLONASS (3G version only)
• Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
• 4,600mAh battery

Internet Explorer 11 spotted as part of Windows Blue

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Information on Windows Blue, the next major version of Windows, has started to leak out of Redmond recently. The first round of screenshots revealed a major NT kernel change, but Win8china has now published a screenshot from a recent Windows Blue milestone build that shows Internet Explorer 11 is being prepared for the update. Microsoft previously built Internet Explorer 10 into Windows 8, and it looks like the company is preparing to do the same with IE11 in Windows Blue.
There's no details on features for IE11 or availability to Windows 7 users, but a browser upgrade in Windows Blue seems likely given it will be a feature heavy upgrade to Windows 8. Win8china speculates that a Windows Blue preview version will be released for public download in the coming months, with IE11 for testing. Given Windows Blue will likely debut later this year alongside new hardware form factors, it's reasonable to expect Microsoft to start testing publicly by the summer time.
Microsoft has so far refused to comment on Windows Blue, but the company did accidentally confirm its existence in a job posting recently. Although most of the focus is on Windows itself, Microsoft is also working on a Blue update for Windows Phone and other services such as Outlook.com. The updates won't all launch simultaneously, but they're part of a broader push to harmonise Microsoft's software and services.

Purported Nokia tablet hints in web server logs

AdNetwork server throws up purported Nokia Tablet with RX-108 model with Windows 8 along with two smartphones RM-860 and RM-892.

Nokia is reportedly working on more Window Phone 8 smartphones and it seems that the Windows 8 tablet might be a reality soon. AdDuplex network founder Alan Mendelevich spotted couple of Nokia model name bearing devices in the server logs four days ago. It is being speculated that the unknown Nokia model RX-108 with Windows 8 is actually the Nokia Lumia Tablet. Two other smartphone models RM-860 and RM-892 were also spotted in the ad network server logs.
Nokia has been rumoured of working on Lumia tablet since couple of months. Though there have not been any exact details or confirmations from the company. So far we know that the tablet is likely to carry the unibody design such as the current Lumia 920 smartphone and most likely run Windows 8 or Windows RT.

Along with the tablet, Nokia RM-860 model with 1280x768 pixel resolution was also listed in the adnetwork's server log. This smartphone is likely to be the US-centric Verizon Lumia 920 model. There was another RM-892 from India listed in the logs but no more details were available on that.
At this moment, we believe that Nokia will make no announcements about the purported Windows tablet at the Mobile World Congress 2013 next week. All excitement will be saved for a later event or the mid of this year.

ZTE Open, the company's first Firefox OS phone, gets a spec sheet at MWC

Remember that ZTE teased the MWC debut of its upcoming Firefox OS phone? Well, according to this spec sheet spotted by a tipster at ZTE's MWC booth, said device will be appropriately named ZTE Open, and it'll come with a moderate set of components: a Cortex-A5-based Qualcomm MSM7225A (which is known to clock at either 600MHz or 800MHz), a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT display with capacitive touchscreen, 256MB DDR SDRAM, 512MB NAND storage and the usual set of radios like WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR3), GPS and FM radio. Interestingly, there will be a 3.2-megapixel front-facing camera, but it appears that there'll be none on the back. The Open will be available in three SKUs with different UMTS bands: 850/1900, 850/2100 and 900/2100. As always, we'll be sharing the full announcement and hands-on once we see the phone at MWC, though we have a feeling that we've already played with it before.

iPhone Mini reportedly launching this summer

The next device from Apple is rumored to be the iPhone Mini, a smaller - and more importantly cheaper - version of its smartphone, and the release date may be in the summer.
There are plenty of reasons why Apple needs to start making the cheaper iPhone Mini, and the Morgan Stanley managing director of the PC hardware industry, Katy Huberty, points that out after meeting with Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer.
Emerging markets like China and Brazil have snapped up the iPad Mini, according to her comments picked up by CNET.
"iPad Mini is expanding Apple's customer base with 50 [percent] of purchases in China/Brazil representing new customers to the ecosystem," said Huberty.
Likewise, Chinese consumers are showing signs that they're willing to buy into the latest models of the iPhone instead of the smartphone's older generations.
Preparing for expanding markets as well as existing ones, she anticipates that new carrier partnerships will take place in Q2 2014 with NTT Docomo, T-Mobile, and China Mobile.

Financial Times: Google in talks to build a streaming music service with subscription and free tiers

Google is reportedly in talks with big music labels in an attempt to launch a music streaming service. According to a report by the Financial Times (paywall), the search engine company aims to take on popular services like Spotify, Pandora, Slacker, and Deezer.
While Google already has a music download service and also YouTube, building out its own music streaming service would be new. It seems that should this launch, it would give the company access to millions of songs (Spotify already has over 16 million songs). It already has plans to launch a paid subscription service on YouTube that would enable subscribers to pay to watch their favorite shows and artists. It’s not that unbelievable to think that Google doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to handle a music streaming service.
Some might even think that this music streaming service would be an extension of its music download service that it rolled out in November 2011 and is now available in the US and five European countries. In November 2011, the product signed deals with EMI, Universal, Sony Music Entertainment and small indie labels to bring in 13 million tracks on the Android market. To date, it has over 1,000 partners.
Practically everywhere you look on Google has a music focus — people spend hours every day listening to music on YouTube, which Vevo helped to make even more popular by having signed artists upload their videos there. And on Android devices, it can’t be that hard to believe that somehow Google could deploy a music service that would be built-in and would be the first thing a user sees besides Spotify or Pandora.
One significant obstacle that the Mountain View, CA-based company faces is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which came after the company this week over allegations that it has failed in its attempt to stop content piracy. To that, Google responded with:

We have invested heavily in copyright tools for content owners and process takedown notices faster than ever. In the last month we received more than 14 million copyright removal requests for Google Search, quickly removing more than 97% from search results. In addition, Google’s growing partnerships and distribution deals with the content industry benefit both creators and users, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the industry each year.

