All Resources Taken From NEWS

AMD launches Appzone to bring Android apps to Windows

Soon many of you will have a chance to add applications from the most popular mobile operating system, Android, to the most popular desktop system, Windows and enjoy technological marvel, thanks to the Chipmaker AMD and Bluestacks.Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and BlueStacks have teamed up to let consumers run Android apps on their AMD-powered PCs. BlueStacks, creator of a Windows app that enables you to run Android apps on Windows, has joined forces with AMD to bring their cross-platform application to AMD-powered tablets and PCs.
The two companies have teamed up to bring 500,000 mobile Android apps to Windows PCs through the AMD AppZone Player starting Thursday.
AMD is also working with its partners to pre-load the the BlueStacks Android App Player on AMD-powered Windows 7 and 8 laptops, desktops, and tablets.
If you don't want to wait for a new PC you can download the master Android on Windows app, AMD AppZone Player.
Or, you can simply download an Android app from the AMD AppZone and it will automatically install the player in addition to the app.
The partnership between BlueStacks and AMD, which has invested in the software company, focuses on optimising Android apps for AMD-powered Windows devices.
While Intel-powered PCs can access Android apps through BlueStacks' original Windows software, the AppZone Player is optimized for AMD's GPU and APU technology.
Manju Hegde, corporate VP of Heterogeneous Applications and Developer Solutions at AMD said, "BlueStacks' cross-platform innovation bridges the Android and x86 application ecosystems, providing new opportunities for developers and better experiences for users.
"By collaborating with BlueStacks we are enabling software developers to more easily tap into the full capabilities of AMD's products, and providing millions of consumers with great experiences as they can now run Android apps on AMD powered devices."
BlueStacks is an AMD Ventures-backed software company that enables Android apps to run on notebooks, desktops, all-in-one PCs, slates and tablets.
BlueStacks was founded in 2009 by Rosen Sharma, is privately held and headquartered in Silicon Valley with global offices in India, Taiwan and Japan.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

RIM shares rally on BlackBerry 10 optimism

Shares of Research In Motion rose more than 5 percent on Wednesday after the struggling BlackBerry maker announced better-than-expected subscriber numbers and assured wary investors its new smartphone will go on sale in early 2013.Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM will announce quarterly results on Thursday and analysts had expected the company, for the first time in its history, to report that it had started to lose subscribers. But at a developer event on Tuesday, RIM said its subscriber base grew by 2 million in the quarter ended Sept 1.
That took analysts by surprise as RIM's aging line-up of BlackBerry devices has been losing ground rapidly to Apple's iPhone and Samsung's line of Galaxy products in the key North American and European markets.
"Overall that is a promising performance given RIM's lackluster portfolio of smartphones," Scotiabank analyst Gus Papageorgiou said in a note to clients. "We believe largely all of these subscribers came from outside North America as the company continues to lose ground in that market."
RIM shares rose 37 cents, or 5.6 percent to $6.97 in midday trading on the Nasdaq on Wednesday. The stock, which had been hovering around nine-year lows, had already risen almost 5 percent on Tuesday.
RIM is trying to reinvent itself through a line of revamped smartphones that will run on its new BlackBerry 10, or BB10 operating system, on which the company has staked its future.
In an attempt to create a buzz around the new devices, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins gave a preview of the smartphone and its features to app developers at an event on Tuesday in San Jose, California.
In a note to clients, Cormark analyst Richard Tse said RIM struck the rights chords at the event, but cautioned that it is hard to evaluate how well the BB10 devices will work in real world conditions until they are on the market.
In a demonstration of the BB10, RIM executives showed off the new smartphone's "flow" and "peek" features, which allow users to access important features without exiting an app that is already running.
"We were intrigued by the ease of navigation and the 'peek' functionality," TD Securities analyst Scott Penner said in a note to clients.
Penner, who was at the event, said attendees in general were positive about the advances RIM has made in the new devices, which are set begin carrier certification process next month.
On the right track
William Stofega, who manages IDC's mobile device technology research program, said RIM is on the right track.
"RIM is doing something different," Stofega said. "They really have to reinvent themselves and they are on the road to doing that."
Stofega, who has played with the new BB10 devices, said he likes the look and feel of the new smartphones.
"I think there is a lot more skepticism among financial analysts, but the developers like what they see and hear thus far," said Stofega, who attended the RIM event on Tuesday.
During the presentation, the company, which is doing all it can to attract app developers to its platform, showed off a variety of apps, from Facebook to FourSquare. RIM said the BB10 will feature all popular social networking apps.
"RIM is definitely doing things right to ensure launch success," said Carl Howe of consumer research firm Yankee Group. "Nothing is being rushed. Patience is being encouraged, but not because things are not being delivered, but because the company is dotting its i's and crossing its t's."
RIM, which has been criticized for its lack of a unified-content and app store, said its new platform will have a single store for music, videos and apps that will rival iTunes and Google Play. RIM said it will offer users the option of carrier billing to pay for the content they download.
"We note neither Android nor iOS have carrier billing capabilities, which we believe are very important, especially in developing markets such as India or Indonesia," Scotia's Papageorgiou said.
RIM's Toronto-listed shares were up 5.4 percent at C$6.85 at midday on Wednesday.

All Resources taken from NEWS

BlackBerry maker shows signs of encouragement ahead of BB10 launch

Research In Motion Ltd, after buying itself breathing room on Thursday by delivering stronger-than-expected quarterly results, still faces the formidable task of delivering a make-or-break line of new BlackBerry devices early next year.The more stable cash position that RIM achieved during its fiscal quarter ended September 1 will give the company a fighting chance to market the new BlackBerry 10 effectively while ramping up full production of the revamped line, analysts said.
Until Thursday's results, RIM was being written off by analysts because of its failure to keep pace with innovations from rivals such as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.
Investors responded to the rare glimmer of good news for the embattled company by pushing up RIM's downtrodden share price by more than 12 percent on Friday morning.
"I have to admit they did a very good job making the best out of a really tough situation. You've got to give management some credit for that, but they still need to nurse the company back to health," said Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu.
The company is counting on BB10 to arrest a precipitous decline in market share over the past year and longer.
But in the end, the success or failure of the BB10 will hinge by how warmly it's embraced by consumers, many of whom have already switched to Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy, especially in North America and Europe.
Test versions of the BB10 have won praise from carriers and developers, but the true test still hinges on RIM's ability to win back market share and the hearts of an ever growing base of touchscreen users.
Even though RIM's aging line-up has lost ground in North America and Europe, the BlackBerry maker managed to top shipment and revenue expectations in its second quarter, thanks largely to strong sales of smartphones in emerging markets such as India and Indonesia.
"This performance is nothing short of shocking as RIM has found a formula to entice its global carrier customers to sell (its) product," said National Bank Financial's Kris Thompson.
On Friday National Bank Financial upgraded RIM's stock, while BMO Capital Markets and Barclays Capital were among brokerages that raised price targets on the company's shares.
Thompson, who is rated five stars by Thomson Reuters StarMine for the accuracy of his estimates on RIM's earnings, upgraded the stock to "outperform" and increased his price target on the stock to $12 from $8.
Shares of RIM, which rose 20 percent after the closing bell on Thursday, opened 12.8 percent higher at $8.04 on the Nasdaq on Friday. Its Toronto-listed shares rose 14 percent to C$7.92.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Barnes & Noble to launch video service for Nook

