Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

4 Apps to Lower Your Smartphone Bill

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4 Apps to Lower Your Smartphone Bill 





Who uses their phone to make calls anymore? It seems as if smartphones hardly make it up to users’ ears these days and instead get regularly used to text, share pictures, video chat, update our social networks or search the web. While convenient, smartphones aren’t cheap. 

According to J.D. Power and Associates, U.S.- based families spent on average $139 a month last year on their cell phone bills. While some of the costs are out of your control, there are ways you can reduce your bill. Developers have created a slew of apps that let you text, video chat and even make phone calls for free. Here’s a look at four:

WhatsApp

While most carriers offer text messaging plans, going over your selected plan can result in a jaw-dropping statement. Text messaging has become the main form of communication for many users, and app developers have responded to the trend with several free services.

1. WhatsApp, a wildly popular free texting app works on the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows-based phones. The app allows you to message across platforms without having to pay for SMS by using your internet data plan to send the messages.

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Thursday, 26 September 2013

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year

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ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 



ZTE is one of the few companies making a sly side-bet on Firefox OS, and next year it's planning to double-down on that initial wager with the launch of a second handset running Mozilla's smartphone platform. Speaking with IDG's Michael Kan at Expo Comm China 2013, ZTE's Executive VP He Shiyou expects the device to land first half 2014, with a larger display than its predecessor, a dual-core processor, a "revamped user experience" and, of course, a low price tag. The exec also said that, with approximately 100,000 units sold, demand for the ZTE Open "has exceeded supply," and he anticipates double that figure in total sales. ZTE deliberately manufactured the Open on a small scale, but is optimistic about future adoption of Firefox OS. Shiyou believes HTML5-based apps will become more relevant as speedy network technology like LTE reduces reliance on native software, stating: "In the future, the app store business model will be no more."
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Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

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Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models






Three new Kindle Fires have risen from the ashes of Amazon's current tablet range, which the company has tossed into the flames in favour of more powerful specs, superior screens and better battery life.

At the top end of the new lineup are the Kindle Fire HDX tablets, which directly replace the current Kindle Fire devices. Two models will be available -- an 8.9-inch version with a 2560x1600-pixel display, which works out at 339 pixels per inch (ppi), and a 7-inch model with a 1920x1200-pixel screen at 323 ppi. Read more: http://bit.ly/16zbXMN
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Saturday, 21 September 2013

BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

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BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend






BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details : http://bit.ly/15Eo3II
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Tuesday, 17 September 2013

LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?

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LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?




According to Ausdroid and several other publications around the net, LG and Google will officially be taking the wraps off the LG Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October. The timing makes sense given past Nexus events held by Google in October, but nothing has actually been confirmed by the company.

Past FCC filings noted the Nexus 5 features Qi wireless charging capabilities inside of the back cover, which will allow customers to place their device on a charging stone and forget cords. You'll find LTE bands (unlike the Nexus 4), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and of course, CDMA / EVDO rev A, pentaband DC-HSPA+ and quadband GSM / EDGE.

The FCC documents further revealed a 4.96-inch diagonal for display, hence the Nexus 5 name, with a length and width of 131.9 mm x 68.2 mm. A Snapdragon 800 SoC was also mentioned.

With the LG Nexus 5 allegedly getting Android 4.4 KitKat in mid-October, this means other Nexus handsets will follow in subsequent days. Ausdroid says to expect updates in the fragmentation/screen resizing area, Miracast updates, new Gallery Visualisation, new APIs regarding animations, and new notification widgets. Perhaps most notably, the blue default colour scheme found in past versions of Android will be changed to other preset palette colours. 

Of course as we do with all rumours, we suggest you take this one with a healthy grain of salt. At any rate, an October release is sounding more than likely. 

Source: Ausdroid
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Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Micromax giving Samsung a run for its money, says report

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Micromax giving Samsung a run for its money, says report




Domestic handset maker Micromax today said it aims to become the number one player in India in the smartphone category by Diwali on the back of excellent demand for its Canvas series. "As per the IDC figures for Q2, we are at number two with 22 per cent market share and given the growth we are seeing in the phablet category (Canvas series), we are aiming to be the top player by Diwali, which is Q3," Micromax Co-Founder Rahul Sharma said.