How this will exactly help Google’s case for launching a music streaming service isn’t clear, but with the RIAA attacking it, things are less than positive, especially as labels like Warner Music and Universal Music worry about the privacy issue. However, Google could still pull it off — if it’s true, that is.
Should a music streaming service actually come to fruition, it’s reported that it will offer a subscription service as well as free unlimited access to songs, supported by advertising. This mirrors what users currently get with Slacker, Spotify, and other services.

Microsoft reportedly to debut next generation Xbox in April

Microsoft could be looking to hold an event in April where it will debut its next generation Xbox game console, if reports are correct. According to CVG, a growing number of developers and industry professionals have knowledge that an event is planned with a senior Sony official saying that Microsoft had been caught “off-guard” because of Sony’s PlayStation 4 announcement earlier this week.
As of today, Ustechs, a Microsoft partner, has apparently registered the domain XboxEvent.com — at this time, nothing will show up when you go to the site.
The new Xbox game console is believed to be called the Xbox 720 and was originally supposed to be unveiled at this year’s E3 convention. Obviously with the unveiling of the PlayStation 4 (or at least its accessories and partners), Microsoft decided to move up its timeline. One thing that we could probably expect to see from the company that could rival Sony is the appearance of an actual product.
In January, Microsoft’s Major Nelson posted a countdown clock to E3 which helped spark speculation that the Xbox 720 would be close to making its first appearance. As TNW’s Alex Wilhelm noted then, the Xbox had dropped off Microsoft’s radar during the launches of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, but now it’s time to revive the product and modernize it — after all, it’s more than seven years old and has sold more than 70 million units.

Microsoft joins list of companies hacked this month

Microsoft has joined the long list of companies whose websites have been hacked in the past one month. Mere days after high-profile attacks on Apple, Twitter and Facebook, Microsoft admitted that a "small number" of its computers were attacked.

In a blog post, Matt Thomlinson, General Manager of Trustworthy Computing Security of Microsoft, wrote that the company faced a security intrusion similar to that of Apple and Facebook. Some of Microsoft’s computers, including a few in its Mac business units, were infected by malicious software that used similar techniques to break into other high-profile websites. Microsoft has claimed, like almost every other company that was hacked in February, that user-data remained untouched during this breach.

Microsoft attacked too (Image credit: The Daily Caller)

Consistent with security practices, Thomlinson says Microsoft kept mum about the attack until the initial round of investigations was finished. “This type of cyber attack is no surprise to Microsoft and other companies that must grapple with determined and persistent adversaries,” Thomlinson wrote. ”We continually re-evaluate our security posture and deploy additional people, processes, and technologies as necessary to help prevent future unauthorised access to our networks.”

All of these attacks look like they utilise a Zero Day Java vulnerability to breach the sites. Twitter was one of the first websites to own-up to a breach earlier in February, and also admit that data of about 250,000 users may have been compromised. Twitter wrote in its blog that it detected "unusual access patterns that led to us identifying unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data." The company claimed that it managed to detect and shut down a live attack within moments, but its investigation indicated that the attackers may have found limited user information.

The micro-blogging site wrote that the hackers could have had access to usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords for approximately 250,000 users. As a precautionary measure, Twitter sent out emails to these users letting them know that the site had reset their passwords and revoked security tokens for their accounts. All these users had to create new passwords to access their accounts.

Facebook got off lighter, as only a few employee computers were infected with malware and no user data was compromised. The incident occurred when a handful of employees visited a mobile developer website that had been compromised. The discovery was made by Facebook security last month but the social networking site was quick to point out that it had found "no evidence that Facebook user data was compromised."

Apple too said that it had been hacked and that a "small number" of employee computers were affected in an attack that exploited a Java vulnerability. The malware had been specially designed to attack Macs. Apple found that the malware was installing itself using a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers and immediately released updates to patch it up. The update for Mac OS X updated the Java version to 1.6.0_41, and if the version was lower than 2012-006, the Java SE 6 plug-in was completely blocked out.

Is Nokia going to announce low-end Lumia 520 and 720 at MWC?

Most days leading up to the MWC are usually full of rumours and ever since Nokia said they would be present in Barcelona, there has been quite a buzz about the company’s forthcoming products. It was earlier believed that a Nokia Windows RT tablet would surface at the Mobile World Congress, but follow-up reports have denied that the company will be coming with a slate in tow.

Instead, it now looks like Nokia is set to launch cheaper handsets in an attempt to fend off growing competition from Chinese rivals such as Huawei and ZTE, Reuters cited "company sources" as saying. The new models, due to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress industry convention in Barcelona next week, show Nokia expanding its focus after spending the past two years concentrating on catching up with Apple and Samsung via expensive smartphones.

