Author: Shivaank Rana

GFX Benchmark Leak Hints At A Snapdragon Powered Kindle Fire HD With A 2560 x 1600 Display

With the new Nexus 7 already in stock, and rumours that the next iPad Mini will come with a Retina Display, it may be time for Amazon to up its tablet game as well. A new set of benchmark results published on GFX Bench details an upcoming Kindle Fire HD with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, putting it on par with Google’s redesigned slate.

According to the website, the tablet is code-named Apollo, and it will have a 2560 x 1600 pixel display and a processor which runs at speeds between 300 MHz and 2150 MHz.

Image Courtesy : Android Authority

That would seem to confirm earlier reports that the next-generation Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets would have Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processors, and that the 8.9 inch model would have a 2560 x 1600 pixel screen.

If the rumours hold up, we may be able to expect a new 7 inch model with the same processor and a 1920 x 1200 pixel display. Both are expected to have 2 GB of RAM and operating systems based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Amazon will also likely offer a new entry-level Kindle Fire tablet with a 1280 x 800 pixel screen and a slower processor.

We must point out that it’s very easy to fake these things, so we’d advise you to take these specifications with a pinch of salt for now. And even if they are real, it’s possible Amazon has simply been testing prototype devices, so these details may not reflect the final model.

August 17, 2013
Images Of Rumoured Gold iPhone 5S Leak, May Come With 128GB Storage

Rumours have been swirling over the past few days that Apple plans to introduce a third color option with the launch of the iPhone 5S. Now, images of what are claimed to be the casing from Apple’s next-generation smartphone in gold have been published by French blog MacBoutic. While the authenticity of the device pictured is unknown, the casing and internal markings do jibe with earlier leaks that were believed to be authentic.

It appears that the new iPhone 5S will launch along with a 128GB variant similar to the iPad that was released back in February. The report comes from a well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Security, who has been quite accurate when it comes to rumors regarding unreleased Apple products.

Kuo has made a number of predictions about the upcoming iPhone 5S, with one them being that it’ll share the same design as its predecessor. The alleged iPhone 5S is expected to feature Apple’s latest A7 SoC with 1Gb LPDDR3 RAM and an improved camera, along with various other enhancements and features. A number of rumours also suggest the upcoming iPhone 5S with sport a 12-13MP camera with dual-LED flash.

According to Kuo, the new A7 processor will not only be faster than the earlier version, but it will offer 20% greater efficiency.

Apple is rumoured to reveal the new iPhone 5S on September 10. The new iPhone is rumoured to feature a sapphire-covered home button with a fingerprint sensor and will of course run the new iOS 7.

Would you like to see a gold iPhone 5S from Apple?

[Via]

August 17, 2013
ICANN Ruling Denies Google Dotless Search Domains

Google’s dream of owning a top level dotless search domain has turned into a nightmare. The gigantic search engine wanted ownership of an “http://search” dotless domain. But this has come up against the stringent restrictions of ICANN.

A dotless top level domain name would resolve without a dot. For example, while something.example will resolve in most browsers, http://example will not.

Google had hoped to use “search” as a dotless domain name. But recent security reports reconfirmed some of the security and stability risks of dotless domains.

There was already a prohibition on dotless domain names in the applicant guidebook for new TLDs. The guidebook requires new TLD operators to get ICANN’s blessing to operate a dotless domain.

Google needn’t give up entirely on all its plans. There’s still the possibility that it may end up owning the .search generic top-level domain (gTLD), even if it’s not allowed to operate it as a dotless domain.

As The Verge reports, the dotless domain rejection isn’t much of a surprise given ICANN’s hesitance to change the status quo. While the organization has said nearly 2,000 new domain names could be on the way, it has introduced new domains relatively slowly. The biggest changes ICANN has introduced this year came in July, when the group activated four generic top-level domains: .???? (Arabic for “web”), .?? (Chinese for “game”), .?????? (Russian for “online”), and .???? (Russian for “web site”).