According to IDC figures for Q2 of 2013, Micromax stayed at No 2 spot and crossed the 2 million units mark in shipments. "The vendor is banking on the wave of phablet- driven smartphone adoption and is pushing the Canvas range of devices with bigger screens and compelling imaging capabilities," IDC said.

Sharma said IDC data substantiates its success, considering the fact that the maximum growth in Indian smartphone category has happened 5 inch-6.99 inch category which has grown 17 times year on year and the phablet share has steadily risen to 30 per cent of the smartphone market in Q2.

Micromax has increased its share from 18.8 per cent in the last quarter to 22 per cent.

"Micromax has crossed the 2 million units shipment mark in Q2 2013 and is poised to be the number one smartphone player in India by Q3. We hope to surpass USD 1 billion in revenues with our innovative product strategy, strong distribution and marketing focused on the Indian youth," Sharma said.

"We hope to cross 2.5 million units marks by third quarter of this year," he added. Without commenting on the number, Sharma said the company will continue launching new devices in third quarter also.

"With the kind of growth we are achieving, our strategy is working in right direction and going forward, we continue to stick to it," he added.

Sharma said not only in India, the company is among the top three players in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also and exploring new markets too.
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Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Nexus 7 finds Apple napping

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Nexus 7 finds Apple napping







Google has beat Apple at its own Retina-display-thumping game. Meet the Nexus 7, the eye-popping 323-pixels-per-inch wonder.
It is, in a way, the (rumored) iPad Mini Retina wrapped in Android 4.3.
Here's the deal: If you can find most of the apps you need on Google's Play Store and would like a small tablet with the highest resolution display on any tablet to date (i.e., higher than the 9.7-inch Retina iPad and way higher than the iPad Mini), then the second-generation Nexus 7 may be a good choice.
How did this happen? Well, Google, Asus (the device manufacturer), and Japan Display Inc. (the display maker) have managed, for the first time, to slap a smartphone-density display on a small tablet.
Without getting too technical, the second-gen Nexus 7 uses a display technology (called low-temperature polysilicon, for those keeping score) from Japan Display that has been used, to date, only on phones like, ironically, Apple's iPhone 5 (which has a pixel density of 326, just slightly more than the new Nexus 7).
Maybe more ironically, Apple is considering the same technology for a future Mini Retina, according to Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. When that Mini would appear ranges from sometime in October (optimistic) to early next year (pessimistic).
Analysts have told me that the 7-inch 1,920x1,200 display on the Nexus 7 may be the upper size limit for Japan Display's ultra-high-resolution technology -- at the moment. In other words, JDI's tech is not quite ready to scale up to the larger 7.9-inch screen on the Mini.
Whatever the case, you can pick up the new Nexus 7 for $230 at some Best Buy stores as of Friday. That's about $100 less than Apple's cheapest Mini (which I also own) but with a much better screen and a faster (quad-core) processor.
That's a really tough hardware/price proposition for Apple to beat, in my opinion.
I like the Mini a lot. I'm not sure yet but I may like the second-gen Nexus 7 better.
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Monday, 22 July 2013

Canvas 4 review: The best Micromax smartphone yet

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Canvas 4 review: The best Micromax smartphone yet




Glossy plastic with a hint of aluminium
The build quality of Canvas 4 is a notch above Canvas HD. Even though both devices use glossy plastic shells, the quality of material used in Canvas 4 is better. The back cover, which can be removed to access SIM, microSD card slots and battery, is glossy and smooth. But it has a fine pattern - similar to the one seen on some sea shells - which makes the device look premium and polished.