And right on the heels of this piece of information, purported images of two models, the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 720, have cropped up thanks to serial smartphone leaker @evleaks.

Judging by the pictures, the Lumia 720 looks very similar to the Lumia 820, except for a curved glass panel on the front. The sides and the back panel are made of polycarbonate and the phone is available in several funky colours.

Nokia Lumia 720

My Nokia Blog reports that the 720 is codenamed Zeal and will have 4.3-inch ClearBlack Display, a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. The Lumia 720 will allegedly come with 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, and will run WP8. The camera will be of the 6-megapixel variety with Carl Zeiss optics and a 2-megapixel camera is expected on the front. The device will support HSPA+ frequencies.

Besides these rumoured specs, we can venture a few guesses about the other specs and features. The leaked pictures show three pogo pins at the back, which could indicate that a dock for the phone will also be released, and wireless charging may not be part of the bundle. However, the Lumia 820 does have an alternative back cover that enables wireless charging. Nokia could introduce a similar feature for the 720, which will put it between the Lumia 820 and 620 in the line-up.

Recently, Nokia India’s Senior VP, D Shivkumar, said the company would be slashing prices of the Lumia handsets and introducing a smartphone at every price point. The Lumia 520 would be the replacement for the low-end Lumia 510, which was released last year. The Lumia 520 could be the international variant of the Lumia 505, which was released in Mexico.

Nokia Lumia 520

The Lumia 520 will supposedly have a 4-inch Super Sensitive display, which was also seen in the Lumia 820 and 920. Its other specs match up with the 720's to a certain extent. The 1GHz dual-core processor is present, along with 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. However, the Lumia 520 will have no front camera and the primary snapper on the back will be a 5-megapixel one. The 520 will also run on Windows Phone 8.

Again, the back is seen in bold colours, which is becoming something of a signature for Nokia.

How to bring back the Start menu and button to Windows 8

If you’ve just installed Windows 8, or bought a Windows 8 PC, you may have noticed something rather irksome: The Start button and menu have disappeared! After spending almost 20 years at the bottom left corner of your desktop, Microsoft has decided that the Start menu is dead and that the mouse-and-keyboard-hating Metro Start screen is the future.
Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to ensure that the Start button and menu remain banished from Windows 8, a bunch of third-party replacements have emerged. Really, it just goes to show how devoted the Desktop Windows userbase is: Microsoft completely stripped out the underlying Start menu code to quash potential Luddite revolutionaries, and yet months after the release of Windows 8 there are dozens of Start menu and Start button replacements — some of which are far superior to Microsoft’s own Windows 7 STart menu.
Let’s take a look at the best, cheapest, and most authentic apps for bringing back the Windows Start menu and button.

StartIsBack

If you want a Start menu replacement that looks exactly like Windows 7, StartIsBack is for you. You get the same Start menu orb icon, the same search box, the same jump lists, and — for better or worse — even the same Aero transparency! As you can see in the screenshot above, StartIsBack even detects if your system needs to restart to apply some patches; it really is just like the Windows 7 Start menu.
Where StartIsBack diverges from the Windows 7 Start menu, though, is configurability: StartIsBack is fully customizable, and includes a handful of useful Windows 8-specific features, too. You can configure which hot corners are enabled, make your PC jump straight to the Desktop when it first boots up, and configure a key combo to show the Windows 8 Start screen (Win+Ctrl by default). If Start menu and taskbar transparency aren’t your thing, StartIsBack lets you disable it — and you can change the Start button orb icon, too.
Download StartIsBack ($3, free 30-day trial)

Pokki

Where StartIsBack tries to replicate the Windows of yesteryear, Pokki (free) is very much its own beast — and as much as I love the Windows 7 Start menu, I have to admit that Pokki is probably even better. It utilizes a neat “pinning” system that isn’t unlike the home screen of your smartphone or tablet (though I would argue that the Windows taskbar/superbar still does a better job). You can also add widgets to Pokki, such as Gmail or Facebook, which display your latest email or status updates.
By default, Pokki will configure your Windows 8 system to boot straight to the Desktop — and there is an option that will just completely disable the hot corners, if you so desire. (Remember, Win+C pops open the Charms menu, if you need.)
Download Pokki (free)

StartMenu8

If you want the Windows 7 Start menu look-and-feel, but you’re not prepared to fork out a few dollars for StartIsBack or Start8, StartMenu8 is a solid alternative. While the interface won’t win any prizes — it feels a lot like the early Linux apps that ruthlessly ripped off Windows — you get a fair amount of configurability, and a handful of Windows 8-specific toggles that are very useful.
By default, StartMenu8 will skip the Windows 8 Start screen and go straight to the Desktop, and disable Windows 8′s hot corners. There’s also the option to disable the sidebar, if you really don’t ever want to see Windows 8 ever again. The StartMenu8 button icon can be altered, and you can add and remove which links appear up the right side of the Start menu. Overall, StartMenu8 looks and feels a bit clunky — and, incidentally, watch out for some delicious bundleware during the installation process.
Download StartMenu8 (free)

Classic Shell

Classic Shell is free, open-source donationware that gives you the option of a classic (Windows 98ish), Windows XP, or Vista/7 Start menu. At its most basic, it puts a Start button back on your taskbar — but as always with third-party utilities, it has a ton of other features and settings that you can tweak to your heart’s content (in Classic Shell’s case, there’s probably too many tweakable settings). There is apparently an option for Classic Shell to boot straight to Desktop, but I couldn’t find it.
One strong point of Classic Shell is that it successfully rebinds your Start key, so that the Start menu pops up instead of the new Metro Start screen. Hitting the Start key from Metro pops up Classic Shell, too. Other Start menu replacements don’t usually cope quite so well.

