MUMBAI: Jaxtr Inc, founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Yogesh Patel, on Wednesday launched JaxtrSMS, a cross-platform open texting application to send SMSes to anyone in the world for free.
"We have developed this application that runs on all mobile
applications in the world, including iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys,
J2MEs, where one can send unlimited free text messages from his phone to
any mobile phone in the world," Jaxtr Inc CEO and co-founder and co-founder of Hotmail Sabeer Bhatia told reporters here.
At present it is very expensive for sending international SMSes costing Rs 5 per message, he said.
JaxtrSMS, which was developed in the country, is expecting at least 100 million subscriber base globally, he added.
"We witnessed tremendous response to this application during the soft
launch where users across 197 countries downloaded it in a few weeks and
expect 100 million subscribers by end of next year," Bhatia said.
The company will generate revenue through advertisements and premium
services like archiving texts, multimedia, video etc, which will be
available by mid next year, he said.
The premium services will be available for the subscribers at a very nominal cost, Bhatt said.
"We are talking with advertisers," he said. The US-based company is
looking at USD 10-15 million investment in JaxtrSMS in another couple of
months. "We are in talks with a few investors and are looking at
investing USD 10-15 million in a couple of months time," he added.
Bhatia said this application would be in accordance with the regulatory
provisions of the country. Globally, there are 4.2 billion texters
worldwide and it is expected to reach 12 trillion by 2015.
Paris:
Cellphone maker Nokia plans to launch a tablet that runs on Microsoft’s
Windows operating system in the summer of 2012, the head of Nokia
France told Les Echos newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday.
AFP
Nokia has said using Microsoft Windows 8 for tablets could be an
interesting opportunity for the company but it has not yet unveiled any
launch plans.
The tablet would compete with Apple’s iPad. “In June 2012, we will
have a tablet that runs on Windows 8,” Paul Amsellem told the newspaper.
When asked to comment on the report a Nokia spokesman said: “We have not announced any specific plans as it relates to tablets.”
Nokia last month unveiled two sleek new Microsoft Windows phones on
Wednesday in time for Christmas, a first step in the ailing cellphone
maker’s fightback against Apple and Google.
Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics, the world’s
top TV maker, is in last-stage talks with Google to roll out its Google
TVs, the head of Samsung’s TV division told reporters on Tuesday.
Google TV — which currently comes built-in on certain Sony Corp
television models and on Logitech International set-top boxes — allows
consumers to access online videos and websites on their TVs, as well as
specialised apps such as video games.
Samsung in January displayed a new Google TV-enabled Blu-ray player
and companion box at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but did not
commercialise the offerings.
Yoon Boo-keun, president of Samsung’s TV division, said the company
planned to unveil its Google TV at an event next year without
elaborating on the schedule, saying only the firm was working with
Google on the rollout.
Google
in October unveiled a revamped version of Google TV service, hoping to
making inroads into the living room despite consumers' lukewarm reaction
to its initial offering.Reuters.
Samsung’s Google TV service would differ from those of competitors, he said on the sidelines of a local forum.
Google in October unveiled a revamped version of Google TV service,
hoping to making inroads into the living room despite consumers’
lukewarm reaction to its initial offering.
Yoon also said Samsung plans to unveil TVs featuring next-generation
OLED displays at the upcoming CES to be held in January in Las Vegas.
OLED displays produce crisp images and do not need backlighting,
making them slimmer and more energy-efficient than LCDs, the most
popular type of flat TVs.
Yoon expected the global flat-panel TV market to grow by about 10
percent next year despite economic uncertainty, helped by sales growth
in internet-connected TVs and replacement demand. He also said Samsung
was looking to outperform the market next year.
TV makers are grappling with slowing demand and cutthroat competition that has squeezed margins.
The announcement of the iPhone 4S in India has become a matter of great brouhaha, with majority of the Indian community branding it as highly overpriced.
Though
there was anticipation of some much needed relief on the pricing front
with the reverse subsidy plans that carriers like Aircel provides. While
Airtel is holding its cards to the chest, Aircel has already put their
cards on the table and revealed their reverse subsidy plans for people
buying iPhone 4S with Aircel.
The
cheapest monthly rental plan for the iPhone 4S 16 GB starts from Rs.950
which goes from Rs. 1150 to Rs. 1350 for the iPhone 4S 32GB and the
64GB respectively. Though the plans offer good benefits, the pricing of
the plans are very similar to that of the handsets i.e. OVERPRICED. The
1GB WiFi surfing is via a partnership that allows Aircel’s subscribers
to surf WiFi at selected places in some cities, we doubt if that is
effective for most, unless of course there is something as widespread as Tikona.
In
case you find yourself frowning looking at the pricing of the reverse
subsidy plans, you are not the only. We too expected the plans to cost
the consumers a lot lesser, somewhere along the lines of the plans that
were offered for the iPhone 4.
As an
afterthought it seems as though Aircel’s thinking that, If one is fool
enough to buy the iPhone 4S at that price he should be a fool enough to
pay for such highly priced reverse subsidy plans as well!
About three years before the iPhone, the must-have gadget was the
Motorola Razr. It was a thing of beauty with its brushed aluminum metal
casing. And it was, oh, so thin.
It was also oh, so expensive, with a price tag of over Rs 20,000. But it
was unlike any cellphone that had come before
it. And, for the people who could afford it, the sleek,
stylishly hip Razr was everywhere. Today Motorola launched another
razor sharp Razr (known as Droid Razr in other parts of the world)
running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and priced at Rs 33,990.
The Droid Razr is another smartphone that on the surface bears
remarkable similarities with others that have come before it, namely the
most recent Droid Bionic. Its biggest selling point is its ultrathin
profile, large 4.3-inch screen, 1GB RAM, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and
8MP rear camera.