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August 17, 2013
Specs And Images Of Rumoured Nokia Windows RT Tablet Leak, Will Launch In September

Windows RT may not have been the belle of the ball Microsoft wished for, and many OEMs are shying away from releasing a tablet with the ARM-compatible OS, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead.

Microsoft itself is rumoured to be launching a second-generation Surface RT in the coming months, having recently discounted the initial version to $349, and Nokia, Microsoft’s only true OEM partner these days, is also planning to release a Windows RT-powered tablet.

Nokia’s rumoured Windows RT tablet was leaked by Chinese site Digwo, and shows off a matte red backing, complete with Verizon 4G LTE logo. Nokia is expected to debut the tablet at a special event on September 26th, and has apparently been drumming up developer support in the process.

The back also says “Windows RT” on it, which is either a good sign that the tablet’s running Microsoft’s operating system for ARM devices or that someone really wants us to think this is a Nokia tablet running Windows RT.

While the photo doesn’t offer any detailed specs, it certainly looks about the right size for a tablet with a 10 inch display.

If earlier leaks are anything to go by, it’s likely that the tablet will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor and feature a 1920 x 1080 pixel display.

It is interesting to note that Nokia believes the Windows RT platform has a future, after Microsoft itself failed to make a dent in the market with its Surface RT tablet, taking a $900 million charge for “inventory adjustments” for the tablet in its last quarterly earnings.

[Via]

August 16, 2013
Ubuntu Edge Raises Record Breaking $10 Million In Crowdfunding

The Ubuntu Edge smartphone has just received pledges that total over $10.3 million on Indiegogo, TheNextWeb.com reports. That places its crowdfunded income above that of the Pebble smartwatch, which was previously the most highly paid crowdfunded device–albeit on Kickstarter rather than Indiegogo.

“It’s our biggest story ever,” Indiegogo evangelist Adam Chapnick told me this morning at Grow Conference in Vancouver. “Whether it’s a success or not, I’m not sure yet.”

The goal is to create a novel device that dual-boots mobile Android and desktop Ubuntu, creating a smartphone that, with the help of a monitor and a keyboard, is also your heavy-duty, hardcore desktop computer. To make it happen, the Ubuntu Edge team believes they need a staggering $32 million dollars, the most that would ever have been raised via crowdfunding.

The Ubuntu Edge itself promises to be one of the most powerful smartphones ever made, despite its 720p display (which, by the way, is protected by scratchproof sapphire glass). With 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and full-fat desktop and mobile versions of Ubuntu and Android, it has the potential to be the first true PC that you can slip in your pocket.

Canonical’s main goal is to get $32m in funds to produce a limited quantity of 40,000 Ubuntu Edge units. Those interested can still pledge $695 or more to reserve a unit.

So if you’re still interested in the handset, there’s never been a better time to get behind the campaign.

[Via]

August 16, 2013
Report : Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch To Launch On September 4th

Samsung had admitted that it is working on a smart watch, and we’ve seen evidence that it is going to take on the name Galaxy Gear. Now Bloomberg reports that Samsung’s long-rumored Galaxy Gear smartwatch is a “wristwatch-like smartphone” that will launch on September 4th. The news source specifically points to the Android-powered device being able to “make phone calls, surf the web, and handle emails.”

Whether the Galaxy Gear will be mainly a companion accessory to Samsung smartphones, or work with all Android devices, remains to be seen, but we’re betting the former. Since Samsung has such a huge lead in the Android market anyway, it wouldn’t do much harm to limit it to the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note family, and the Korean OEM could invoke private APIs for increased functionality.

Earlier this year, Sony debuted its SmartWatch 2, an improved version of the problematic timepiece from a couple of years ago. Though the SmartWatch 2 looks to be a huge improvement over the first generation model, it still tries to fit typical Android functionality onto a small screen. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear needs to make Android invisible in order to be effective, while retaining the information- and customization-dense nature of the operating system. Similarly, Samsung would do well to ensure optimal battery life, either by using a low-power OLED display (perhaps of the flexible variety) or, like Pebble, an e-paper variant.