Take care while installing Classic Shell, though: It’s not just a Start menu replacement, and if you’re not careful you will end up installing Classic IE and Classic Explorer, too.
Download Classic Shell (free)

Start8

Finally, a commercial offering that will set you back $5: Start8. Start8 is very similar to Classic Shell or StartMenu8, but it’s just a little bit smoother. Start8′s configuration interface is much easier to use (and easier on the eyes), and the actual Start menu feels much more like a contiguous part of Windows.
Start8 has a curious option where you can actually have the Metro Start screen pop up as a menu, rather than full-screen (pictured at the top of the story). This is kinda neat, though you’re probably better off sticking to the normal Windows 7-style Start menu replacement.

Like Pokki, Start8 can disable your hot corners and boot directly to Desktop. Start8 also has a bunch of configuration options for how the Start key interacts with Desktop and Metro, which can be useful if you’re looking for a very specific functionality.
Download Start8 ($5, free 30-day trial)

Google Chrome 25 adds voice recognition support

Chrome users can now tell their browser what to do.
Launched yesterday, Chrome version 25 includes support for voice recognition. This means developers can integrate the feature into their Web apps.
As one example offered in a Google demo, you can create an e-mail via your voice directly within Chrome 25. Simply click on the microphone icon and start talking. You'll see your words appear in a text box. Click the mic icon again when you're finished.
I tried out the feature and was able to dictate an e-mail message that then appeared in Microsoft Outlook. The accuracy level was fairly high, with few mistakes. The only problem with this specific demo is that there's no way to correct mistakes. But the demo at least shows the promise of voice recognition.
More developers will need to support voice recognition for the feature to gain any traction. But it can certainly play a useful role in specific types of applications.
The latest release of Chrome also disables the silent installation of extensions. Designed as a security measure, this feature ensures that any extension requires your approval before it can be installed.
Chrome 25 offers other enhancements, notably stability and memory fixes. The release addresses 22 security holes.
Chrome users can upgrade directly to version 25 by selecting the About Google Chrome option in the browser's main menu. New users can download the full version from Google's Chrome Web site.

WhatsApp for WP8 gets lockscreen alerts, better UI

Windows Phone 8 users now have reason to be even happier with their devices. Cross-platform messaging application WhatsApp has received an update and is now actually quite useable on Windows Phone 8. The update brings along quite a few handy features Windows Phone users will be glad to find, considering how shaky the app has been on the platform in the past, and brings the application almost at par with its iOS and Android counterparts. Most importantly, the UI is now looking slightly better suited to Windows Phone.

For notifications and alerts, WhatsApp has finally adapted itself to the Metro UI design and has ditched the green, blob-like design that looked like a complete misfit on the home screen. Notifications will now appear on locked screens too.

The new update is bound to make a lot of Windows Phone 8 users happy

We wonder why it took this long to bring this particular feature, but you can now hit "Enter" to send a message across. To activate this feature, you need to head to the Settings tab and change how your messages are sent.

The attachment screen has also had a facelift and you can now share screenshots from within the application.

Bringing the Windows Phone 8 version of WhatsApp on par with the Android and iOS versions has been somewhat of an agenda on the company’s plate. Windows Phone 8 users will now be able to send out broadcast messages, which is a relatively new feature even on the other two platforms.

Last but not the least, WhatsApp will finally let you back-up your messages manually. This is a pretty important feature this version of the app sorely lacked.

WhatsApp has had a sort of problematic relationship with the Windows Phone platform. After the app was pulled several times off the store and uploaded again, users and critics alike wrote off WhatsApp for Windows Phone.

Most notably, there were discrepancies even between the Windows 7 and Windows 8 versions of WhatsApp. The app was finally back up for Windows Phone 8 users in December, but was still not up to the mark. The app's developers have since started sending out a stream of regular updates with the aim of bringing it up to Android and iOS levels.

Earlier in December, WhatsApp had promised that the Windows Phone 8 version of the application was to be six times faster than the previous one. In reply to a query about the new update, the developers said that they were aiming to make the new app work faster.

The developers also mentioned that they were going to continue using the background audio API; however, they were looking forward to Microsoft devising a way of keeping the system running in the background, and for this to happen, they said Microsoft would need to lift its restrictions on third-party apps.

You can download WhatsApp for Windows Phone 8 here.

Older Facebook photos will be moved to ‘cold storage’ soon

Ever wonder how much space Facebook has reserved for your old photographs that are still on your profile?

The world’s most popular social network stores more than 240 billion photos and another 350 million photos are added each day, so obviously that requires a truckload of server space. But giving you immediate access to all the photos you want to see will require Facebook to save them all in a ‘hot storage’ facility.