Motorola RAZR comes preloaded with the Motorola MotoCast app, giving
you the power to stream or download content from your PC straight to
your device so your personal content is always within reach. Watch
movies on a screen that sports a wider range of colors than most LCD
HDTVs. And when you're tired of watching (as if), use the
cinematic-quality front-facing 720p HD video camera and 8-megapixel
rear-facing camera with even sharper 1080p HD video capture to create
your own movies- all with image-stabilization technology to turn your
life into art without breaking a sweat.
Not only does the Razr boast of being the thinnest 4G phone around at
7.1 millimeters, it also features a scratch-resistant display made by
Corning, and is supposed to have a water-repellent coating. Whether this
will keep it in working condition after it's accidentally left in your
pants pocket on a trip through the washing machine is something I did
not test. It also has a Kevlar back. But I wouldn't expect it to stop a
bullet any more than I'd expect it to make a phone call after a tumble
through a spin cycle.
The display of the Razr is similar to the Bionic. I still find the
screen a little busy and overly complicated. A new feature on the Razr
that lists favorite contacts as picture icons at the top of the screen
does help to add a little simplicity to an otherwise jumbled setup. Just
a tap on a picture, and you're calling or texting almost immediately.
Unfortunately, the simple features seem to end there. It's social media
overload. The multiple screens are capable of throwing so much
information at you at any given time that it's hard to keep up with
what's going on.
For example, one screen can be set so that all it does is constantly
scroll pictures that your friends have posted on Facebook. Extraneous
and unnecessary. About 90 percent of the time I couldn't care less what
cutesy saying or adorable cat picture friends are posting when I'm
looking at Facebook. Why do I need to see it flash across my phone's
screen when all I want to do is check my email or text a friend who has
actually seen me in person?
On the plus side, the Razr is absolutely one of the lightest phones I
have ever tested. So much so, that I originally considered it inferior
just by weight alone. But it seems to have the performance heft to give
about any smartphone a run for its money. It certainly has style, and
whether or not it's the smartphone for you depends on how deeply
involved you want to be in social media.
The simplicity of earlier Droid models and, yes, the iPhone seem to
follow the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method of communication. The
Razr seems to be a contradiction with its simple, sturdy exterior, but
with a cacophony of software and apps to keep you tapping, flipping and
pinching to the point of media madness.
The Razr series was released in 2004 and was a huge success
worldwide. Reportedly, Motorola sold more than 130 million units of the
device, one of the best-selling clamshell phones globally. Motorola RAZR
2, marketed as more sleeker and stabler than the previous Razr, was
launched in 2007. The new handset is expected to be the key bets for the
company in the smartphone segment, which is witnessing strong
competition from Apple and Samsung.
The smartphone market globally grew 42.6 per cent during the
quarter-ended September to reach 118.1 million units, with Samsung,
Apple and Nokia in the lead, according to research company IDC
Last year the AT&T Samsung Focus ended up being the best new
Windows Phone around as it shot to the top of the charts in
satisfaction surveys. This year, Samsung has released two Focus
successors and the Focus S is meant to be the high-end model. It
improves on last year's Focus significantly in almost all areas, though
the other Windows Phone manufacturers have stepped things up a bit as
well. If you've already got an original Samsung Focus, you're probably
already very happy with it (especially if you've got the Mango update),
but what's changed in this new flagship Windows Phone from Samsung?
Read on to find out.
BOX CONTENTS
The device has a usually orange AT&T branding on it and not too
many special details about the phone on the back. Inside you get a
quick-start guide right on top, a manual underneath the phone, a charger
with USB port, a microUSB cable, and some headphones that look pretty
nice. There are also different size earbuds for the headphones so you
can find one that fits. The headphones sound pretty good and include a
microphone with a volume toggle switch and an answer button. If you
press and hold the answer button for 1 second it will play/pause music.
If you press and hold it for 2 seconds or so, it will activate the
speech interface. Pressing it once when the phone is ringing will
answer the call. It can be a little difficult to get the functions just
right. Interestingly, there's a big sticker on the phone's screen that
warns against texting while driving, but this phone with Windows Phone
7.5 probably has the best hands-free text messaging speech interface
around.
HARDWARE
The AT&T Samsung Focus S is quite an upgrade over last year's Windows Phones
in the specs department. Its dimensions are 66.8 x 126 x 8.38mm, and
weighs only 110g. That's very thin and light! Its 32-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon
MSM8255T processor runs at 1400MHz. It's got around 15GB ROM storage as
well and an amazing 4.3" 480x800 Super AMOLED Plus display. For GSM and
3G band support, it has GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850,
UMTS1900, and UMTS2100. It's also got a new eight-megapixel camera with flash and focus illuminator, as well as a secondary front-facing camera.
For more specs, see PDADB.net
The build quality feels a little better than usual for Samsung devices. The back battery cover
is still very bendy and feels fragile, but it seems like it would
actually be difficult to break (since it is so flexible). If you've
held or used a Samsung Galaxy S 2 devices, the Focus S is extremely
similar. It's like the design team wanted to save money by releasing
the same phone with a different operating system... not that there's
anything wrong with that.
On the left side of the device we have the volume controls. The
rocker switch is a bit small, but it's very solid and easy to use.
On the right side is the camera button and power button. The camera
button is much improved over older Windows Phones. It has a distinct
tactile feel to it so that you can easily recognize it by touch without
having to look at the device. It's also got more play so that you can
feel for the half-press to focus and then the full press to capture the
image.
On the top edge we have a 3.5mm headset jack and a little Qualcomm HSPA+ sticker.
On the bottom we have the microUSB port. There's no sliding cover,
but the indentation is nicely molded to fit the shape of the port.
The back has a very nice feel to it and this is where you'll see the
new Windows Phone logo, a rear speaker grill, and the 8MP camera with
LED flash. The speaker is nice and loud, but turning the volume up too
high will introduce some distortion.