Another highlight of the design is the aluminium strip around the device, which not only adds to the looks of the device but also make more sturdy. The power button located on the right side and the volume rocker on the left have also been made of aluminium. It is a nice touch and a pleasant change from the plastic buttons found on most of the phones.
For a budget phone, Canvas 4 has a fantastic screen. The resolution is still 720P (1280 x 720 pixels) but the quality of picture is much better. It can show punchy and saturated colours and brightness is higher compared to the screen on Canvas HD. The good resolution means the screen is sharp and text looks clear on it. The touch sensitivity and refresh rate too seem to be slightly better.
The camera is the other highlight because it carries the 13MP tag. Yes, Canvas 4 can shoot images that are 13 mega pixels in size. Unfortunately, quality of the pixels that make up these images is not good. The camera captures nice colours but it seems the way the phone processes the images rob them of details. The result is that images suffer from noise as well as lack of detail. In daylight, it is possible to get usable images with Canvas HD. But in low light conditions or if you are shooting close ups, the camera performance is poor.
On videos, performance is better. The device can record decent FullHD videos and keeps subjects in focus. We would have liked to see videos recoded in MP4 format instead of 3GP that Canvas 4 uses, but for shooting clear...
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Friday, 12 July 2013

Federal judge finds Apple guilty of conspiring to raise ebook prices

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Federal judge finds Apple guilty of conspiring to raise ebook prices

Apple has been found guilty of conspiring with book publishers to raise ebook prices, in one of the biggest anti-trust lawsuits ever brought by US federal authorities.

US district judge Denise Cote ruled on Wednesday that the company played a "central role" in a conspiracy with the biggest book publishers in the US to fix prices in violation of antitrust law.

Executives from the companies would meet in the private dining rooms of upscale New York restaurants to bemoan the low prices charged by the ebooks market leader Amazon, and what they could do about it, Cote said in her ruling.

Cote ruled that that damages would be determined at a new hearing. Apple continued to deny on Wednesday that it had done anything wrong, and said it planned an appeal.

The ruling was not unexpected, as Cote had earlier suggested that Apple's defense would fail, and the publishers – Hachette Book Group Inc, Macmillan, HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster – settled with the Department of Justice ahead of the trial. With Random House, these six firms are the largest publishers of trade books in the United States.
In a statement after the ruling, Apple said:
Apple did not conspire to fix ebook pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations. When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong and we will appeal the judge's decision.
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After Reader, Google to kill Latitude

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After Reader, Google to kill Latitude





The Google Latitude service was originally created by Google to provide users access to selected friends location on Google Maps. Latitude is following Google Reader. The service will disappear on August 9th, Google announced today. The Google Latitude service was originally created to provide users access to selected friends' locations on Google Maps. The services that will retire include Google Latitude in Google Maps for Android, Latitude for iPhone, the Latitude API, the public badge, the iGoogle Gadget, and the Latitude website at maps.google.com/latitude. 

Google explains that they will delete your list of friends on Latitude and you will no longer be able to see or manage friends and existing friends will no longer see your location. 

Google announced a new version of Google Maps for iOS and Android (version 7.0) on Tuesday. Google hasn't technically declared it, but Latitude appears to be the latest service casualty to fall to the company's expanding focus on Google+. The latest version of Google+ for Android includes the ability to check in to locations using Yelp and Foursquare and share current locations in new posts.

Those who want more on-the-go minute location data from consenting friends and family appear to be left without an option starting August. 

The new Google Maps app has some changes that users may not appreciate so much. The 'My Maps' support for instance has gone though Google says it will return in a future version.
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Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Shopping through smartphones on the rise

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Shopping through smartphones on the rise


Shopping through smartphones on the rise: Study 

As many as 78 per cent of smartphone users also frequently use their phones in a store to compare products, says a study conducted among 400 smartphone and social media users in the country. An online study among smartphone users has found that 65 per cent of them use their phones to make a retail purchase, and 81 per cent of them frequently use social media to seek advice before making a purchase.

As many as 78 per cent of smartphone users also frequently use their phones in a store to compare products, says a study conducted among 400 smartphone and social media users in the country.

The study, carried out by First Data Corp-ICICI Merchant Services, was carried out in 10 countries including India in April among 4,000 people.

It further finds that almost four-fifths of smartphone users have at least one retailer app on their phone.

Given the unique proliferation of mobile phones in the country, an increasingly large number of Indians are turning to mobile phones as their first daily touch point to the internet, Nitish Asthana, executive director at First Data Corp, told PTI.

First Data is a global technology and payments processing leader.

In a lot of cases, the number of users of mobile devices is growing faster than web traffic. For an e-commerce company to keep pace with market trends, the mobile phone has become an important conduit, he said.