The device will be unveiled Sept. 4, two days before the IFA consumer electronics show begins in Berlin, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the plans are private.

[Via]

August 16, 2013
iOS 7 Beta 6 Release Seeding Early With Minor Fixes

Rumours are that Apple will be holding a media event on September 10th – this is where they’ll possibly unveil the ‘iPhone 5S’ and the low-cost ‘iPhone 5C.’ Late last night, Apple inched closer to a final ‘golden master’ version of the upcoming iO7 7 and seeded iOS 7 beta 6 to developers.

The update comes a week after the previous update and just hours after a report pegged the Beta 6 update for next week. The focus of the small update appears to be on an emergency issue with iTunes in the Cloud which requires a workaround.

This update addresses an issue with iTunes in the Cloud, where some purchases may download or play unexpected items. If you have any devices running previous versions of iOS 7 beta, you must:
1. Install iOS 7 beta 6
2. Install the ResetMusicAndVideosLibraries configuration profile
3. From Settings > Music, tap the Reset Media Library button
4. Restart the device

It’s only a 13.5MB OTA download (build 11A4449d) and according to the change log in the iOS Developer Center shows it brings a quick fix.

iOS 7 is scheduled for release in the fall of this year, with updates to Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineups expected around the same time. If past history is any indication, iOS 7 should be made available to the public just a few days before the launch of the next-generation iPhone.

August 16, 2013
Upcoming Sony Honami Spotted Alongside iPhone 5

The Sony Honami is said to be the upcoming flagship device from Sony Mobile, and while we have heard our fair share of rumours concerning the Sony Honami, including a “masked” version that was caught in the wild, disguised so that we cannot really tell what the real deal looks like, in addition to an alleged photo snapped with the Sony Honami’s rumored 20-megapixel camera, here we are with yet another alleged Sony Honami device hanging out with the iPhone 5, sporting a shade of white and a minion as its wallpaper.

Though Sony only announced the Xperia Z in January Sony is readying a follow-up device to ensure it isn’t left behind in the constant hardware refresh cycle from Android OEMs.

Expected hardware include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 5-inch 1080p Triluminous display, which has hugely improved colour saturation and viewing angles over Sony’s former LCDs, and a massive 20MP Exmor RS camera sensor that can shoot 4K video. We’re also hearing a 3000mAh battery will be included.

It’s difficult to discern if the back panel is still made from glass. The rectangular shape remains, though this time the corners are a little softer and there is a metallic surround visually separating the front and rear of the phone while featuring similar ‘panelled’ detailing that we’ve seen on the last few Sony handsets. It is expectedly huge next to the 4-inch iPhone 5, but so are most Android flagships these days.

It’s not clear whether the 20MP camera will produce brilliantly detailed shots, but the sensor size is notably larger, at 1/2.3?, than on regular smartphones. According to purported shots of the camera software, the ISO (light sensitivity) can be raised to 12800, which should allow for some amazing low light shots (albeit with a fair amount of grain).

Sony is expected to launch Honami on September 4th at the IFA conference in Berlin, shortly before Samsung announces the Galaxy Note 3.

August 15, 2013
Google+ For Android Update Removes Messenger, Adds Drive Integration

Are you one of the millions of people who use Google+ everyday on your Android device. If so, Google has a treat for you in the form of new updates.

Google’s Virgil Dobjanschi took to the website this morning to announce five upcoming updates for Google+ on Android. The updates range from usability improvements to the Google killing off certain features in favor of new ones.

First, Messenger is gone, so no more confusion between the built-in messaging service and the better, independent Hangouts client.

Users can also share their location with friends and family — or anyone in a circle, really — at a precise or city-wide level, and can differentiate based on Circles. It’s not a huge change, and we doubt a lot of people use the service, but since Latitude shut down last week this is now Google’s version of Find My Friends.

Perhaps most important in this update is the ability to access Google Drive photos and videos from within Google+, and they’ll be given the Awesome treatment with no user input. This means photos uploaded to Google+ from Drive will be auto-enhanced and perhaps even animated.