The back battery cover kind of peels off with little plastic snaps
all around the edges. It's a very flexible piece of plastic.
Underneath, you'll find the 1650mAh battery, and SIM card slot. Unlike
last year's original Focus, there is no microSD card slot for expanding the 16GB of storage, however.
SOFTWARE
Of course, Samsung has done some customizations and AT&T has
bundled a few branded apps as well, so that's what we're going to look
at in the below video. You'll also see what kind of customizations
Samsung has done to the camera. I like the "wide dynamic range" option,
but it doesn't have anything comparable to what HTC has done with the
panoramic and burst shot photo options. We'll also take a look at what
kind of speed increase you might see in some of the games. For the most
part the Focus S might seem just as quick as last year's Windows Phones,
and it is, but you'll see there's definitely a speed increase when
loading processor intensive apps and games.
For more about the operating system in general, check out our full Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5 Reviews.
CAMERA
The camera on the Samsung Focus S is a decent upgrade from last
year's Focus which at five megapixels was comparable to the iPhone 4.
The Focus S now has an eight-megapixel camera which we should expect to
be comparable to the iPhone 4S, and as you'll see in the following
images, it does pretty well.
In the above right image, the photo was taken in almost complete
darkness with the flash turned on. The Focus S does use its flash
temporarily with a half-press of the shutter in order to focus on the
subject. Then the flash goes off again when you do a full press in order
to take a photo. The flash doesn't have much range, so expect your
subjects to be pretty close.
The photo on the left was obviously taken outdoors on a sunny day.
The color reproduction, detail, saturation and exposure look great.
In the above two photos, we show you the difference between the
Focus S's normal exposure mode and its wide dynamic range option. The
photo on the right (with wide dynamic range turned on) gives you a lot
more detail in the shadows and highlight areas.
Above is a series of 100% crop selections from a variety of
smartphone cameras. The 100% crops will give you a pixel for pixel
comparison. You'll notice differences in color balance, sharpening
levels, as well as lens viewing angles. Focus S looks like it has the
least amount of noise in the bunch and is pretty close to accurate
color. The Radar 4G still has a better white balance, though there's
too much noise in the color channels and obvious over-sharpening. If
you look at the full resolution versions of these photos, the Nokia N8 photo,
while it has the most detail and best sharpness seems to be tuned a bit
on the under-exposure side. This is probably done to keep more detail
in the highlights. Compare that to the iPhone 4S photo, which has a good overall exposure, but certainly blown-out highlights. The Focus S photo seems to be very close to the iPhone 4S, but the Focus S, N8, and Radar 4G all have a wider angle lens which is good for getting a larger view in the photo without having to step back.
Above is a 720p video recording
sample from the Samsung Focus S. The exposure seems to be quite good,
though obviously macro focusing doesn't happen too easily during video
recording and we do tend to lose some highlights. Overall, the HD video recording is quite acceptable.
BATTERY LIFE
It seems like these 2nd generation Windows Phones have made some
significant improvements in battery life. In last week's review of the
HTC Radar 4G, I was kind of surprised at how great the battery life was,
and Brandon gave the HTC Titan high marks for battery life as well.
The Samsung Focus S has a hefty 1650mAh battery which blows away the
battery life on the HTC Radar 4G (which had blown away the iPhone 4S's
battery life). I could be using the Focus S all day and the battery
level might only go down to 75% or so. The Battery Saver settings still
shows "1 day and 10 hours remaining" given the similar usage scenarios
where other smartphones would be popping up low battery dialogs. On a
full charge it might say something like "2 days, 10 hours remaining",
where you're lucky to see 18 hours remaining for other fully charged
Windows Phones. Obviously your mileage will vary depending on reception
levels, phone call durations, 3D Xbox gaming, and video watching, but I
think it's safe to say that the Samsung Focus S has great battery life.
PURCHASING AND AVAILABILITY
The AT&T Samsung Focus S is available from AT&T retail stores as well as the AT&T website for $199 with a new 2 year contract.
PROS
+ Very thin and light
+ 1.4 Ghz CPU is very fast
+ Great battery life lasts for days
+ Gorgeous Super AMOLED+ 4.3" screen
+ Front-facing camera
CONS
- Replacing the battery cover can be tough to get all the snaps back in. It's hard to tell when it's completely closed.
- Build quality feels cheap
- Headphone button controls can take some getting used to
CONCLUSION
Last year's Samsung Focus was arguably the best Windows Phone
available so I was certainly expecting Samsung to step it up with their
second generation Windows Phones. The Focus S is actually the high-end
model among two new Samsung Focus phones with the Focus Flash being a
more budget-friendly device. At $199 you'd expect the Focus S to be
quite good and it certainly is.
The thin and light form factor makes the Focus S feel like you could
throw it at a window and it would just glide across the room, hit the
window and fall to the floor unscathed. On the other hand the HTC Titan
feels like it would fly right through that window and land outside
unscathed. Then there's the iPhone 4S which feels like it would shatter
both the window and itself.
Anyway, the big thing that I didn't like about the Focus S is the
battery cover. The little snaps all along the edge are difficult to
tell if they're all attached to the device properly. It's not uncommon
for many of them to remain detached and thus easier to pop off.
Besides that, there are a lot of things to like about the Focus S.
The 4.3-inch screen is absolutely gorgeous, the speed increase is
extremely welcome in the processor intensive games, and the camera works
very nicely. The excellent battery life is sure to make your Android
and iPhone friends jealous as well.
On the 26th of last month Stephen Elop went on stage at Nokia World to announce the company's first Windows Phones, the Nokia Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800.
Nokia India's Managing Director and Vice President for Sales for Mobile
Phones, D. Shivakumar, recently went on stage in India to announce the
two devices.