However, it’s not everyday that someone revisits their old pictures, and Facebook knows this. Facebook, in fact, has exact numbers about how many people access old pictures across the board. The company says 82 percent of its traffic is focussed on just 8 percent of its photos. So naturally, it would be a waste of time, money and effort to have live servers for the remaining 92 percent.

One of the access hallways in the new cold storage facility (Image credit: Randy L. Rasmussen / The Oregonian)

This is where the new "cold storage" system at Facebook’s Prineville data centre comes into play. The cold storage facility is designed to make the photos that are in heavy rotation more readily available for users, while at the same time storing pictures that are not typically in such high demand.

The catch is older pictures won’t show on your PC or mobile as soon as some of the newer material, but Facebook claims difference in time will be negligible. “The principle will be so that it doesn’t impact the user experience – so think about a matter of seconds, or milliseconds,” Michael Kirkland, a Facebook Communication Manager told Oregon Live.

The new facility is currently being built and the new storage system will be launched in phases on three data hubs, the first of which is expected to be ready by August or September. Each hub is housed in a 16,000-square-foot area and could potentially hold an exabyte of data, equivalent to a whopping 1 million standard hard drives.

Facebook’s Prineville facility in Oregon is the first ever built by the company and started operations in April 2011. It holds thousands of servers that are always on, ready to deliver you your everyday Facebook hit instantly. On the other hand, the new cold storage facility will have servers that will be "asleep" most of the time. When there is a request for older material, a few alert servers are called into action and summon the others to deliver their data.

Facebook estimates the new storage at the Prineville facility, which has 70 employees, will cost one-third less than its standard data centre and occupies a space much smaller than live servers. It also offers eight times more storage and are five times more energy efficient, according to the company. Facebook has said that it used 71 million kilowatts of power in the first nine months of its operations in Prineville and that is set to rise as more of the facility comes online to handle all the new data that the social network is inundated with every day. The new cold storage system will deliver power savings while at the same time not limiting the functionality of the site.

Tikona announces new 4 Mbps unlimited plan for Rs. 1,499

Tikona Digital Networks (TDN) has revised its tariffs for new and existing consumers. Under the new tariff the company has launched an unlimited 4 Mbps plan that costs Rs. 1,499 per month and offers unlimited downloads. As per the Fair Usage policy (FUP) there is a cap of 80GB that a user can download in a given month. On completion of the 80GB, the download speed will be distributed based on the contention ratio. What this means is that the speed will be distributed equally amongst the number of people that are online at that particular time from a given area. As per Tikona, the typical contention ratio is 1 is to 10, which means you'll have to share your connection with 9 other people after the FUP-usage is completed. The company is also offering two new plans for the consumers that fall under medium usage category. The first one will cost Rs. 849 plus taxes per month. Under this plan, the consumers can download first 5GB data per month at a speed of 4Mbps, and a speed of 1Mbps post that. The second plan is priced at Rs. 599 per month and will offer 10GB of fair usage data at the speed of 2Mbps. Post exhaustion of this limit consumers who have opted for this plan will be able to download data at 512Kbps.
Finally, there is a light usage plan which is a pre-paid plan. This plan is only for the new users and the consumer can opt for either 40GB data in six months plan or 125GB data in a year. The consumers will have to shell out Rs. 7,999 upfront for the set top box and installation for the yearly plan and Rs. 3,999 for the bi-yearly plan. In both these plans, consumer will be able to enjoy downloads at 4 Mbps speed.
With an explosion of smart devices, rising internet penetration and advent of bandwidth intensive graphical/video content and apps, ISPs and telcos will have to offer abundant usage at affordable prices to consumers in order to propel the growth of Broadband. In order to remain competitive, Tikona has always been on the forefront of innovation in terms of tariff pricing that fits every pocket. We are also glad to be the first to bring the entry barrier down for high speeds of 4 Mbps and 2 Mbps", said Mr. Heramb Ranade, Chief Marketing Officer, Tikona Digital Networks.

iOS 6.1.3 update to fix lock screen vulnerability

Apple released iOS 6.1.2 a couple of days ago that fixed the annoying Microsoft Exchange bug plaguing numerous iOS devices. However, it didn’t address the recent lock screen exploit that allows nosy eyes to get a peek at your contacts and photos. However, iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 was just seeded to developers, and it looks like this update will fix the vulnerability.

This is the third minor update to iOS 6.1 alone in just a few weeks, so it seems Apple is getting better at addressing issues in a quicker and more efficient manner. This latest release was just seeded to developers, and it’s actually the same update as iOS 6.1.1 beta 1, but is being rebranded as iOS 6.1.3 with a few more fixes added on, including the lock screen bug.
The update also includes several enhancements to the Apple Maps application for Japan users that we saw earlier this month. There’s no word on when the official iOS 6.1.3 update will roll out to all users, but it should be fairly soon. There’s also no word on whether or not this new update patches up the evasi0n jailbreak, so stay tuned for that.
The lock screen exploit that iOS 6.1.3 will fix allowed people who got a hold of your phone to bypass the lock screen and gain access to your contact list, as well as any photos stored on your iDevice. While the hack itself takes a bit of practice to learn, anybody could easily learn the trick to get a hold of your contacts.