Barnes & Noble Inc said on Tuesday it was launching a video streaming and download service this autumn for its Nook ebooks and device business.Barnes & Noble, the largest U.S. bookstore chain, said its Nook Video service will allow shoppers to buy movies and television shows from HBO, owned by Time Warner Inc, Viacom Inc, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios.
Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet and e-reader devices have found favor with shoppers, allowing the bookseller to win as much as 30 percent of the ebooks market, according to its own estimates.
But the company faces intense competition from Amazon.com Inc, which already offers the Prime Instant Video service and makes the Kindle Fire tablet.
Earlier this month, Amazon signed a three-year deal with Hollywood studio Epix that will add thousands of movies to Amazon's video streaming library.
The Nook Video service will launch in the United States this autumn, and in time for the holiday season in the United Kingdom, where Barnes & Noble will start selling Nook devices, also this autumn.
Videos that are streamed and downloaded from Barnes & Noble's Nook store will be stored in Nook Cloud.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Amazing Alex review

Within just 8 hours of its debut, Angry Birds maker Rovio's new title Amazing Alex has already claimed the number one spot as a paid iPhone app in the App Store. The game, which is a revamped version of Casey's Contraptions, originally developed by Mystery Coconut and Snappy Touch, is based on physics puzzles featuring 100 levels. But is it really that addictive? We gave it a spin to find out the reason behind its popularity.The game is set in Alex's home environments and each level requires solving various puzzles with the help of different objects like darts, bowling and tennis balls, balloons, pipes, shelves and more. The game's physics can be experimented by placing these objects in more than one way. However, It is not necessary to use all the objects available.
Amazing Alex does draw on some elements from Angry Birds presenting a similar look and feel. But it does not give the same level of excitement that you get when you smash the powerful birds at the pigs.
Though initially it seems like even a child can figure out the solutions, it eventually does get quite challenging. What's disappointing is that there is no motivation to come back once you fail at a level. It might get frustrating for some, compelling them only to quit or ask for someone's help.
Collecting stars has no concrete purpose as opposed to Angry Birds where 3 stars were a reward for completing the level with minimum birds. Even Cut the Rope had track of scores and minimum number of stars were required to unlock further levels. Basic incentives like making high scores, being rewarded for completing a level faster or in a single chance are missing.
Arranging objects to collect all three stars also gets tough. You may find yourself rearranging a whole sequence from a different perspective to get all of them.
Overall, no doubt the game is fun, but something does feel amiss here. Is it the lack of any hateful character like Angry Birds where the grunting pigs always made you want to defeat them no matter what? Well, it's hard to say.
Rovio has promised to offer regular free updates for the game as it did for Angry Birds. We hope that the updates do bring along more excitement. In Alex's world. While Android users can get a glimpse of Amazing Alex with 16 free levels, iOS users have to pay $0.99 for the iPhone version and $2.99 for the iPad version.
Amazing Alex (iPhone/iPod touch, $0.99)
Amazing Alex HD (iPad, $2.99)
Amazing Alex Premium (Google Play, Rs. 55.28)
Amazing Alex HD (Google Play, Rs. 165.82)
Amazing Alex Free (Google Play, Free)

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Microsoft Touch Mouse Review

There's a new mouse in the Microsoft house. The Microsoft Touch Mouse is the latest update of Microsoft's wireless mouse series. Does it bring anything new to the wireless USB mouse genre or should you skip this Windows 7-only compatible mouse? Read on to find out.
 Packaging and Contents

The Microsoft Touch Mouse comes in a slightly bulky box. Inside is the mouse with the USB dongle, 2 batteries and the manuals. It would have been nice if the device came with a carrying case, like the original Arc mouse.


First Impression

It is difficult not to refer to Apple's Magic mouse or the previous generation Microsoft Arc mice while talking about the Touch Mouse. For starters, the Touch Mouse brings to the table Apple-like multi-touch gesture features. There is a textured front on the device, which acts as the touch sensitive interface. The device isn't the sleekest out there as the latest generation Microsoft Arc mouse or the Apple Magic mouse take the cake in terms of style and design. The Touch Mouse is bulky and heavy.

The mouse has an optical sensor at the bottom along with the slot for the two batteries and a nice little pocket for the USB dongle.

Overall, the mouse is fairly simple to look at but it won't turn heads if you use the device in public. The again, it's a mouse.

The USB connector of the mouse is pretty interesting too. It is extremely small and fits easily in its socket at the bottom of the mouse. It has a nice springy action every time you fix it or release it from the socket.


Performance

The Touch Mouse performs well as a mouse with its BlueTrack laser sensor ensuring that the device runs smoothly on all surfaces and is very accurate. The touch sensitive front of the device takes some getting used to. There are gestures that can help you split up windows, scroll, and reveal the desktop with a swipe of your fingers. This device could really give the Apple Magic mouse a run for its money if it weren't for one little flaw; the device is compatible with only Windows 7. Not XP or Vista. There is no assurance that the device will be compatible with Windows 8 either.

Another cool feature of the device is that it is ambidextrous which means that both right-handed and left-handed people can use it with absolute ease.

There are just two disadvantages that we see with the product. The first being its sheer size and the second that you can't take full advantage of its potential on any other OS apart from Windows 7.

If you're a gamer we wouldn't recommend this mouse to you as its form factor is a bit uncomfortable for those 8 hour gaming experiences and the fact still remains that Razer, Corsair and Logitech make some really good gaming gear including mice.


Verdict

For the price point of nearly Rs. 4000, this device just adds novelty value. It could have taken on Apple's Magic mouse in terms of performance had it not been for the compatibility issue. The good part is that the gestures work well and the optical sensor makes it easy to use on transparent glass surfaces. If you are looking for value, we'd suggest you stick to the previous generation Microsoft Arc Mouse or take a look at the offerings from the Mouse house of Logitech and Razer.

 Pros:
Optical Sensor
Plug and play setup
Good multi-touch interface
Well built
 Cons:
Bulky
You can take advantage of the features only on Windows 7
A little uncomfortable ergonomically

 Price: Rs. 3,999
 Ratings:
Performance: 3
Price: 2.5
Ease of setup: 5
Ergonomics: 3
Wow Factor: 3
Overall: 3

All Resources taken from NEWS

Review: Dell Latitude ATG 6420

Laptops built for rough and tumble use are fairly niche and not ideal for everyday use. Their rugged build hinders portability and, unless you are a hiker or adventure sportsman, you will get better value for money elsewhere. Nonetheless, if you are the sort who spends most of your time outdoors and are looking for a laptop that will not be damaged with a fall, then there is a whole category of hard use fdevices you should consider.

Today we have with us the Dell Latitude ATG which looks like it's built more for combat than computing. Will this be your next adventure sport gadget?


Build/design and ports

The build of the Dell Latitude ATG is fantastic. It's strong, rugged and made out of some very hard plastic with a black rubberized finish around its border. The top of the lid is brushed aluminum grey with black rubberized bordering and the device is so strong that we actually stood on it for a bit and it didn't even flinch under our weight.

Keep the device closed and it looks just like a briefcase thanks to its handle and square design. Since the device is heavy, this isn't a flimsy briefcase either. It is strong enough to be swung at someone and cause some damage.

Adding to the overall look and outdoor utility is the fact that all the ports on this laptop have a rubberized cover. These covers help prevent the device from exposure to dust and dirt in an outdoor open environment. The device even has a DVD drive. This adds a little to its weight and size but it's a fair trade-off considering now you don't need to carry that external CD drive.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the device is that the ports are all over the place. The SD card reader rests on the front panel. Its position is a little inconvenient as it is very close to the briefcase style handle. To the right of the device you have two USB 2.0 ports along with an e-SATA cum USB 2.0 port. The right also has the CD drive along with a Wi-Fi on/off toggle. The left of the device houses a VGA out, one USB 2.0 port and the headphones jack. To the left rear of the device we have an Ethernet port along with the DC in. To the right rear of the device we have the HDMI out.