There were no changes made, both phones were announced as we already
know them: the Lumia 710 in black and white with black, white, cyan,
fuchsia and yellow back covers and the Lumia 800 in black, cyan and
pink. They both come packed with Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music with MixRadio.
India is one of the strongest Nokia markets and now, with the
addition of the two Lumias, Espoo expects a real boost. Exact
availability and pricing should come soon but expect the devices to be
around the same price range Stephen Elop announced: 270 EUR ($375) for
the Lumia 710 and 420 EUR (around $584) for the Lumia 800.
Bangalore: Over two lakh city Facebook users
woke up to a social media embarrassment yesterday morning as their
accounts had been hacked and weblinks to their morphed pornographic
pictures sent as feeds to friends and family.
According to global
media reports, more than 60 lakh Facebook accounts were hacked since
Sunday night. Social networking analysts have claimed that officially
more than 2 lakh Bangalore Facebook accounts were hacked.
The
cybercrime department has received many calls and complaints regarding
the mass hacking. They have started preliminary investigations in a few
cases too. All Porn and gore
A resident of Koramangala
logged on to her Facebook account yesterday morning from a cyber cafe,
only to get the shock of her life. "My mother, brother and 19 friends of
mine had rebuked me after reading my status message.
It had a
link to a website, and on clicking I saw my face morphed and pasted onto
the body of a porn star. My name and details were also available on the
website. I called the police, but they directed me to the cybercrime
police station," said Kamini Varma (name changed).
Kamini's last
post said that she was quitting the popular social networking site after
being embarrassed amongst their friends. There were around 50 other
posts on Facebook that stated the users are quitting the social
networking site forever after being embarrassed before friends and
family.
"The website is no longer safe. My friend had posted a
link to a news report claiming to have been published in a popular
newspaper on my page on Sunday. Since the title said 'Party till the wee
hours' I got excited and clicked on it but nothing appeared. The next
day I logged on to find that everything had changed.
My female
friends alleged that I had stolen photos from their account and sold it
to porn sites. Others had called me a 'porn addict' and many others left
abusive messages. I immediately deactivated my account," said Shivam
Shah, student (name changed).
Following this huge incident, many
social media experts huddled up and debated if this would lead to the
eventual downfall of Facebook now.
"Orkut fell in the same
fashion. As much as Orkut officials claimed that Facebook had beaten it
in popularity, many reports nail the fact that consistent hacking on the
social networking site for over six months (before Facebook became
popular) had led to its immediate downfall and eventual social death.
Facebook
seems to be headed in the same direction, unless there is some sort of
immediate and strict measures taken by Facebook," said Suhas Giri, a
city-based popular social media expert.
Meanwhile, Facebook put
up a set of guidelines for users who had either been hacked, or heard of
such incidents. The official Facebook Security blog post said,
"Security and safety are at the core of Facebook.
We have entire
teams dedicated to building tools that give people even more control
over their account, and specifically the way they access their
information. In fact, many of our most talented engineers are working
exclusively on creating a secure environment on Facebook."
Analysts
further asserted that in spite of such incidents, users seldom bother
taking the security measures seriously, until being personally
victimised.
Thousands of users like Kamini and Shivam have
decided to shun the habit of talking wall-to- wall and return to the
good-old practice of talking to people face-to-face.
Top 3 spam links that helped hack accounts
'Bangalore
police: Party till the wee hours, 11.30 PM ban lifted'. Clicking on
this link leads you to a page with a photo of a popular pub in town,
with a caption questioning the user 'You really think this could
happen?' After clicking on the link, the user's account is hacked and
sends out a series of unstoppable torrents of XXX porn to all of the
user's friends. Over 12,000 Bangaloreans reportedly fell for this spam.
'Date
a stripper in Bangalore'. Clicking on this link automatically transfers
all the photos from the user's account and posts them on a porn
website. The link to this porn website is then set as the user's FB
status message and posted on newsfeeds of all the user's friends. Over
500 Bangaloreans fell for this spam.
Popular Sandalwood actress
raped and murdered Social media analysts suspect that this was a prank
link created by a small group of users, following the fad of series of
spam links posted through the course of the day. The link leads a user
to various soft porn videos from South Indian movies, posted on
www.youtube.com. Over 2,500 Bangaloreans fell for this spam.
Google Inc is expected to unveil on Wednesday an online music download store featuring songs from three major music companies, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group
and EMI Music are expected to have deals with Google in place in time
for a Wednesday afternoon announcement in Los Angeles, the Journal
reported.
The Google Music store will compete with Apple Inc's dominant iTunes and other digital music services.
Google's store will sell songs for around $1 apiece, the Journal
reported. The store also is expected to allow users who buy songs to
share one or two free listens with contacts on the Google+ social
networking service, the newspaper reported.
A Wednesday evening event tied to the announcement will feature pop group Maroon 5 and R&B singer Drake, among others.
Representatives for Google, Sony and Universal Music Group did not
immediately respond to requests for comment. An EMI spokesman declined
to comment.
New York: Imaging software maker Adobe will not launch any new version of Flash for mobile browsers and will gradually move to replace it with new version of computer language HTML5, which is widely being used for designing contents.
"We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook," Adobe's Vice President and General Manager for Interactive Development Danny Winokur wrote in his blog today.He said that Adobe will continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations.
"We are already working on Flash Player 12 and a new round of exciting features which we expect to again advance what is possible for delivering high definition entertainment experiences.
"We will continue to leverage our experience with Flash to accelerate our work with the W3C and WebKit to bring similar capabilities to HTML5 as quickly as possible," Winokur said.
He said that Adobe will simultaneously design new features in Flash for a smooth transition to HTML5.Winokur said that he is excited to see adoption of HTML5 on major mobile devices which is making HTML5 best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms.
"We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers," he said.