Users can also switch between Google accounts more easily, something that was a bit cumbersome in the past. Lastly, Google Apps for Business features are all supported in Google+ now.

No word on when these changes are coming to iOS.

August 14, 2013
A Flexible Display Business Idea Can Fetch You $10,000 From Samsung

Samsung is looking for business models that revolve around flexible displays as a core value proposition as well as “exceptional design, realistic hardware assumptions and a viable business plan.”

The effort, called Samsung Create: Flexible Future Business Plan Competition, is basically a competition to get entrepreneurs creating startups around flexible display technologies.

Winners will receive cash prizes ranging between $2,500 and $10,000, with entries scored on how improved the flexi display is to the product concept, and the viability of the business plan behind it.

Samsung is not asking you to make assumptions on what your idea would cost. Instead, they want you to figure out what value your business plan creates and compute how much you could pay for flexible displays to make your business plan commercially viable.

Teams can draw up plans for devices measuring between one and 20 inches, with a maximum full-HD resolution of 1920×1080. However, entrants have been informed that only “non-confidential information” may be submitted.

Samsung stipulates that teams won’t get any kind of firm details about when they might actually be able to get any prototype components should their idea be feasible enough to become real, nor will the company reveal anything around component pricing with regards to flexible displays to participating teams.

“Samsung is continuously innovating, and may develop information that is similar to materials submitted in this contest, so only non-confidential information should be submitted,” read a disclaimer.

Users can enter the contest via its official website. Samsung has not specified when prototype versions of the winning entries will be developed.

[Image Credit : © PA Images / Jae C. Hong/AP]

August 14, 2013
Hyetis Crossbow : $1200 Smartwatch With A 41 Megapixel Camera

Smartphones might be bludgeoning the point-and-shoot market, and wearable computers like Google Glass may someday return the favor, but there’s a new gadget picking up steam that could help the smartphone retain superiority. We’re talking about the smartwatch, and if the new Hyetis Crossbow is any indication, smartwatches aren’t playing around when it comes to photography.

Hyetis has announced its Hyetis Crossbow smartwatch on Tuesday, packing a 41-megapixel camera facing at 12-o’clock, complete with Carl Zeiss optics. It’ll even have a little ring of LEDs built around it to act as a ring flash when necessary.

As you would expect, the Hyetis Crossbow has NFC support and is WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled. An altimeter, microphone, thermometer, and other gauges all come included. The band even has biometric sensors that can measure a wearer’s physical condition. The watch is programmed to interact with Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8 devices, comes with a touchscreen, and did we mention that camera? It’s positioned at the top of the clock where the crown usually would be.

Hyetis plans to make the Hyetis Crossbow available for pre-order soon, with a starting price of $1,200. If you can manage that kind of cash you might want to act fast – only 500 units will be available in the first batch.

August 14, 2013
Confirmed : Windows 8.1 Will Launch On October 17th, Free For Existing Users

Microsoft has just made Windows 8.1 release date official, and it is right on schedule for the operating system’s one-year anniversary.

Windows 8.1, a free upgrade to existing users, will be available on October 17th digitally, and for purchase in stores on October 18th.

As we reported yesterday, preview of the first major update to operating system has been available since June, and Microsoft is said to be now testing near-final versions of new OS.

Windows 8.1 includes a number of concessions for desktop users, as well as new features for the modern interface. Users will be able to boot straight to the desktop, disable modern-style “hot corners” and access key desktop functions by right-clicking on the newly-restored Start button. The modern interface includes major improvements to built-in apps, the ability to use three apps side-by-side, overhauled Bing search and more. The net effect is that it’s easier to stay on the desktop if you want, but not unthinkable to switch to the modern UI.

We already know that the upgraded operating system Windows 8.1 will run Internet Explorer 11, the new version of the web browser which Microsoft have claimed is “fast, fluid and perfect for touch,” providing “the best web experience across the full range of Windows devices and screen sizes”.