The overall placement of the ports is convenient but fell scattered. The design of the device isn't eye candy and resembles the bombing PC found in the Call of Duty video games, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.


Keyboard and track pad

Open up the device and you are greeted with a compact and well laid out keyboard. It isn't chicklet style but is surprisingly comfortable to type on. The keys are springy and feel well-built. We bashed our fingers real hard on this rugged machine only to find out fingers hurt but keyboard stays intact. Laughs apart, the keyboard is seriously one of the best in the business.

Controlling the mouse however is a mixed experience. You have the pointing stick (why do they still make that? It's horrible!), which isn't the best way to control the mouse. The pointing stick rests between the G, H and B button whereas the left and right click rests under the spacebar. The other is a standard track-pad with a dedicated left and right click. The track pad isn't as large as the one you'd find on a MacBook but it's enough to get the job done. Made out of plastic, the trackpad is fairly smooth and comfortable to use. The same cannot be said about the pointing stick, which we just hate.


Display and audio

The device has a 14-inch display with a resolution of 1366x768 and is a touchscreen. The screen has a rugged black border surrounding it. The best part about the screen is that its brightness and contrast is quite high making it ideal for use in an outdoor situation. The colours look rich and vibrant and the screen is susceptible to very little glare.

The audio on the device is what you can expect from an average laptop. The speakers are loud, lack bass and have a high midrange. The speakers are located on the front panel of the device. Its placement is pretty ideal if the device is used on as the sound bounces off the table enhancing the volume a bit.

You could listen to music and enjoy a 720p HD movie on this device with absolute ease. Just remember to turn down the brightness a bit when you are indoors or you're in for one hell of a headache.


Performance

Apart from being able to survive an accident, a drop and some insane amount of torture, this device also needs to be capable of doing mundane tasks like email, MS office and browsing the Internet along with the occasional gaming needs of the user.

In terms of the hardware under the hood, the device shows off some impressive specs. It has a 2.7GHz Intel core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM running a 64-bit Windows 7 OS and a 320GB HDD. It also has dual graphics i.e., Intel integrated and an Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics card. The 3D mark score was a bit disappointing at 2441 which means that you can't expect it to run all the latest games smoothly. If gaming is your focus we suggest you look at a much more delicate Alienware laptop.

On the PC mark score, the device scored 5462. That's an above average score and you can do all your everyday tasks along with a bit of heavy software use with ease.

The battery life of the device is a bit of a disappointment. Especially since the device is built to be used outdoors. Run the device to its fullest potential and it will last you a little over an hour and a half. Used sparingly however and the device may just carry on a bit more.


Verdict

The power under the hood along with a great keyboard, fantastic display and rugged build make this device ideal for your camping trips. Just be prepared to endure the extra weight and space of the device. For around Rs. 1,00,000 this is targeted at the adventure sport hungry businessmen who needs access to a notebook all the time. The rest of us can do with a Mac or a high end Windows based gaming notebook for the same price.
Pros:
Fantastic build
Great Keyboard
Great display for outdoor use
Cons:
Pointing stick is bad
Heavy
Battery life
 Score:
Performance: 3
Price: 3
Ease of setup: 4
Ergonomics: 4
Wow Factor: 3
Overall: 3.5

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 review

Microsoft recently launched its Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 in India. It can be paired with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, notebook, desktop or tablet.

Mobile Keyboard 5000 succeeds company's Mobile Keyboard 6000 and the only major difference between the versions is the missing numeric pad in the former.
Packaging and contents
The red keyboard box is just as sleek as the product. Apart from the Bluetooth keyboard, the package comes with a user manual and two Alkaline AAA batteries that are required to power this device.

Design and build quality
Microsoft's Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a visually appealing device. Unlike the competing keyboards that are rectangular in shape, it has a slightly curved design that works in its favour.  Another positive for this keyboard is its slim and light-weight profile.

The keys are large and well-spaced, but unlike other keyboards not all keys on Microsoft's Keyboard 5000 are of equal size. The function keys placed in top row are very small in size; however, as the function keys are hardly used, we did not find it much of an issue.

Function keys aren't the only ones with smaller size on the keyboard. While centre keys such as 'B', 'N', 'G' and 'H' are larger, the corner keys like 'O', 'K', 'L' and 'Q' are smaller. According to the company, this unusual size of keys, and the design of this keyboard, encourages natural posture while typing. That might well be true, but it certainly takes some getting used to.

Talking about the other parts of the keyboard, the battery lid has been placed at the rear along with power button and Bluetooth pairing button. The pairing button is quite small and we found it a little uncomfortable to use. If you plan to pair with different devices on a regular basis, this may be a slight pain-point.

Moving on to the build quality, this keyboard is made essentially of the plastic but it does not look cheap and feels like a sturdy device.

With mere 414 grams weight, the keyboard is quite lightweight, but because of the size, we didn't find portable enough for tablets. To make it more travel friendly, the keyboard should have ideally come with a soft cover/pouch. But, Microsoft seems to have overlooked it.

Further on the downside, there is no indicator for Caps Lock, or the battery life. Company has just given a power indicator, which informs you if the device has been powered on and also blinks while the device is in discoverable mode.
Performance
To use the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000, all one needs to do is insert two AAA batteries in the keyboard and pair it with a compatible Bluetooth device. We paired it with an Apple iPad and Windows notebook, and in both cases we found the connecting procedure to be similar and fairly straightforward.

In terms of usage, the device is comfortable to use and is very responsive. However, as we have already pointed out, it takes a while to get used to the keys on this one.
Verdict
If you are out in the market looking for a wireless keyboard for home-use, Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a decent option, but if you want a portable keyboard for your new tablet, you might find it a bit large.
Pros
Appealing design
Light-weight/Portable
Easy to connect
Cons
Takes a bit of time to get used to the key placement
No battery life/Caps Lock indicator
 Price: Rs. 3,350
Ratings:
Performance: 3.5
Price: 3
Ease of setup: 4
Ergonomics: 4
Wow Factor: 3.5

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Windows 8 being released before it is full ready report

Microsoft is reportedly releasing Windows 8 to the public despite it being full of bugs and other issues. According to Bloomberg, which got the above piece of information from Intel staff member who attended an employee meet with company CEO Paul Otellini, improvements still need to be made to the Windows 8.Intel however declined to acknowledge Otellini's remarks publicly and has issued the following statement to The Verge:

"Our internal employee meetings are private and we don't disclose details on what may or may not have been said. We continue to see Windows 8 as a significant opportunity across the board and are excited at our prospects in new form factors like Ultrabooks, tablets and convertibles."

Similarly, Microsoft too stood clear of problems in Windows 8 final version, and stated:

"Windows 8 is the most tested, reviewed and ready operating system in Microsoft's history. Microsoft is looking forward to making Windows 8 available to the world on October 26th."

The Redmond-based company is trying to get the first version out next month in order to compete with Apple during the holiday season. Otellini says Microsoft will make improvements to the operating system after it ships to the public, which he believes is the right move.
There is no word on how Microsoft is going to push these updates to the public, but it is expected to be through the company's Windows update system. There are also rumours of an update for Windows 8, codenamed Blue, which is expected to be rolled out within a year as an interim release.
Microsoft Windows 8 is already available to OEMs, developers and other key partners, but the actual nature of Otelleni's comments will only be known after its debuts publicly on October 26.