San Francisco: Apple Inc on Thursday released a software update for its iOS 5 operating system to fix complaints on the performance of the new iPhone 4S battery.
Apple, after facing a rash of complaints on the new phone's short battery life, had promised earlier to release an update to address the issue.
The software update also addresses some security issues, including a flaw in the operating system that may allow hackers to build apps that secretly install programs to steal data.
New York: Google, maker of Android software for mobile phones, will stop supporting the application for Gmail for rival Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry smartphones.
"Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for BlackBerry (installed native app). Over this past year, we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area," Google said.
This means that from November 22, Google will stop supporting Gmail application for BlackBerry devices and the Gmail applications currently running on the BlackBerry will no longer be maintained and enhanced by Google.
However, users who have already downloaded the app may continue to use it, the company added.
New York: Internet titan Google Inc has acquired two startup firms -- Apture and Katango -- for an undisclosed amount that would help it enhance the user experience of its browser and social networking services. The 4-year old Apture focuses on providing instant access to information with in-page search technology.Katango, on the other hand, was founded a little over a year ago and builds algorithms for automatically sorting friends that improves online social interaction. However, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.Google buyout of Apture is expected to bolster the firm's Chrome browser. "We have been acquired by Google and will be joining the Chrome team to continue driving innovation and creating a better user experience on the web," Apture said on its site. The acquisition of Katango will help over 40 million users of internet search giant's social networking platform Google Plus to organise their circles. Katango's technology is similar to the circles feature on Google Plus, which helps users to group their contacts easily. "We are excited to join the Google Plus team and carry on fulfilling that mission. Google Plus is seeing tremendous momentum, so it's a perfect time to join and make Circles smarter for millions of people," Katango said. In the first nine month this year, Google had completed the acquisition of 57 companies for total of USD 502 million.This exceeds Google's previous annual record of 44 purchases completed last year. The company had spent cash worth USD 669 million for its all acquisitions in 2010. Google is estimated to have acquired over 100 firms in the last decade, translating into purchase of 10 companies a year on average.
Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has defended its privacy policies
Privacy campaigners have
welcomed a report that Facebook is to ask users to opt into any changes
in the way it uses their personal information.
The social network previously announced alterations to its members' settings without asking for fresh consent.
The website is changing its policy after an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Facebook is not commenting on the story at this time.
The report suggests the site has also agreed to privacy audits by an independent organisation over the next 20 years.
However, it says the FTC does not prescribe how consent should be obtained. Suspicion
"Facebook has historically been extremely resistant to
transparency in its own operations, so we welcome measures that would
force the company to obtain express consent of its users," said the
London based advocacy group Privacy International.
"However, it seems likely that the FTC's demands will only
present a temporary obstacle in the path of Facebook's ambitions to
collect its users' information.
"Faced with reams of small print, most users are likely to
automatically agree to policy changes, with each change bringing us one
step closer to Zuckerberg's vision of a privacy-free future."
The website's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was questioned about
the firm's privacy policies on the US television network PBS' Charlie
Rose show earlier this week.
"You have control over every single thing you've shared on Facebook," he said, "You can take it down."
He also said other search engines and advertising networks
gather "huge amount of information" about internet users through
cookies, which he claimed was "less transparent than what is happening
at Facebook".
Honda fans, hope you're down for some last-minute tickets to Japan, as
the automaker plans to release not one, but seven (!) stunning concepts
at the upcoming Tokyo Motor show. Ranging from plug-in hybrids to
electric motorcycles, we're most stoked about the Small Sports EV -- a
dashing two-seat roadster that reminds us stylistically of BMW's i8.
Details are light, but Honda promises that it'll be fun to drive, yet
also achieve "excellent environmental performance." Alongside it is the
plug-in hybrid AC-X, which looks like an LED-ridden redux of the lease-only FCX.
And finally, there's the Micro Commuter concept, which despite looking
the least production-ready of the three, gets kudos for having a
dedicated spot to load the accompanying Motor Compo EV motorcycle. Not
much else to report on all seven this far out, but that doesn't mean you
can't ogle at photos of these three and their motorcycle brethren at
the links below.
You might not need an electric streetbike
in the near future, but it's still cool to know that the prototype is
complete. CRP Racing has just introduced the Energica at the EICMA
motorcyle show in Italy. The Energica slides an all-electric powertrain
with 100kW of power into a classic Italian-style two wheeler the is
capable of speeds up to 220 km/h, 16kgm of torque, and 150km of range on
a single charge, features OZ forged aluminum braking discs and a power
train efficiency around 95 percent. The niftiness is only compounded by
front double caliper radial mounts, a single rear fixed caliper, digital
multifunction LCD dashboard and LED headlights. Pricing begins with a
deposit of €1,500 ($2042 US) and doesn't include VAT. Of course, the
Energica is still in the development phase, so final pricing and
specifications might change. Still, if an electric streetbike isn't at
least as cool as a penguin in a freezer, then something's wrong with
your freezer.
Even though it's already listed on the dance card for ARM's upcoming MALI-T658 mobile GPU, Samsung is also licensing tech from Imagination Technologies. The new agreement will allow it to include Imagination's PowerVR SGX multiprocessor GPU (a.k.a Series 5XT a form of which already resides in the A5 chip used by Apple's iPad 2 and iPhone 4S as well as the PlayStation Vita) in its upcoming devices, but doesn't specify how many cores or what configuration may be used. MobileTechWorld also
speculates this could be in preparation for SoCs built to run Windows
8, but until we actually get a peek inside whatever devices are up
Samsung's sleeve it's impossible to know for sure.
For those customers who like high-quality sound, Sennheiser has produced
a "dessert." Wireless RS 220 model uses a wideband spread-spectrum
modulation with Direct Sequence (DSSS).
Closed headphones have soft ear cushions and adjustable headband.