Chromebook Pixel coming in April for $1,299

We heard rumors about the Chromebook Pixel earlier this month in the form of a pretty big leak. While many of us were skeptical, it seems that it was all quite true. Google officially announced the Chromebook Pixel today, with pre-orders starting right now. The laptop will begin shipping in April, and it’ll cost you a pretty $1,299.

This specific Chromebook looks to take on Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup, instead of just being an affordable option like past Chromebooks from HP, Acer, Dell, Samsung, etc. The Chromebook Pixel sports a 12.85-inch display with a staggering resolution of 2560×1700, making it a higher resolution than the Retina MacBook. Although, it has a 3:2 ratio, which is fairly odd in this day and age.

The Pixel comes with an Intel Core i5 dual-core 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and two SSD options: 32GB or 64GB. Of course, that’s not a lot of storage for all those media files you have, so Google is throwing in 1TB of Google Drive storage with a purchase of a Pixel, which will be free for three years.
You can pre-order the Pixel right this second on the Google Play store, and it’ll cost you a crazy $1,299, which is right on par for what you’ll pay for a MacBook Pro, but we’re certainly not used to seeing this kind of price for a Chromebook, since most of them have been price in the $200-$300 recently.

Microsoft launches rage of accessories optimised for Windows 8 starting Rs. 1,205

Microsoft Thursday announced a new range of accessories optimised for Windows 8. These accessories are Wedge Touch Mouse, Wedge Mobile Keyboard, Touch Mouse, Sculpt Touch Mouse, Wedge Touch Mouse and Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500.

Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse is an ultraportable mouse designed to complement the Windows 8 experience on both PCs and tablets that provides four-way touch scrolling and navigation. It is cable free and ships with Blue Track technology, which means that the mouse can be used on just about any surface. It can be paired with a PC, tablet or laptop. It has been priced at Rs. 3,015.

Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard is designed for use on tablets and is equipped with Windows 8 Hot Keys for quick search and sharing. It comes with a rubber cover that doubles up as a tablet stand. It has been priced at Rs. 4,935.

Microsoft Sculpt Touch Mouse comes with a four-way touch scroll strip and connects to your device via Bluetooth. It is available for Rs. 2,765.

Microsoft Touch Mouse makes it easy to access the most important features in Windows with one-, two-and three-fingered gestures that are optimised for PC use. The gestures can also be customised. It has been priced at Rs. 4,340.

Microsoft Explorer Touch Mouse comes with both vertical and horizontal scrolling as well as a four-way touch strip that features three scrolling speeds. The Explorer Touch is a wireless mouse that comes with five customisable buttons. It's priced at Rs. 2,935.

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 is a portable mouse targeted at laptop users that comes in variety of colours. It comes with a snap-in and space saving Nano transceiver that sticks out less than a centimetre from the USB port, making it easy to leave it plugged in on. It comes with the Blue Track technology as well. It is priced at Rs. 1,205.

Apple TV launched in India for Rs 8,295

It allows users to share content on other Apple devices wirelessly.

Apple TV service has officially been launched in India and is priced at Rs 8,295. However the media streaming device of Apple is not yet available at retail stores. We could only locate it on Rediff Shopping where it is selling for Rs 7,999.
Apple India spokeperson told, "The device has been launched officially in India and will be available in stores in next 7 to 10 days."

Apple TV is a media streaming device that lets users play content from services like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Vimeo. However it has no storage of its own. It offers access to Apple's iTunes Store, through which users can purchase or rent movies, or buy music they can also stream content from any other Apple device like iPhone, iPad, Mac or iTunes (both Mac and Windows) wirelessly using WiFi with the help of a feature called Airplay. Apple TV can also be used to wirelessly mirror the display of iOS devices as well as Macs.
The iTunes store is now officially available for Indian with local content so it seems to be the right time to launch Apple TV.
Apple TV supports up to 1080 pixel resolution, and features an HDMI port, a micro-USB port, Ethernet port, a built-in IR receiver (for the remote) and supports WiFi connectivity. The device is powered by an Apple A5 processor, and comes with 512 MB RAM and 8 GB NAND flash memory for caching content.
Apple TV will appeal to Apple fans here in India as it will allow them to seamlessly use the large screen TV for the content on any other Apple device. Pricing also is not very high for the device itself, but since most of the content on the iTunes and other movie rental services is paid, it might not have a big appeal with non-Apple users.

Ubuntu for Tablets coming to Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 this week

Post unveiling Ubuntu for smartphones, Canonical yesterday brought out Ubuntu for Tablets, a touch-based operating system that can run on screens between 6 inches to 20 inches in size.

Starting February 21, Ubuntu for Tablets will be available for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. At the same time, a preview of Ubuntu for phones will be making its way to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Nexus 4. Canonical has promised to provide installation tools and instructions to make the process of flashing the early build on the devices a smooth affair.

While you will be able to install Ubuntu on the tablets and smartphones mentioned above, commercial tablets with the Linux distro will not be available in the market till at least 2014. The OS will be featured at the Mobile World Congress next week.

Ubuntu for tablets is here!

The company claims the new interface and design "breaks new ground in design and engineering". It has real multitasking capabilities that allows a phone app to run on the screen at the same time as a tablet app. Among the most notable features offered by Ubuntu for Tablets is a new capability Canonical calls “side stage” multitasking, which aims to enable efficient multitasking and improve the usability of phone apps on tablets.