All Resources taken from NEWS

Intel previews Windows 8 tablets powered by its new chip

Intel Corp roped in device makers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Hewlett Packard Co on Thursday to showcase tablets powered by its new "Atom" processor a chip it hopes will help it biannually break into that crowded market.Intel initially brushed off any threat from tablets such as Apple Inc's iPad, but now hopes the combination of a low power consuming processor with touch friendly Microsoft Corp Windows 8 software will win over enterprise customers looking to deploy tablets, but keep PC-based software and hardware.
The world's largest chip maker says the "Atom Z2760" formerly code named "Clover Trail" is tailored to work with the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, due in late October. Tablets that use both the Atom and Widows 8 will be able to run widely used software such as Word and Excel, while connecting to peripherals such as printers.
It also lengthens battery life, enabling tablets to run 10-plus hours of streaming high-definition video, said Intel applications processor division chief Eric Reid.
Targeting corporations and government agencies means the first wave of Intel-powered tablets and tablet-laptop hybrids will avoid the worst of the consumer war now raging between Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc.
"These new Atom-based tablets have been targeted at spaces where Intel and Microsoft can win, the enterprise market, and as an alternative to a notebook," said Patrick Moorhead, head of Moor Insights and Strategy.
Dell Inc, Acer Inc, Asustek Computer Inc and ZTE Corp round out the half-dozen PC makers that trotted out their upcoming tablets, some of which sport a detachable keyboard or stylus designed to support free-form drawing and writing.
"Every tablet shown today does what neither an iPad or Kindle Fire HD does well, which is creating content and controlling via a keyboard and trackpad," he said. "This provides differentiation while not going head to head with Apple and Amazon."
With PC sales expected to stagnate over the next year or two, Intel hopes to make up for lost time and regain market share ceded to rivals such as Qualcomm Inc, Texas Instruments Inc and Nvidia Corp, whose applications processors now power most tablets except the iPad.
Although the "Intel Inside" sticker remains affixed to 80 percent of the world's PCs, the Santa Clara, California, company has been slow to adapt its chips for smartphones and tablets.
Analysts say the semiconductor industry leader has woken up to the tablet threat only in the past year. It is now rushing into the mobile market, motivated in part by slowing PC sales across consumer, businesses and even the emerging market segments it once relied on to propel sales.
This month, it cut its third-quarter revenue estimate by a more than expected 8 percent and withdrew its full-year outlook entirely.
Intel's tablet strategy so far has focused on Windows 8 and its "x86" architecture found in most of the world's PCs. But executives said this month that tablets running their processors and based on Google's Android software are also in the works.
Microsoft's main assault on the tablet market involves Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 that works off the ARM Holdings chip designs that now dominate the market and drive the iPad and other mobile devices.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Celkon to launch Android 4.0-based tablet for Rs. 7,499

Celkon Mobiles is all set to launch the 7-inch SIM-based tablet Celtab (CT2), priced at Rs. 7499, based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System, a month after it forayed into the segment with e-tab CT1."Celkon got huge appreciation for CT1 and currently have orders for 50,000 units from market for CT1 and CT2. The product will be available in two days," Celkon Mobiles Managing Director Y Guru told reporters.
Celtab comes with 1 GHz processor, 512 RAM and a provision for 3G dongle to access the Internet, he said.
Celkon Executive Director R Murali said the company plans to expand the business abroad and aiming to reach the Rs. 1000-crore mark turnover in FY13.
"The company's revenue was at Rs. 326 crore last year and as the market has been expanded to some states in north India this year sales are expected to jump threefold. As on date we have 11 active states in the country selling half a million mobile phones a year. We aim to sell one million sets next year," says Murali.
He said the city-based company will launch aggressive marketing campaign with film actress Tamanna Bhatia and cricketer Virat Kohli next month to cash in on the festival season.

ALL Resources taken from NEWS

Motorola's #iLost campaign used fake address to make Apple maps look bad

Apple's new maps in iOS 6 have been the subject of a lot of ridicule - rightly so, for most parts. Everyone from Nokia to Samsung have taken pot shots at Apple's maps.Google's Motorola ran the most aggressive campaign earlier this week, when it ran ads with the hashtag #iLost. The ad showed an iPhone running Apple's maps and Google maps on new Droid RAZR M smartphone, side by side, both with looking up an address "315 e 15th st ny". While Apple's maps showed some other address, Google's maps proudly displayed the "correct" address. Or did they?
A report in Apple Insider indicates the reason Apple Maps failed to find the address is that it doesn't exist:
The problem, as noted by reader AMD Pettitte, is that 315 E 15th Street is not an actual address in Manhattan. A public park sits on that side of the street, making none of the block's odd numbers a valid address. The number will never be a valid address in Manhattan. This is indicated by looking closely at the picture, but none of the thousands of people sharing the false address lookup ad seemed to notice this.
If you're looking for an actual address in Manhattan, say 318 E 15th, the apartment building across from Google's fictitious address in the park, Apple's Maps can correctly locate it.
So is typing a fake address to make Apple maps look worse fair? Venture Beat certainly thinks so:
Shocking revelation here: When travelers need to find a place, they don't always know the exact address. Therefore, a great mapping app will not only get you where you need to go when you have all the correct information ... well, it will also work when you have only partial address data.
No doubt Apple maps aren't at the same level as Google maps yet, but is Google's Motorola justified in using "wrong" addresses to make itself look better?

All Resources Taken from NEWS

LG announces Android 4.0 Optimus Vu II with 5-inch display

It seems to be a season of phablets. First, we had Samsung announce a sequel to its Galaxy Note in the form Galaxy Note II at IFA and now LG too has got its contender in the market with LG Optimus Vu II. LG had sent out feelers about this device at IFA and now the company had made it official in Korea.

LG Optimus Vu II sports a 5-inch screen and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Just like the original Optimus Vu device, the Optimus Vu II has an unusual aspect ratio of 4:3. There is a Qualcomm 1.5Ghz dual-core processor on board with 2GB RAM. For imaging needs, it comes with an 8-megapixel autofocus rear shooter and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. LG Optimus Vu II also has a 2150mAh battery and 3 GB of internal storage. It is available in three colour options - white, black and pink.When compared to its predecessor, LG Optimus Vu II has slimmer bezels that make this device 7mm shorter and 5mm wider.
Not only has LG tweaked the design of the new Optimus Vu II, but also brought a few changes to its "Rubberdium Pen 2.0" stylus. The Pen of the Optimus Vu II has a slimmer nib, which LG feels will facilitate more accurate handwriting.
LG has also announced a couple of interesting accessories along with this new device. These include a wireless charging pad and a waterproof One Key remote. The One Key remote will help you find your device at a mere touch of a button and its multicolour LED flashes to show calls, messages, charging status and other alerts.
For now, this device is available only in Korea for 966,900 won ($864) and there is no official word on its availability and pricing in India.
Key Specs

• Size - 132.2 * 85.6 * 9.4
• Weight  - 159g
• Colour options - Illusion Black / Illusion White / Illusion Pink
• Display - 5.0-inch IPS display (1024 * 768)
• Camera - Rear 8 megapixel and front 1.3-megapixel
• Processor - 1.5Ghz dual-core,
• RAM - 2GB RAM memory ,
• Operating system - Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Battery  - 2,150 mAh