Claimed frequency response is extended from 16 to 22,000 Hz. RS 220
headphones can provide up to eight hours of uninterrupted sound pleasure
on one charge.
The transmitter, which range is up to 30 meters indoors and 90 meters in
open space, is built-in docking station. In addition to analog inputs
RS220 also features optical and coaxial connectors S / PDIF.
The recommended price of the RS 220 is $ 600, which is pretty high. Honestly it is really high for a piece of headphones.
Today NVIDIA «opened an era of mobile quad-core computing", presenting
the processor NVIDIA Tegra 3. According to the company, new product
brings high performance to tablets and smartphones. Performance that is
comparable to the performance of your PC and improved autonomy. The
first tablet based on Tegra 3 will be ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime.
The superiority of the processor, formerly known as Project Kal-El, over
his predecessor, Tegra 2, is up to three times in graphics performance,
and reduced energy consumption reaches 61%. According to NVIDIA, this
would bring device’s battery life of up to 12 hours viewing videos.
As you already know, Tegra 3 uses a new technology, called Variable
Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). VSMP means that processor has a fifth
core. The four main cores (ARM Cortex A9, 1,3 GHz) are designed for
applications requiring high performance, while the "companion core," as
developers call it, is working on the less demanding tasks and reduces
power consumption. When you need high performance - in games, when you
are web browsing, working with images, video and audio, 3D-graphics –
four main cores work, while companion core is idle. If it is necessary
to carry out simple tasks like playing sound recordings or video
recordings or background applications – main cores stop working and
companion core takes over.
Tegra 3 includes NVIDIA GeForce GPU with 12 shader cores. Here are some
screenshots of Shadowgun and Riptide GP games, enabling us to judge
about the graphics capabilities of Tegra 3.
A graphics processor Tegra 3 supports NVIDIA 3D Vision. Integrated
memory controller supports up to 2 GB DDR3-L 1500 or LPDDR2-1066.
According to NVIDIA, Tegra 3 production has already begun. Interested developers can order a set of Tegra 3 Developer Kit.
Toshiba has introduced mobile dynabook R631 in domestic market, which
belongs to the category of ultrabooks. The model is equipped with
13-inch display, weighs only 1.12 kg. The screen resolution is 1366 x
768 pixels.
Toshiba dynabook R631 equipped with processor Core i5-2467M 1.6 GHz with
integrated graphics core, 4 GB DDR3-1333 memory and SSD of 128 GB. The
model is endowed with dual Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi/WiMAX, audio Waves
subsistem, USB 3.0 port and HDMI output.
Dimensions of the model are equal to 316 x 227 x 8,3-15,9 mm. Comes with
new 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. On a single charge dynabook R631 can
work up to nine hours, consuming only 11 watts of power. New ultrathin
notebook supports Intel Wireless Display technology.
The price of dynabook R631 in Japan is 139,800 yen (about $ 1800). The manufacturer gives the product a one year warranty.
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 was unleashed in the Indian market. It has a slim form factor with a thickness of about 12mm.
This camera
uses the Exmor R CMOS sensor with 16.2MP resolution, BIONZ image
processor and 26mm wide-angle lens by Carl Zeiss with 5X optical zoom.
The camera's back panel has a 3.3-inch Xtra Fine OLED widescreen, touch operated display.
Notable image capture enhancements or helpers with the camera includes
Intelligent Sweep Panorama that automatically combines a burst of images
to create extra-wide panoramic pictures of up to 42.9MP resolution, and
Sweep Multi Angle that shoot a burst of images to capture the subject
from different angles.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 is available in gold, black and silver colors and is priced at Rs 19,990.
LG's first Android device - the Optimus One, was quite a seller.
Now the company has several Android devices in its kitty, starting from
the Optimus Me to Optimus 3D.
In this list, Optimus Pro
C660 comes as a budget phone with a difference, and the difference lies
in the fact that the phone sports a physical Qwerty keypad below the 2.8
inch capacitive touchscreen.
Normally Android phones with
Qwerty keypad come in slider form factor or with smaller 2.6 inch
screen. In terms of appearance, it resembles Motorola Fire which has
almost identical form factor. So similar are these two that we decided
to carry a comparison which will be up shortly.
Getting
back to the device, it is based more or less on the very popular Galaxy
One, which is still one of the best budget Android phones in the market
despite being more than a year old. Form factor
LG
Optimus Pro c660 has a bar design with a 2.8 inch screen and a Qwerty
keypad below. The design is not exciting with black plastic all around,
but it is practical with well laid out keypad with useful shortcuts for
mail and calendar. The power button at the top is accompanied by a 3.5
mm jack, volume rocker on the left and a USB port on the right side.
At
the back lies a 3.0 megapixel camera sans the flash and speaker grill
that breaks the monotony of the black plastic cover. The edges of the
phone are rounded making the phone easy to hold. Though typing with one
hand is possible its better to use both the hands. Specs and performance
LG Optimus Pro c660 boasts the latest Android 2.3 version and an 800 MHz processor. The screen is of 2.8 inch with VGA">QVGA,
240 x 320 pixels resolution which is not particularly high but for a
budget phone works well. The capacitive touch responds well to commands
and is aided by a physical keypad interaction.
The 3.0
megapixel fixed focus camera don't have flash support, hence it is good
only for bright condition shooting. There is no front camera either. One
of the omissions that you won't find in basic phones is the proximity
sensor which switches off the touchscreen when you put the phone to your
ear. However, intelligent tweaking ensures that the phone manages
without this sensor — it switches off the screen seconds after you take a
call and can be brought back to life by touching any key, not the best
thing to do but works well.
On pure performance front, the
device feels less well when compared to the Optimus One, which despite
being old is better and smoother. However, the difference is minor and
not a deal breaker.