The interface will allow multiple user accounts on one tablet with full encryption for personal data, combined with Ubuntu’s security model. Canonical claims that Ubuntu for Tablets will have the power of the PC in a tablet thanks to a Heads-Up Display that will make it fast and easy to perform complex tasks on touch devices.

Ubuntu will feature a streamlined way of getting into apps and settings that won’t require buttons. Swiping the screen from one of the four sides will bring up apps, settings and other controls, completely eliminating the need of the home and back buttons.

The tablet interface is presented by exactly the same OS and code that provides the phone, PC and TV interfaces, taking the device experience a notch higher. When docked to a keyboard, Ubuntu will offer you a complete PC experience, says Canonical, with access to remote Windows applications over standard protocols from Microsoft, Citrix, VMWare and Wyse. Considering even Microsoft is looking at unifying its desktop and phone platforms, this seems like a great move on Canonical’s part.

Canonical claims that even without chipset-specific optimisation, Ubuntu performs well on entry-level hardware. "Our four-year engagement with ARM has shaped Ubuntu for mobile," said Rick Spencer, VP Ubuntu Engineering at Canonical. "We benefit from the huge number of contributing developers who run Ubuntu every day, many of whom are moving to touch devices as their primary development environment."

For silicon vendors, Ubuntu is said to be compatible with any Linux-oriented Board Support Package (BSP). This means Ubuntu is easy to enable on most chipset designs that are currently running Android. Ubuntu and Android are the two platforms enabled by Linaro members.

iTunes 11.0.2 out with bug fixes, improved playlist and Composer view

While it may still be struggling from a hit by hackers, Apple has released an update to iTunes that bumps it to version 11.0.2. The new release addresses a few bug issues as well as comes with new features that aim to make using iTunes a smoother experience.

The update adds a new Composer view for music. To check this option out, you can head to View Options and then Composer. Apple also says that iTunes 11.0.2 features improved "responsiveness when syncing playlists with a large number of songs".

Another issue that Apple has addressed with this new update is the problem where a lot of purchased items were not showing up in users’ iTunes libraries. Minor bug fixes and performance improvements were also a part of iTunes’ bump to version 11.0.2.

iTunes 11 gets an update

The new update builds upon the completely redesigned, snazzy new avatar of iTunes – iTunes 11 –  that released with much fanfare in November last year. Apple took its time with releasing the newly refurbished iTunes, announcing at the beginning of November that it wanted to take its time to get it right. It had stated that it was looking forward to releasing the new version of iTunes before the end of November, and the company made good on this promise.

Besides the design changes and the iCloud integration, the new iTunes featured a new look for online music, apps, TV and movie stores. It also had a spanking new interface that keeps your favourite iTunes content at the forefront. With iCloud integration, music, movie and TV show purchases made on any iOS device or computer are now displayed in your iTunes library. Apple claimed the redesigned iTunes Store, App Store and iBookstore were re-thought to make buying content on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC simpler.

The new library view lets you watch music, TV shows and movies, and allows you to click on the category of content you want to browse. The expandable album view allows you to see track listings for individual albums while letting you 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 toolbar; you can skip to the next song or search for something new to play 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 iCloud integration automatically puts all of your purchases into your library on your Mac or PC, regardless of which device you use to buy them. iCloud also remembers where you are in your favourite movies or TV shows no matter which device you’re using.

For Macs, Apple threw in a new feature that allows users to scan gift cards using the built-in video camera instead of typing them in. However, one does have the option to type it in should the camera not be able to read the code.

The updated iTunes 11.0.2 can  be downloaded now via the App Store, or through Apple’s site if you’re a Mac user.

WhatsApp is the top smartphone app in India, Facebook is next: Nielsen

The first round of Consumer Rankings for India by Nielsen, launched earlier today, has revealed that Mobile messenger "WhatsApp" is the most engaging mobile app, while the site "Flipkart" is the top e-tailing website for urban Indian consumers. Finnish brand Nokia emerged as the preferred brand of mobile handsets in the telecom sector. Vodafone emerged as the top mobile operator.

Nielsen India Consumer Rankings are based on popularity and consumer experience for six lifestyle categories, including smartphone apps, e-tailing sites, mobile handsets, mobile operators, books and International travel preferences of urban Indian consumers. These findings will be released at an All-India level for all six categories and select city rankings will be released for four categories (e-tailing, International travel, mobile handsets and mobile operators) across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.

Smartphone apps
Nearly half (47 percent) of the respondents engage with smartphone messenger service WhatsApp and spend 24 minutes a day chatting, making it the top smartphone app for urban Indian consumers. Coming in at the second position is social networking website Facebook, whch reaches out to over half the respondents (51 percent), but the engagement time on the smartphone app is 10 minutes a day.

WhatsApp, not Facebook is the top smartphone app in India

At 9th place is Newshunt, a news aggregator app that allows a user to download news from different sources. The app has a low reach (14 percent) but reasonably high engagement at 6 minutes a day. Video sharing app Youtube ranks 5th, while "Tubemate", an app that allows users to download Youtube videos, is at number 8.

The rankings are arrived at using Nielsen proprietary tools, current panels and in-depth surveys and studies where relevant across the country and are unique to each category.