All Resources Taken from NEWS

HTC One X+ shows up in brochure; packs 1.7GHz quad-core, Jelly Bean

HTC One X+ is pretty much confirmed now, as the smartphone was spotted in UK telecom operator O2's brochure. Although the brochure did not mention the availability details of the smartphone, it did reveal the pricing of One X+.The smartphone will be priced at GBP 479.99 (Rs. 41,096) with pay as go you go plans, but given the huge VAT in UK and other European countries, we expect it to be priced lower when it debuts in India.
As per the specs listed on the O2 brochure, HTC One X+ will come with 64GB of internal storage, 1.7GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 8MP rear camera, and Beats Audio integration.
In terms of the changes from original HTC One X, One X+ sports a higher clocked processor, Jelly Bean out of the box and more internal storage, which is very important considering there is no microSD card slot on the phone.
While other specs of the smartphone are still unclear, online reports suggest that the One X+ 
might come with 2GB of RAM, 2MP front camera, and the same 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD 2 display.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Sleek new PlayStation 3 model makes US debut

Sleek new PlayStation 3 consoles took their places in US homes on Thursday as Sony tapped into its video game prowess to put itself at the heart of Internet Age entertainment.The PS3 model that made its US debut was slimmed to be stylishly unobtrusive but featured a beefy 250 gigabyte hard drive to store more films, music, games and other digital content.
A version with a 500 gigabyte hard drive will hit the US market on Sunday. The models are priced at $249 and $299.
The 500 gigabyte PS3 will be released in Europe on Friday with a price tag of 299 euros ($386). A version of the console based on Flash memory was set for an exclusive debut there on October 12 for 229 euros.
"While we certainly use gaming as our foundation, the PS3 is a complete entertainment center in the living room," John Koller of the PlayStation hardware team told AFP.
"We added higher hard drive space because consumers have become much more digitally inclined it is a significant area for all of us in the industry."
Memory capacity for consoles has become increasingly important to users as lifestyles shift to downloading games, films and other digital content from the Internet.
Sony has ramped up its PlayStation Network online service for games, movies and music and made free games available for PlayStation Plus members.
More than 4,000 games have become available for download for PS3 since the console was launched in November of 2006, according to Sony.
Sony completely redesigned console innards, reducing volume and weight.
"It is certainly a cleaner, sleeker model that takes up less space and looks cool," said National Alliance video game industry analyst Mike Hickey.
However, he noted, powerful and pretty new PS3 models might have to come with a price cut to lure a significant number of new users to PS3 this late in the life cycle of the console.
Sony spiced up the PS3 package here by adding a "game of the year" edition of hit title "Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception" and digital content for massive online multiplayer science fiction shooter game "Dust 514."
Sony chief Kazuo Hirai has a long history with the company that includes helping PlayStation consoles become a hit in the United States.
Hirai has put in motion a strategy to revitalize the financially battered company by combining strengths of its film, music, game, hardware, and distribution arms.
"Kaz basically made his career from PlayStation and the success of that brand," Hickey said.
"Strategically, it appears to be very important," the analyst continued. "Games are a great way to orchestrate leading technology in televisions, phones and other areas."
Hot trends include people playing games and enjoying digital music, films or television shows across an array of devices including smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers.
Sony could benefit because it makes an array of devices on which content is consumed and has a PlayStation Network for distribution.
"The console plays a significant role in bringing those pieces together," Koller said. "We start with the people who come in first for the games and then progress to other elements like video streaming, music, and renting content."
"Gaming consumers are in many ways holding up lots of parts of the entertainment world."
Koller said the "developer spigot stays hot" for new, immersive titles for play on the PS3.
Sony faces tough competition from Microsoft's Xbox consoles in the battle to be the heart of home entertainment.
"Once you start to catalogue a library of content you have an anchor in someone's personal technology ecosystem," Hickey said.
"You get a new TV you get a new camera but it is hard to replace two cycles of playing 'Modern Warfare,'" he continued, referring to a blockbuster military video game. "Where you store your pictures or movies or songs is important."
Hickey expected Sony to unveil a next generation PlayStation console next year.

All resources taken from NEWS

Samsung to focus more on software, content

Samsung Electronics, which has vaulted the value chain on the strength of its hardware, will go out and buy mobile content providers, a senior executive told Reuters, to compete with Apple, Google and Amazon.com in a global digital music market worth nearly $9 billion.The South Korean electronics giant has muscled its way to global leadership in TVs, smartphones, chips and display screens - packing internally sourced state-of-the-art components into consumer gadgets - but software remains a weak link.
"The message we're getting from the top is to raise software capability, and buy rather than build, if needed," Kang Tae-jin, senior vice president of Samsung's Media Solution Center, said in an interview. "Our focus on software is primarily aimed at driving hardware sales, rather than making money. We have a full range of handsets in so many countries, and, to better market our products, we thought it's better to start our own software business."
Apple's potential launch of an online streaming music service is prompting rivals to counter the iPod maker, which pioneered and still leads the digital music market. Success in today's mobile market means integrating products to seamlessly connect hardware and software.
In May, Samsung bought online music service mSpot and has built its own Music Hub service to compete against Android's Music Player, Apple's iTunes and Amazon's Cloud Player. Kang says Samsung is ready to do more deals.
Pandora's Box?
The boardroom push, and Samsung's aim to grow Music Hub to among the world's top-four digital music services, has fuelled speculation that online streaming services such as Pandora Media and privately-held Spotify could become takeover fodder. Big content firms and broadcasters are jostling in a digital music market set to grow nearly a fifth this year, led mainly by streaming services.
Kang declined to comment on potential targets. "We want to grow the Music Hub to rank in the world's top four services within three years in both revenue and subscriber numbers. And to shorten the time, we're ready to do more acquisitions, if needed," he said.
"Mobile business is what Samsung is doing really well, and as a result we have deep pockets. We are very serious about content business, as we showed with the acquisition of mSpot."
Not content
Samsung has yet to prove itself in content, and remains some way behind Apple, which revolutionized the smartphone market in 2007 with an iPhone boasting seamless integration of software and hardware. Samsung's proprietary bada mobile platform has little traction in the smartphone market, and its ChatOn messenger service has yet to grip users.
The Koreans - who have tended to stick with alliances with content partners rather than go in-house - may be late to a crowded music market, but Samsung sees scope in leveraging its scale in hardware and some stand-out features of Music Hub.
"One of the great advantages we have over our rivals is that Music Hub is pre-installed in our flagship product and will be available later in a bunch of other Samsung devices," said Kang, who developed the Hangul 2000 software, a Korean equivalent of Microsoft's Word processor, and was poached from mobile operator KT Corp in 2010.
Music Hub, available on Samsung's Galaxy S III smartphones in the United States and several European markets, combines all the key available music service options on a single platform - offering paid digital downloads like iTunes, a personalised radio service like Pandora, music upload to cloud like iTunes Match and Cloud Player. Users can access a catalogue of over 19 million songs - including the Korean hit 'Gangnam Style' that has taken the pop world by storm and topped iTune's download charts - and stream seamlessly to mobile devices. Apple says its iTunes Store has more than 28 million songs.
"Amazon, Google and Apple should really take note of Music Hub's radio service," Billboard said recently. "Whether or not the service is good, great or equal to something like Pandora really isn't the point. What's important is that Samsung has put the most mainstream of music products (radio) with less mainstream music products (downloads, cloud storage)," it said.
Musical fridge
The toughest challenge is to turn around consumer perception that Samsung is only good at hardware, and to add killer apps to bind consumers to their Samsung devices.
"Pre-installing Music Hub on the Galaxy is powerful, but not enough," said Kang, adding there be more aggressive promotions, including month-long free trials and give-away albums.
That will put the squeeze more firmly on Pandora, Spotify and other online music firms that lose money as they depend on paid subscriptions and advertising but have no hardware to sell.
"We have an internal target to break even in software. But, in general, selling content won't make much of a contribution to the bottom line. We see other new business opportunities associated with content," Kang said.
Samsung plans to have Music Hub working on a range of consumer devices - from smartphones to Internet-enabled TVs and fridges - and is likely to ultimately want to monetize it by hooking up with an ad platform.
"We're preparing new services for launch early next year. With these offerings, people will start to think Samsung is good in software, too," said Kang, declining to elaborate on those launches.