Noting that consumers here are going through a fundamental shift in their primary channel of Internet access, he said this channel is increasingly becoming the smartphones.

The study also finds that despite security concerns, online banking is on the rise in the country with more and more consumers asking for online banking services.

This is clear from the fact that over half the respondents feel that online debit card and credit card purchases are secure (56 and 51 per cent, respectively), while 49 per cent feel that using their mobiles to make a payment at a...
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Thursday, 20 June 2013

Skype evolves into a Snapchat competitor with Video Messages

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Skype evolves into a Snapchat competitor with Video Messages

Staying in touch with friends and family while on-the-go is insanely easy nowadays, since most of us are always connected all the time. But who wants to call people these days? We all text or chat instead. Well, now you don’t have to just text. Instead, you can video text to your heart’s content. As of today, Skype now offers unlimited video messaging to all of its users. Previously, this feature was limited to just 20 messages per free account. A premium account was required to use it more.
But before you get too excited, we should let you know: there are some limitations. As of now, this is available only on Mac, Windows 8 and Windows desktop, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. So if your device of choice doesn’t fall into any of those categories (sorry Windows Phone users), you’re out of luck … at least, for now. But it’s not all bad news. Though Windows Phone users can’t send video messages, Skype says that any device is capable of receiving and viewing one, as long as it has the Skype software installed. 
To create a video message, there are four steps:
Tap the Video Message icon.
Tap Record to start filming a clip up to three minutes long.
Review your video to decide whether to keep it or send it.
Tap the envelope icon and off it goes!
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this quick, minute-long video tutorial, but seriously, we think you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Watch the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=88nDTJyEIz4
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Tuesday, 11 June 2013

ET Review: BlackBerry Q10

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ET Review: BlackBerry Q10





The Q10 is similar to the Bold 9900 in shape & size, but has a larger 3.1-inch super amoled touchscreen and improved keypad. The four-row keypad now has larger keys, a wider layout and feels more comfortable to type on. The display is fantastic but the 1:1 (square) aspect ratio sometimes ruins the video experience. Since most videos are 16:9, they run in a smaller frame on the phone. Performance is great — games and HD videos ran without any hitch even with multiple email and social networking accounts running in the background. It also shares the rear 8MP and front 2MP camera with the Z10. Like the Z10, the performance from the camera is fantastic — you get rich colours, sharp details and minimal noise. 

The Q10 has a 2,100mAh battery that easily lasted us over a day and half — impressive for a BlackBerry device. For those who love physical QWERTY keypads, the Q10 is the ultimate device. 

However at Rs 44,990 (850 USD), it's also insanely expensive. Because of the price, the Q10 has very stiff competition: the HTC One, Samsung's Galaxy S4 and the Apple iPhone 5.
Specifications 

3.1-inch super amoled (720 x 720 pixels) display, 1.5Ghz dual-core, 2GB RAM, 16GB + microSD, 8MP/2MP camera, BlackBerry 10, 2,100mAh, 139g 

Fantastic keyboard, stunning display, camera and audio performance, battery life 

Expensive, 1:1 aspect ratio not ideal for watching videos, not all apps compatible.
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Monday, 3 June 2013

Sony develops Digital Paper device

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Sony develops Digital Paper device 

Digital paper – does this particular term sound rather ironic to you? It does to us actually, although it is a kind of technology that we would more than welcome. Mention Sony and you would think of their Bravia TVs, the PlayStation consoles over the years, and of course, who can forget about the iconic portable music player line that kicked it all off – the Walkman? Having said that, Sony’s foray into the world of tablets has not exactly been an encouraging one to date where its track record is concerned, since their only major notable presence at this point in time would be the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. Well, perhaps they might be able to make larger strides than what they have already achieved with the aforementioned tablet if they were to incorporate some digital paper into future products. After all, Sony has successfully developed a 13.3” digital paper device, where the main aim would be to do away with paper educational materials and documents while helping improve learning effects and productivity among others.

Sony has every plan to propose new learning and working styles through the use of such a device, in addition to having it deliver, store, write and share electronic files over a network. As for the digital paper, Sony has made use of a 13.3” flexible electrophoretic display that relies on its own technology which will form TFTs on a plastic substrate with a high resolution (and that, our dear readers, would be the so-called electronic paper). This unique display can show up to 16 levels of grayscale and has a pixel count of 1,200 x 1,600.