All the other normal features of the Android phone like 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS
are all present and works well on all those front. The smaller 2.6 inch
screen, compared to the average screen size of 3.2 plus, is nothing to
worry as the keypad is separate and does not occupy screen space while
typing, this means the screen feels larger than it is compered to touch
only phones.
The battery of the phone is of 1540mAH unit
which gives it better than average backup and talktime compared to other
Android phones - more than one and half day with medium usage.
The
supplied earphone is of decent quality and music listening is
pleasurable. The speaker of the phone is also good for such a budget
phone.
Google's suit with email exchange, maps, push mail
etc means that it serves well for a business phone for those looking for
a budget option. Verdict
The phone is
not a replacement for a BlackBerry which has certain snob value attached
to it. However, apart from that there is plenty in the phone that will
challenge the budget BlackBerry phones in their own territory.
The
few things that goes against this phone is the fact that it doesn't
have the design flair that executives look for in their phone and also
it could have done well with slightly more powerful processor but then
the budget at which it is available won't have been possible. We will
reserve our verdict till we review the Motorola Fire, but it sure is a
good buy whatever the case may be the result of the comparison.
Handset Review: LG Optimus Pro C660 Specifications
Samsung
in India has announced the launch of its latest innovation - the
Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone, which comes with a plethora of features
that spill over to tablet type functionality as well. Targeted at people
who need to do more with their smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note
offers the muscle of a smartphone in a form factor that is almost
similar to that of a tablet.
The Galaxy Note is the first
device to sport a 5.3 inch HD Super Amoled display. The display sports a
native resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels and supports multi-touch and
also comes with the S (Smart) Pen stylus that allows the users to go
creative with all their might. The Galaxy Note runs the Android 2.3
Gingerbread along with a fully worked upon Samsung's TouchWiz user
interface.
For powering this massive device, Samsung has chosen a dual-core 1.4 GHz
Exynos microprocessor with Mali-400 MP dedicated graphics processor.
The Galaxy Note also features a 1 GB RAM along with 16 GB memory onboard
as storage memory. Its 8 megapixel camera comes with LED flash capable
of recording 1080p full HD videos at 30 fps. There is a front facing 2
megapixel camera as well that can provide self-portrait shots and video
calling.
The device was originally scheduled for a launch
in the month of September itself but due to many reasons the launch of
the device got delayed. But as the Samsung spokesperson has told sometime back about the launch of the Galaxy Note, the device is launched exactly on time as communicated back then.
The
device is quite powerful as far as the specifications go but in terms
of the price, it might be a downer for many buyers. The Samsung Galaxy
Note has been priced at Rs 34,990 and this is the best price at which
the device will be selling in the Indian market through Samsung stores
and Samsung franchisee network for upcoming few weeks.
At
present there are no network service providers tie ups given for this
device but Samsung is in talks with a couple of service providers for a
special tariff for the same and is expected to be announcing a few in
the coming days.
The Galaxy Note is priced at almost Rs 35,000 which will be a big
hindrance for many buyers. But ultimately, the device is sure enough to
entice most complex of users with its look, feel and hardware
specification which are fast becoming benchmark to be measured before
purchase of a device. The Galaxy Note is surely good on all fronts and
how well it performs in the real life scenario we will surely get to
know but only after doing a full fledged review of the device
Big Processor, Big Display
The
display is big – 5.3inches big – with a thin bezel of about half a cm.
This might be a bit tricky for people with small hands, but it fits
nicely in my hands. One handed operation wasn’t complicated, though it
will require some getting used to. The 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos, made
everything smooth and buttery. Still, it’s almost as smooth as the SGS2,
but do remember – the Note runs on a significantly higher display resolution.
The
Galaxy Note boasts a 1280×800 resolution display; called the Super
AMOLED HD. Everything looks breathtaking – even better than the Samsung
Galaxy S2. Once Ice Cream Sandwich with hardware acceleration arrives on
the Note, it will become just as smooth, if not better than iOS.
The
Note has an 8MP camera with LED flash, and a 2MP front camera. Both
does a great job, and it is rumored to be the same cameras from the
SGS2. And like the Samsung Galaxy S2, The Galaxy Note takes crisp and
clear photographs with ease. Full HD videos (1080p) plays easily on the
Note, and to say it is more captivating than the Galaxy S2′s Super
AMOLED Plus display, is an understatement. The speaker is loud and makes
a perfect conference calling companion.
Less Touchy Buttons
The
phone comes with minimum hardware buttons. There are only 3 – the home
button, power button and volume rocker. This minimalist approach makes
the Note not only a fantastic device to hold, but also a thing of beauty
to the eyes. If you think the front is good enough to mesmerize you,
you’ll salivate peeking at its back. The battery cover is etched just
like the Samsung Galaxy S2, and this provides a good grip for all you
butterfingers out there.
Home, Sweet Homescreen.
Once
booted up, you’ll immediately find many TouchWiz similarities to the
Samsung Galaxy S2. It’s almost a clone of the S2, except that this
version of TouchWiz is improved in a good way. At the homescreen, you’ll
see an icon for S Memo – an application developed specifically for the
Galaxy Note – which allows you to scribble notes just like you’re
working on a notepad. Samsung incorporated infinite looping into their
homescreen, and you’ll find yourself reaching the screen that you want,
fast – regardless of you swiping to the left of to the right. Pinch to
overview is still there, so you could quickly zip between homescreens
too. Your homescreen is a 5 by 5 icon display area, and this has been
improved from the 4 by 4 icon homescreen on the SGS2. An App Drawer Full Of Love
When
you open the app drawer, you are lovingly greeted with the same 5 by 5
grid from the homescreen. The same smooth scrolling animations meet your
slightest touch, while the display’s vivid Super AMOLED HD shouts for
your attention. If you prefer to see your apps in an alphabetical order,
you can switch to list mode, which will also allow you to zip
immediately to the app you are looking for from the alphabetical
scrollbar on the right. As a person who carries about 200 apps in my
phone, this addition is always welcome.