All resources taken from NEWS

Top 10 features in Microsoft Office 2013

Microsoft Corp. unveiled the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office that features an intuitive design that works with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices, including tablets. "We are taking bold steps at Microsoft," Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft said at the press conference in San Francisco. "The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8."
Here's our list of top 10 features that the new Office has to offer.
1) Touch everywhere - The new Office responds to touch as naturally as it does to keyboard and mouse. One can swipe their finger across the screen or pinch and zoom to read documents and presentations.
2) Inking - Use a stylus to create content, take notes and access features. Handwrite email responses and convert them automatically to text. Stylus can also be used as a laser pointer when presenting. One can also add colour to their content and erase mistakes with ease.
3) Apps - OneNote and Lync represent the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office. These applications are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet. A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with finger.
4) SkyDrive - Office saves documents to SkyDrive by default, which means content is always available across all devices tablet, PC and phone. Documents are also available offline and sync on reconnecting.
5) New subscription services - The new Office is available as a cloud-based subscription service, which means consumers will automatically get future upgrades in addition to exciting cloud services including Skype world minutes and extra SkyDrive storage. Subscribers receive multiple installs for everyone in the family and across their devices.
6) Stay connected - Follow people, teams, documents and sites in SharePoint. View and embed pictures, videos and Office content in activity feeds to stay current and updated.
7) Skype - The new Office comes with Skype, which gives 60 minutes of Skype world minutes every month. Integrate Skype contacts into Lync and call or instant message anyone on Skype.
8) Reading, markup - The Read Mode in Word provides a modern and easy-to-navigate reading experience that automatically adjusts for large and small screens. Zoom in and out of content, stream videos within documents, view revision marks and use touch to turn pages.
9) Digital note-taking - Digital note taking helps keep notes handy in the cloud and across multiple devices with OneNote. One can take notes with touch, pen or keyboard, or use them together and switch easily back and forth.
10) Meetings - PowerPoint features a new Presenter View that privately shows your current and upcoming slides, presentation time, and speaker notes in a single glance. While presenting, one can zoom, mark up and navigate slides with touch and stylus. Lync includes multiparty HD video with presentations, shared OneNote notebooks and a virtual whiteboard for collaborative brainstorming

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Amazon unveils larger, cheaper Kindle Fire tablets; updates e-reader

Amazon.com Inc unveiled larger Kindle Fire tablets on Thursday, challenging Apple Inc's dominant iPad with lower prices and a trove of digital content that Amazon hopes will win it a bigger share of the booming tablet market.The world's largest Internet retailer lifted the lid on devices with price tags ranging from $159 to $599. The new tablets come with ads known as "special offers" that appear when screens are locked and in the corner of the home screen, helping Amazon keep prices low.
Last year, Amazon debuted a 7-inch tablet at roughly half the price of the $499 iPad. In just 10 months, it became the No. 2 tablet in the United States, after the iPad.
Amazon's expanding lineup also intensifies a battle with Google Inc and Microsoft Corp, who this year entered their own competitors in the booming tablet arena.
The latest aggressive pricing move, and Amazon's variety of gadgets, furthers its goal of getting Kindle tablets into the hands of as many buyers of its online content from games and books to video as possible.
Apple, by contrast, makes much of its profit from hardware sales. It sells a single-sized iPad often touted as best-in-breed, at costs ranging from $399 to $829, depending on storage capacity, screen resolution and wireless connectivity.
Amazon, which began as an Internet bookstore, will begin shipping on November 20 an 8.9-inch version with a high-definition screen, that works off either Wi-Fi or fourth-generation wireless broadband, known as 4G. The costliest version, at $599 for 64 gigabytes of storage, undercuts the top-of-the-line $829 iPad.
"Their first Kindle Fire tablet was a device that said 'See, we can tie all this together," but it wasn't a strong enough device," said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey.
"Now they've really come ready to show that their device line-up is going to be as good as their service line-up. They're tying those two things together, and at a price that is very, very hard to compete with. It's going to push everybody's else's price buttons including Apple's."
The premium Kindle Fire HD has a 1920-by-1200 resolution screen, lagging Apple's so-called "retina" display. At 8.9 inches, it is also slightly smaller than the iPad's screen.
At the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest 7-inch WiFi-only Fire goes for $159. Apple's lowest iPad price tag is $499.
"Amazon is able to sell these products at or close to cost, while Apple has 40 to 50 percent gross profit margins and has always been very cautious with their product margins," said Scott Tilghman, an analyst at Caris & Company.
"As Amazon is able to upgrade their products and have competitive hardware it may become more worrisome for Apple," he added.
Shares in Amazon closed on Nasdaq up 2.1 percent at $251.38, after hitting an all-time high of $252.70 during the session.
Global combat
Amazon competes with Apple, Google Inc and other technology companies in the booming market for mobile devices, fast becoming the preferred tools for consumers to access media over the Internet.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5 next week, and Microsoft and Nokia launched their powerful Windows phone on Wednesday. Some analysts also expect Apple to launch a smaller iPad Mini tablet this year to compete with the 7-inch Kindle Fire.
Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, taking the stage in Santa Monica, California, said the company wants to make money when people use its devices, not when they initially buy them.
While Bezos did not mention Apple by name during his presentation, the company compared its new tablets to the iPad several times in its press release describing the devices.
Amazon also showed a comparison of the Kindle Fire HD 32GB 4G tablet versus the iPad 3 wireless device on a big screen at the Santa Monica event. The purchase price, plus the data plan, came to a one-year cost of $549 for the Amazon tablet and $959 for the iPad.
Bezos also described the Kindle as a service, with hardware critical to its digital content business.
Amazon touted a $50 annual fee on 250 megabytes of data via AT&T Inc as the world's most-affordable tablet-wireless plan. While that would suffice for very light usage a user would not be able to download an entire movie heavier consumers would have to pay for more data.
Amazon said users will be able to upgrade to more expensive 3- and 5-gigabyte data plans directly from AT&T via the devices.
The new Kindle Fire HD tablets come with a front-facing camera, paired with a customized, pre-installed application from Skype that allows users to video chat for free, Amazon said.
The company also unveiled several new services to support the tablets, such as X-Ray for movies and Kindle FreeTime.
X-Ray allows users to look up information on actors in scenes without leaving the flick.
FreeTime is a new parental control system that lets parents set limits on how their kids use the tablets. For instance, a 30-minute limit can be put on games, while read time is unlimited.
New e-readers
Amazon also showed off its new family of "paperwhite" e-readers, with sharper screens and longer battery life. Like the Kindle Fire, they too will hit store shelves in time for the crucial holiday season.
The 3G wireless version that made digital readers mainstream will sell for $179 starting in October, in time for the crucial holiday season. A Wi-Fi-only version will go for $119, and the cheapest will carry a $69 price tag undercutting the cheapest Barnes and Noble Nook.