Mobile handsets
According to the study conducted across eight cities in India across 6000 consumers, in October 2012, nearly half (49 percent) the respondents use a feature phone, three in ten (30 percent) consumers use a Multimedia phone, while one fifth (20 percent) currently use smartphone devices. Based on current ownership and consumer satisfaction 88 percent respondents indicated they were most satisfied with the brand Nokia (1st), followed by  Samsung (2nd) and BlackBerry (3rd).

Mobile operators
Vodafone is the top ranking mobile operator, followed by Airtel (2nd) and  Idea (3rd). Network quality emerges as the most important driver of customer satisfaction, followed by customer service, service positioning and data services. Tata Docomo (5th) leads on satisfaction for SMS rates, data plans and value added services, while Uninor (8th) is the most "value for money" option for consumers.

E-Tailing
Flipkart (1st), E-Bay(2nd) and Homeshop18 (3rd) are the top three E-tailing sites as indicated by over 1000 active Internet users and online shoppers as per data collected in Q4 2012. Cellphones and accessories (52 percent), books (50 percent) and clothing (49 percent) are the most popular categories to be purchased online. Deal-based site Snapdeal is at number 4. Multi category and multi-brand e-stores Jabong (6th), Yebhi (7th), Fashionandyou (9th) and Myntra (10th) indicate the growing acceptance of the online medium for shopping.

Books
Indian authors dominate the fiction rankings with Amish Tripathi’s “The Immortals of Meluha” and the sequel “The Secret of the Nagas” appearing in the top ten, as per data from point of sale, of over 400 retailers across the country. The Non-fiction book to top the list is S Hussain Zaidi’s “From Dongri to Dubai: Six decades of the Mumbai Mafia”. In the Children’s category, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series dominates the list, with eight spots in the top 10.

International travel
Singapore ranks as the most visited destination for both business and leisure travelers in the last twelve months. For business travelers, USA is the second most visited destination, and for leisure Nepal takes second position. In the coming twelve months, Malaysia tops the list for planned travel across both business and leisure categories, followed by Singapore.

“While we have always provided uncommon consumer insights for our clients, with this initiative we are taking insights from cities across the country, and giving  back to consumers” said Piyush Mathur, President , Nielsen India Region. “These rankings reflect the pulse of urban Indian consumers, and will provide a different lens to view the lifestyle choices that urban consumers are making every day. In sync with our view on innovation and complementing todays on-the-go lifestyle, the App created for these rankings is the right accompaniment  to the information on the website and allows access to consumers literally at the touch of a screen," he added.

“Nielsen has always been the curator of the consumer voice and these consumer rankings are a reflection of collective consumer intelligence, at the national level and for our top cities. These will enable the Indian consumer to validate choices and make empowered lifestyle decisions” said Ranjeet Laungani, Vice President , Nielsen India. “Nielsen consumer rankings acknowledge that the Indian consumers not only want to be heard but also be better informed. These rankings will provide the average urban Indian with a neutral, fact-based consumer view on everyday categories that are relevant to them” he added.

Next-gen PlayStation reportedly coming out in November

Sony’s PlayStation event, where the company is expected to unveil its next-gen console, is looming ever closer, and according to new reports, the new console will be out in November. According to Kotaku, the PlayStation 4  will be out in two variants, costing $429 and $529 (approximately Rs 23,000 and Rs 28,000) respectively. The website states that its source is the same one that had leaked the in-development names of the PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox (Orbis and Durango respectively).

The report corroborates an earlier one, which stated that Sony was considering a £300 price tag (around Rs 25,000) for its next console. The £300 price-tag seems to be very low, especially compared to the launch price of the PlayStation 3. The PS3 was launched in the UK at a price tag of £425. It is worth noting that the UK price of the PS4 will be the local price and not the price directly converted from the Japanese version, which is said to cost 40,000 yen (approx Rs 23,000). When the console makes its way to India, we can expect a price of approximately Rs 30,000 to 35,000.

Kotaku also states that the next PlayStation won't have a free online componenet like Sony's current-gen console. Instead, it may be following the path of Xbox Live, where users will have to pay in order to play games online. As long as Sony continues its current PlayStation Plus system, where it gives away free games, I doubt this will cause much of a problem among gamers.

A bit too literal, maybe

Sony will be holding its event in New York at 11:00 PM GMT (roughly 4:30 AM IST). At the event, we are expecting an announcement of the console along with a name and, perhaps, a couple of launch titles. The company may even announce some new plans for its handheld—the PlayStation Vita.

Sony has been counting down to its PlayStation event by releasing retrospective videos about the history of the PlayStation. The latest of the lot was a look at the PlayStation 3.

The video takes us all the way back to the first unveiling of the PlayStation 3, with its considerably large and monolithic design. We then get aglimpse of the first—and ultimately most popular—slim redesign of the console. One of the most distinct visual differences between the slim PS3 and the original one, other than the size, was that the slimmer one had a matte paint job on it as opposed to the very glossy original.

We also get a look at some of the games that have made it to the system, and will be making their way to the system. This includes all the Spider Man games, The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite and Uncharted.

Then we get a look at the PlayStation Move, with all the new differences to gameplay motion control brought to the table. The Move was often hailed as being better for gaming than Microsoft’s Kinect, as it was much more accurate and allowed for finer controls in more action oriented games, as well as the casual sports games.