Gingerbread, Waiting For An Icy Treat
The
device runs the Gingerbread 2.3.5 and is confirmed to receive Ice Cream
Sandwich soon. Initially, I was surprised. I was expecting a Honeycomb
interface, but Gingerbread already gets the job done. There is stylus
support in Ice Cream Sandwich, and it would be interesting to see how
that would boost the functionality of the S Pen.
Write With Style
The
S Pen is a joy to use. It’s easy, simple and intuitive. Samsung kept
the S Pen gestures to a minimum, which is good thing. With just a few
taps and swipes of the S Pen, you can capture screenshots, open apps,
exit apps, and even toggle the menu button. The accuracy of the pen is
commendable, and Samsung has done a fantastic job in making sure this
works. I tried using the S Pen on the SGS2, but it doesn’t function
(obviously), and I can only conclude that there must be some awesome S
Pen API under the Note’s hood. Apart from just taking doodles, the S
Memo and S Pen also makes an impressive feat – converting handwriting to
text. I tested this app 3 times, and I must say that the accuracy of
the converter is very high – accurately capturing every word that I am
attempting to express. While using the S Pen in the S Memo app, the
device is intelligent enough to distinguish between an accidental stroke
(when touched with your hand) and the actual pen stroke.
3G Browsing Powerhouse
Having
become accustomed to browsing on the SGS2, I did find the stock
browser on the Galaxy Note required some getting used to. The Note’s
browser is similar to the original Galaxy Tab browser, but with speed
improvements. It’s faster and smoother than the original Tab, but a
little behind the SGS2 browser. Considering Ice Cream Sandwich will pack
hardware acceleration, the browser will cut through the World Wide Web
like a hot katana through butter.
More Than Enough Power To Last The Day
First
impressions last forever. I’m a moderate to high 3G user, and I’m
already accustomed to good battery management habits. Testing the device
on the first day (after a full charge), the battery lasted me more than
16 hours – with about 10% left in the tank. This is an impressive feat
considering that I’m always checking emails, messaging and browsing on
the go non-stop.
Lightning Fast GPS Lock With The Barometer
The
Galaxy Nexus comes with a barometer, and so does the Galaxy Note. If
you think Google was kidding about increased GPS lock speeds, you’ll be
in for a surprise. With data and GPS on, I ran GPS Status, one of the
trusted apps to test a device’s GPS capability. The first lock downloads
AGPS data and took about 5 seconds. Subsequent locks without additional
AGPS data download consistently lock at about 1-2 seconds. The phone
locks on to the satellite as fast as the GPS Status app launches. Slow
GPS locks will definitely be a thing in the past. Even the
“future-proof” SGS2 clocks 6 seconds with AGPS data downloaded.
First Impression Conclusion
Would
I recommend this device? Hell yeah! I think Samsung is tapping into the
enterprise category and this device with be a strong contender in this
category. The device is a godsend for users who work a lot with market
research, Powerpoints, Word Documents and Photoshop. For the average
Jane and Joe, this phone will give them a full-fledged entertainment
device that will not disappoint. I find that the phone will fit
perfectly in the hands of business professionals and creative
masterminds alike.
Video
Specifications Network HSPA+ up to 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100 EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 Processor 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor Display 5.3” WXGA (1280 x 800, 285 PPI) screen* HD Super AMOLED Platform Android™ 2.3(Gingerbread) Camera Main(Rear) : 8 MP with LED Flash / Front : 2 MP Action Shot, Beauty, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot Video 1080p Full HD video recording & playback Recording: 1080p@24~30fps/ Playback: 1080p@30fps Codec: MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ DivX, Xvid, WMV, VC-1 Audio Codec : MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG Music Player with SoundAlive 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS Multi Input Full touch + S Pen (Advanced smart pen) Connectivity Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 + HS USB 2.0 HOST Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct Sensor Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Barometer,Light Memory 16GB Internal memory + microSD (up to 32GB) Size 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm, 178g Battery Standard battery, Li-on 2,500 mAh Value-added Features Samsung Touchwiz/ Samsung Live Panel UX S Memo/ S Planner/ S Choice (Apps for GALAXY Note) Samsung Apps Samsung kies 2.0/ Samsung kies air Social Hub, Readers Hub, Music Hub Google™ Mobile Services : Gmail™, Google Talk™, Google Search™, YouTube™, Android™ Market, Google Maps™ with Google Places™ and Google- Latitude™ A-GPS, Glonass
Android slates gussied up with pre-installed video games? We must be talking Sony here, right? Wrong. Turns out, this is what GameStop's prexy had in mind when he spilled the beans about the company's plans for a certified gaming tab. Making good on that word, but falling short of actually producing a new
device, 200 of the retailer's brick-and-mortar shops are now home to an
array of tablets from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Samsung and Motorola --
all members of Google's tablet OS brigade. These familiar Honeycomb
faces carry their same retail prices, but come customized with seven
free games and, in the case of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Iconia Tab A100,
the company's proprietary Bluetooth controller. You can always snag that
last bit separately, although if you're already committed to shelling
out this much cash, what's another $39? While the verdict's still out on
whether this move is a hit or miss, it sure is no wonder why
PlayStation Suite's eyeing greener hardware pastures.
LG's first Android device - the Optimus One, was quite a seller.
Now the company has several Android devices in its kitty, starting from
the Optimus Me to Optimus 3D.
Samsung
in India has announced the launch of its latest innovation - the
Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone, which comes with a plethora of features
that spill over to tablet type functionality as well. Targeted at people
who need to do more with their smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note
offers the muscle of a smartphone in a form factor that is almost
similar to that of a tablet. 