All Resources Taken from NEWS

Review: Skype phone and adapter for home calling

With two new products, Skype has made it easier to make Internet calls from home phones, for savings on international calls and potentially also domestic ones.

But compared to other Internet calling options for the home, Skype's solution is a piecemeal and complicated way to save money. All the same, some Skype fans may appreciate the new cordless phone with a built-in Skype function.

We tested the phone along with the new Freetalk Connect-Me phone adapter, which Skype sells for $40. That price includes an hour calling. For an additional $20, you can get free calls to the U.S. and Canada for a year. Calls to people on Skype (as opposed to those reached by dialing a number) are free, no matter where they are.

The adapter is a small box that plugs into a power outlet. You connect cables to your Internet router, your phone jack and your home phone.

When you make a Skype call, the adapter diverts the call from the external phone line to your Internet connection. But first you have to pre-program the adapter to recognize certain speed-dial numbers as corresponding to Skype contacts or phone numbers. Since it's truly a "black box" - with no buttons or screen - you reach it through your computer's Web browser.

This clunky setup prevents you from making impromptu Skype calls. Because your phone isn't designed to work with Skype, you can't access your Skype address book directly on the handset, or see who's online to take your calls. Since home phones don't have cameras, you won't be able to do video calls.

On the plus side, the phone lets you receive Skype calls at any time, without having your computer on.

But what really sinks the Skype adapter in my esteem is the sound quality. On calls to international and domestic phones, there were odd hissing noises in the background and voices were muffled. One person I called heard her own echo, a common phenomenon on poorly configured Internet phone systems.

The audio improved greatly, to the level of a good cellphone call, when I ditched the adapter for the other recent Skype release, the GE Digital Cordless Expandable phone. It costs $70 with 400 minutes of calls thrown in. For another $20, you get a year of calls to the U.S. and Canada and 200 minutes of calls to international phones.

It looks like any cordless phone, except it has a prominent "Skype" button. It can make and receive regular phone calls, and the buttons and screen make it a lot easier to make Skype calls than it is with the adapter. The phone shows you which of your Skype contacts are online, and when you dial a number, you can choose whether to route it through Skype or the phone company.

It sounds good to be able to choose between the boring old phone company and the jazzy new Internet guerrilla for every call. But how much money will that really save you?

Most plans from phone and cable companies already include unlimited domestic calling, so there isn't much point to running those over Skype. Their international rates, though, are good. And of course, calls to Skype contacts are free.

But if you call the same few people overseas over and over again, and they're not big Skype users, there's another way of making cheap Skype calls from your home phone, without the use of an adapter or special phone. You can sign up for the To Go service on Skype's website. If you give it an international number that you like to call, it will give you a local number back. Call that number from your home phone, and Skype connects your international call at its rates, rather than the phone company's. It's like a calling card, but without the hassle of entering a bunch of numbers on the phone. (A competitor called Rebtel has a similar service.)

The drawback to Skype To Go is that you can only call phone numbers - it won't connect you to Skype users for free.

Now, it looks like you could reap some really big savings by eliminating your home phone service altogether in favor of the Skype phone or adapter. After all, Skype charges about as much for a year's worth of service as a phone or cable company does for a month.

But Skype isn't set up as a replacement for a landline, and points this out at every opportunity. For one thing, you can't call 911 on it. Also, Skype doesn't give you a phone number, unless you pay another $18 per three-month period. Without a phone number, you can make outgoing calls, but you can't receive them. The exception would be any Skype call routed to your username. Try giving that to the doctor's office! And even if you pay for a phone number, it will be a new one - you can't move your existing home number over to Skype.

See what I mean about a piecemeal solution? It's like you have to pay for every little piece of the puzzle.

To really break free from the phone or cable company, you need a full-service Internet calling product, like those sold by Vonage Holdings Corp. or Ooma. Both support 911 calls, and let you move over your phone number. Ooma's sound quality is practically indistinguishable from a regular landline.

Skype is a victim of its limited ambitions when it comes to home phone service. It wants to be an Internet phone company, but doesn't want to bother with all the regulation and nitty-gritty details that come with the "phone company" part. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft Corp., which is planning to buy Skype for $8.5 billion, will take it in a different direction.

All Resources taken from NEWS

Lenovo unveils business ultrabook for Rs. 85,000

Chinese computer-maker Lenovo, which also sells the IBM brand of PCs, today launched ultrabook named ThinkPad X1 Carbon and said it plans to scale up its Think range of exclusive retail outlets to 30 in the domestic market."Currently, we have two exclusive Think Business Stores at Jaipur and Pune. We put up only Think products in these stores based on customer feedback. We now aim to put across 30 such stores," says, Amar Babu, Managing Director, Lenovo India.
According to Lenovo, ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the world's lightest business ultrabook. Babu, however, did not offer a timeline for the rollout of these stores.
Besides, the company has also plans to add another 500 retail outlets in its bid to penetrate deeper, he said.
Basu said the company is quite bullish both in the medium and long-term notwithstanding the current dip.
"The PC penetration in the domestic market is in single-digits as against about 30 percent in other emerging markets like Brazil and Russia. So we have a huge opportunity here.
May be there is a temporary dip but in the medium and long-term we are quite bullish about the growth," he said.
Babu said Lenovo India has grown faster in the last few years, "Last year we grew about 48 percent, which was seven times the industry growth."
The company commands 17.1 percent market share with consumer segment accounting for nearly 12 per cent and SMB segment seven percent, last quarter, he said.
"Our enterprise business was strong and now has become even stronger, while consumer and SMB segments have actually gained market share with the kind of synergy that we have put in place," he said.
Declining to offer investment plans here, Babu said that Lenovo has made significant investments to expand its consumer and SMB portfolios besides positioning the brand.
"We have also set up 1,000 odd exclusive franchisees, and have built service network to support our expansion. This investment has helped us grow our market share," he said.
However, the company has not cut down on investment despite the choppy market conditions as Lenovo is here for the long-term, he said.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, priced at Rs 85,000, weighs just under three pounds.

All Resources taken from NEWS

HP announces Envy Spectre XP ultrabook starting Rs. 64,990

HP has announced the launch of Envy Spectre XP ultrabook in the Indian market.

The HP Envy Spectre XP ultrabook comes with a 13.3-inch 1366x768 display and is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors. At 0.57 inch thickness at its thinnest point, the HP Envy Spectre XP is one of the thinnest ultrabooks out there, though not quite as sleek as the Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook introduced earlier this month.

The HP Envy Spectre XP ultrabook boasts of an all-metal design and is one of the rare ultrabooks that does not look identical to the MacBook Air. HP looks to have spent some time and effort in designing this ultrabook, as is evident from the different hinge and speaker design. The HP Envy Spectre XP comes with SSD storage and 4 speakers with Beat Audio, that certainly offer above average sound output for its class.

The HP Envy Spectre XP comes with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, a full-sized HDMI port, SD card reader, headphone-cum-mic 3.5mm port and a "spring-loaded" Ethernet port. It also comes with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. That's pretty much all the bases covered.

The HP Envy Spectre XP ultrabook comes preloaded with full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Adobe Premiere Elements 10, as well as two years of Norton Internet Security, and Intel Identity Protection.

The HP Envy Spectre XP ultrabook with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD is priced at 64,990 plus taxes.