Not only that, it is said that the thickness and mass of the digital paper are just 6.8mm if you do not take into consideration its pen holder and 358g, respectively. You can use it for up to three weeks on a single charge (and this is assuming that the Wi-Fi function is turned off, and PDF files are viewed for an hour each day), which will also include the use of the hand-writing function for five minutes per day. Anyone want to see Sony succeed?
This post was written by hostgatorcouponclub that gives great hostgator coupons
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Samsung launches biggest Galaxy phones in India First impression

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Samsung launches biggest Galaxy phones in India  First impression

Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3 are big devices. But what is likely to strike a user about them is that they are still quite compact and accessible. Galaxy Mega 5.8 is especially compact when compared to most of the large screen devices from local vendors like Spice and Micromax.

In terms of size, Samsung claims that both devices are pocketable. But after checking them out we are no so sure. Both devices are too big to be carried in jeans pockets. Mega 6.3 is especially big, though it should appeal to people who have to carry a 7-inch tablet and find it too big.

The design of both devices follow the pattern set by Galaxy S4. This means, both devices are a bit squarer than Galaxy Grand or Galaxy Note II. As it is usual for a Samsung smartphone, the devices are constructed using the glossy plastic. The back covers, which have a fine-diamond pattern first seen on Galaxy S4, can be removed. However, despite plastic, the devices have been built very well and finishing appears top notch.

Mega 5.8 uses a TFT screen. It shows good and punchy colours, however, the resolution looks a tad low, especially compared to smartphones with 720P screens.

Mega 6.8 uses a super LCD screen. In terms of showing colours, the screen is good but the text and images don't look as sharp as they do on a device like Galaxy Note II.

Both devices run Android 4.2 customized with Touchwiz interface. While using the device we found the devices to have smooth and lag-free navigations. However, pinch and zoom on heavy web pages or multitasking tend to feel a little slower compared to the performance on devices like Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Note II.
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Thursday, 30 May 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini confirmed via Samsung Apps website!

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini confirmed via Samsung Apps website! 

Looks like someone in Samsung Apps team jumped the gun and listed the unannounced Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini on the website. This not only confirms the existence of the device but also suggests the impending arrival of the phone. The Samsung Apps listing does not reveal any device specific details but as per previous reports, the phone will come with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display (720p in LTE version) and 1.6GHz dual-core processor.

The phone will also come with 1GB of RAM (2GB in LTE version), Android 4.2, 8MP rear camera and 2100 mAh battery.

We have previously heard that Samsung is going to announced Galaxy S4 Mini along with S4 Active and Zoom by the end-of-May. So, it is possible that we will see the official announcement in the next couple of days.
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Saturday, 25 May 2013

Karbonn Smart A4+ entry-level Android smartphone available online for Rs 5,299 (100 USD)

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Karbonn Smart A4+ entry-level Android smartphone available online for Rs 5,299 (100 USD) 

A couple of months back Karbonn launched two entry-level smartphones called the A3 and the A4. The folks at FoneArena have now spotted a new device called the Karbonn Smart A4+, which looks like the successor to the A4, available on e-commerce sites for Rs 5,299.

In terms of specifications, the dual-SIM A4+ sports a 4-inch TFT (400×800 pixels) display and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. Other features included on the smartphone are a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, misses out on a front-facing camera, expandable memory up to 32GB using a microSD card and a 1,250mAH battery.

On the software front, the device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but lacks support for 3G.
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Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 launch

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Samsung Galaxy S4 launch
Samsung Galaxy S4 launch





Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi were recently in the capital to launch the new Samsung Galaxy S4. Samsung held events in Delhi and Bangalore, where celebrity couples handed over the devices to enthusiastic customers waiting in long queues to get their hands on the phone.

The device has the world's first Full HD Super AMOLED display to showcase images at their best. Its 5-inch large screen has 441ppi for stunning viewing quality. Equipped with a 13 megapixel rear camera, the phone enables users to take pictures in many different ways. Dual Shot allows simultaneous use of both front and rear cameras. Users can choose from a variety of frame effects, which blend the two pictures naturally. Drama Shot enables users to see all the action in one continuous time-lapse image. Sound & Shot stores sound and voice in unison as the picture is taken so those special moments are captured in the truest form imaginable. Animated Photo allows the user to take a series of shots and pick one part of the photo to move while the others stay still. 