How does Apple's iPhone 5 compare against the competition

Apple has taken the wraps off its iPhone 5 and it will be available in seven countries starting September 21. By now everybody knows that it in indeed taller and faster than its predecessor but how does it match up to its arch rivals. Recently, all major smartphone makers had launched their flagship smartphones. Samsung has been betting big with its Galaxy S III, which is a successor to its popular Galaxy S II smartphone. On the other hand, HTC has introduced HTC One X. Sony and Nokia too have warmed up to the smartphone race with Sony Xperia T and Nokia Lumia 920. Nokia Lumia 920 will be the first Nokia smartphone to run on Windows Phone 8 and offer wireless charging.
We have pitted all these smartphones against each other for specs by specs comparison. It's noteworthy, that as of now only Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X are available in the Indian market while the rest are expected to make their way soon.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" vs Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface, Galaxy Note 10.1

Moving in the high-end tablet market, Amazon revealed its first full-HD tablet Kindle Fire HD 8.9" on Thursday. Featuring some of industry leading features, Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is going to compete with the likes of Apple's new iPad, Samsung's recently launched Galaxy Note 10.1, Microsoft Surface with Windows RT.Amazon Kindle Fire HD not only improves on the display, but also comes with the latest generation dual-core processor from Texas Instruments. Amazon CEO claims that the TI OMAP 4470 processor outperforms NVIDIA's Tegra 3 quad-core processor.
Company is releasing two variants of the tablet - Wi-Fi only and 4G LTE. Both are scheduled to go on sale starting November 20th. But, will be able to take on the existing tablets? We did quick specs comparison to find out how it stacks up against the competitors.
Also see: Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" vs Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Kindle Fire

All Resources taken from NEWS

Samsung Galaxy Note II comes to India for Rs. 39,990

Samsung has launched its Galaxy Note II phablet in India. This is first Samsung device to be launched with Android Jelly Bean on board.

Samsung had first unveiled Galaxy Note II at IFA 2012. Just like the original Note device, Note II is also a smartphone-tablet hybrid. It sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. It has a 3100mAh battery and has 16GB internal storage expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card.

The device features a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera. Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Note II comes with the S-Pen stylus for taking notes on the device. In terms of connectivity, Samsung Galaxy Note II offers 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0.

Samsung Galaxy Note II also packs in features such as Air View, Popup Note and Quick Command. (To read more about the features also read Samsung Galaxy Note II: Top six features )

Samsung Galaxy Note II is available in two colours - titanium grey and marble white. This device will be available in Samsung exclusive stores from next week. The phablet has been priced at Rs. 39,990, which makes it slightly more expensive than the launch price of the original Galaxy Note. Given the dollar appreciation since last year, that's not a surprising move.

About a week ago, Samsung had started taking pre-booking of this device on Samsung's official India e-store.

Samsung had launched its original Note device in November 2011 and has managed to ship 10 million units of the same by August 2012.

Galaxy Note II launch
Key Specs

• Display: 5.5-inch HD SuperAMOLED touchscreen Operating system: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Processor: Quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex A-9
• Storage: 16, 32 and 64GB, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card
• RAM: 2GB
• Connectivity: 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0
• Camera: 8megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 1.9 megapixel front camera Battery: 3,100mAh

 All resources taken from NEWS

Micromax announces Android 4.0 tablet Funbook Infinity for Rs. 6,699

Micromax has added yet another tablet to its portfolio in the form of Funbook Infinity.

The Android 4.0 sporting Funbook Infinity comes with a 7-inch display and is powered by a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB RAM. It comes with 4GB internal storage, expandable by 32GB with a micro-SD card. Like other Micromax tablets, the Funbook Infinity comes with 3G dongle support and Wi-Fi connectivity. The tablet is equipped with 2.0-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front facing camera.

Micromax claims the 4000mAh battery ensures browsing time of more than 6 hours and a standby time of 260 hours. The new Funbook infinity also comes with a USB port that can be used to share files.The tablet also features pre-installed Adobe Flash player.

Micromax Funbook Infinity comes with access to Google Play store for apps and other content. Micromax continues its partnership with McGraw Hill, Everonn, Pearson, and Vriti for its educational content and entertainment partnership with BigFilx, Zenga, Hangama & IndiaGames. Also preloaded are two movies, Rowdy Rathore and Tees Maar Khan.

It's been around 20 days since Micromax announced a product, which is an eternity in the Micromax universe, so we're not surprised to see yet another product emerge from the Micromax stable. Earlier this month Micromax had announced dual-SIM A25 Smarty Android smartphone for Rs. 3,999.
 

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Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 820 pricing revealed; go on sale November

 


If you were waiting for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 prices, we have the first prices. According to Nokia's Russian unit, which recent started taking pre-order for both the Windows Phone 8 devices, Lumia 920 will be sold for 24,990 rubles ($801) and the Lumia 820 at 19,990 rubles ($640).
When Nokia had announced these smartphones earlier this month at an event, the company had revealed neither the pricing nor the availability details, but thanks to the pre-orders, we now know that both the devices will go on sale in mid-November.
Company's German and Italian offices have also revealed the prices of both the smartphones
Germany: Nokia Lumia 920 €649 ($836) | Lumia 820 €499 ($643)
Italy: Nokia Lumia 920 €599 ($772) | Lumia 820 €499 ($643)
Nokia Lumia 920, which is the company flagship phone, features 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, wireless charging support, 2000 mAH battery, 8.7MP rear camera, 1GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 1.2MP front camera, and Micro-USB port.
On the other hand, Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range phone and it will come with 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Clearblack display, 8GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera, VGA front camera, NFC and Windows Phone 8 OS.
The release dates revealed by the regional offices of Nokia are in line with a previous report from Reuters, which suggested November release of these smartphones.
With the November release, Nokia is aiming to capture the holiday sales, but given the iPhone 5 and Note II are already on sale, it will probably have a tough time.

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Google starts selling Nexus 7 in Japan for $250

Google Inc launched its Nexus 7 tablet in Japan, as well as local language movies and books, in what has rapidly become one of its biggest global markets for digital downloads.

Japan is the first country in Asia outside Australia to sell the 16-gigabyte device, which went on sale online Tuesday for 19,800 yen and will be available in retail stores on October 2. The device is already available in France, Germany, Spain, Canada, the UK and the United States, according to Google.

Japan has rapidly embraced the smartphone, with devices running Google's Android operating system tripling in the past year, according to Google. Google said that Japan now ranks third in terms of downloaded applications from its Play store.

Google makes most of its money from advertising and with the rise of mobile users, is seeing increasing traffic to its YouTube video website. In Japan and South Korea, more than half of YouTube downloads are from mobile devices, some of the highest ratios in the world.

Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, attended the launch and later told a briefing that growth in the smartphone market would lead to a boom in new startup companies in Japan focused on shopping.

"It is the defining platform and the defining battle in our industry," he said.

While Google has long lagged Yahoo Japan in the domestic search market, in launching the tablet and downloadable content, it has stolen a march on Amazon.com Inc , which has yet to launch its own Kindle in Japan. Local player Rakuten Inc launched its own e-reader device, the Kobo, in July.

The primary challenge has been persuading local content providers to share content. Google said that in addition to the movies for rent it has offered Japanese consumers, it would for the first time sell movies from Sony Corp and Paramount.

In addition, Google will begin providing Japanese-language book titles on Google Play. The Android system allows users to read the same titles and pick up where they lift off on another device.

The global tablet market is dominated by Apple Inc and its iPad, which represented about 70 percent of global sales in the second quarter, and also includes Barnes & Noble Inc's Nook and Samsung Electronic's Galaxy Tab.