Group Play enables users to enjoy music, photos, documents and games with those around them without requiring a Wi-Fi AP or cellular signal. Users can connect directly with others to share, play and co-create content and entertainment instantly. With Share Music, they can have the same song playing on multiple phones in sync to create the best party atmosphere. 

Smart enough to detect your face, voice and motions to enable screen control with no need for finger touch activation, this device delivers effortless tasking, making life easier and hassle-free. Air Gesture allows users to change the music track they are listening to with a wave of their hand. Air View will preview photos and emails by hovering over the screen with your finger. Samsung Smart Pause enables you to control the screen by where you look. When you are watching a video, the video pauses when you look away then it starts again when you look back. 

Lara Dutta summed up the device at the launch by saying, "It's truly designed to be a Life Companion."
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Sunday, 28 April 2013

GOOGLE NOW MAY BE COMING TO GOOGLE’S HOMEPAGE

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GOOGLE NOW MAY BE COMING TO GOOGLE’S HOMEPAGE
Google’s award-winning intelligent personal assistant Google Now may be heading to the company’s homepage. The unofficial Google Operating System blog recently discovered the new feature mentioned in a series of code. Google Now is currently only available on Android smartphones and tablets running version 4.1 or later, and is rumored to be heading to iOS and Chrome in the near future. Adding Google Now to the company’s homepage will allow the feature to be utilized by billions of people worldwide. The source code suggests that Google Now on the Web will share the same features as on Android, allowing individuals to set a home and work location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions and nearby locations. Google could debut the new version of Google Now at its annual I/O Developers Conference on May 15th.
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Wednesday, 24 April 2013

The REAL caller ID- App that can turn your iPhone into an identity scanner unveiled

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The REAL caller ID- App that can turn your iPhone into an identity scanner unveiled





An iPhone case containing a host of biometric sensors capable of turning an iPhone into a hi-tech ID scanner has been revealed.
Stratus, made by US firm AOptix, can scan a person's iris, fingerprint, voice, and face.
The app, is expected to be used by law enforcement agencies and passport control staff around the world. It is hoped the system could soon replace current systems, which require a laptop and larger scanners.
In February, the Department of Defense paid AOptix $3 million to develop an enhanced solution using the tool that was revealed today.
The app will cost £130 ($199), with the case costing extra - although its price has not been confirmed yet.
'Until now, biometric identity verification has been delivered either by fixed location solutions or difficult to use mobile products with limited functionality,' said Alan Goode, Managing Director, Goode Intelligence,a firm which has been trialling the system. 
'By leveraging the capabilities of the iPhone, and its own deep experience in identity solutions, AOptix is providing an ideal mobile identity platform which will greatly expand the use of biometrics to many new applications and markets.'
The firm believes its system is the first to use an iPhone. 
To use it, users simply slip their handset into the special case and then launch the app. 'Our objective in developing AOptix Stratus was to create a product family that would deliver the benefits of biometric identification to a host of new users,' said Chuck Yort, Vice President and General Manager of Identity Solutions at AOptix. 
'We’ve received a great deal interest from law enforcement and border control, national and civil ID programs, and defense. 
'We anticipate AOptix Stratus will be embraced by healthcare, disaster relief, humanitarian aid and other areas where identity verification is essential but previous biometric techniques have been impossible or unacceptable. 'We’ve received strong encouragement from our partners and end users throughout our development and beta process and are delighted that the product is now available for purchase.'
Experts hailed the gadget as a major step forward for security.
'The launch of AOptix Stratus provides a capability for Smart Mobile Identity around iPhone that will open up a new range of applications for biometrics,' said Dr. Peter Waggett, Emerging Technology Program Leader at IBM. 
'The product provides the basis for an ecosystem of Smart Mobile Identity products and apps that we will use to develop and deliver solutions.' Watch the video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2310041/Look-phone-ID-app-scan-face-eyes-fingerprints-voice--iPhone.html
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