Windows 8.1 will also allow users to circumvent the ‘Live tile’ interface built for touch screens and go directly to the desktop mode. And there will be direct support for 3D printers – signalling a hope that the new technology will become mainstream in the near future.

A number of tutorials and explanatory menus will be added to the operating system, Microsoft said, to help users adjust to the updates.

August 14, 2013
Report : Windows 8.1 Will Launch In October

The latest version of Microsoft Windows, Windows 8.1, will not be available to the public until October, according to reports.

A preview of the first major update to operating system has been available since June, and Microsoft is said to be now testing near-final versions of new OS.

Windows 8.1 includes a number of concessions for desktop users, as well as new features for the modern interface. Users will be able to boot straight to the desktop, disable modern-style “hot corners” and access key desktop functions by right-clicking on the newly-restored Start button. The modern interface includes major improvements to built-in apps, the ability to use three apps side-by-side, overhauled Bing search and more. The net effect is that it’s easier to stay on the desktop if you want, but not unthinkable to switch to the modern UI.

We already know that the upgraded operating system Windows 8.1 will run Internet Explorer 11, the new version of the web browser which Microsoft have claimed is “fast, fluid and perfect for touch,” providing “the best web experience across the full range of Windows devices and screen sizes”.

Windows 8.1 will also allow users to circumvent the ‘Live tile’ interface built for touch screens and go directly to the desktop mode. And there will be direct support for 3D printers – signalling a hope that the new technology will become mainstream in the near future.

A number of tutorials and explanatory menus will be added to the operating system, Microsoft said, to help users adjust to the updates.

[Via]

August 13, 2013
BlackBerry 9720 Announced, Runs BlackBerry OS 7.1

During the BlackBerry Q1 2014 conference call, BlackBerry CEO, Thorsten Heins let it be known a new BlackBerry 7.1 device would be released soon and after many sneek peeks at it in unofficial capacity, the time has come to make it all official. The BlackBerry 9720 has finally been announced and will be making its way to Asia, EMEA and Latin America in the coming weeks.

As its new BlackBerry 10 operating system struggles to get off the ground, the company is still depending on the old version 7. During its last fiscal quarter BlackBerry shipped 6.8 million smartphones, but only 2.7 million phones running the new OS.

The launch of the BlackBerry 9720, which runs a refreshed version of the BlackBerry 7 OS, may play to the company’s dwindling strength. The smartphone has a re-engineered physical QWERTY keyboard with a dedicated BBM key, a trackpad and a a 2.8-inch touchscreen with 480 x 360 pixel resolution. It has 512MB of RAM.

The BlackBerry 9720 also has a 5-megapixel camera and an FM radio. Connectivity options include HSPA, 802.11n and A-GPS. The phone is packed with a 1450mAH removable battery, which is claimed to offer up to 7 hours of talktime and 18 days of standby time.

On the software side, BlackBerry has focused on social networking features. Users can write a message once and post it simultaneously to their friends on BBM, Twitter and Facebook, for example.

The updated interface also lets users swipe to unlock the phone or access the camera from the lock screen, among other enhancements.

Currently there is no indication of pricing or availability in India, but stay tuned for more information.

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August 13, 2013
Bloomberg : Retina iPad Mini Will Come Out By Year End

Reports of a retina display for the iPad mini aren’t aren’t new, but an end-of-the-year release date is. And according to Bloomberg, Apple is looking at a very busy holiday season, with a new iPad mini as well as a new, redesigned iPad, both available before the end of year.

The next version of the iPad will be adapted to look more like the current iPad Mini, with rounded corners and thinner sides, one source told the news organisation.

Details on the new iPad mini were sparse apart from the addition of a Retina display, as featured in the current iPad.

A Retina display would also bring the new iPad Mini in line with other Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch and MacBook Pro. The current iPad Mini comes with a lower-resolution 132ppi screen from LG and Taiwan’s AU Optronics.

Retina display is a brand name used by Apple for their liquid crystal displays, in which pixelation is imperceptible to the human eye. Other brands also offer higher resolution screens, marketed simply as high definition.

With no firm confirmations, however, the iPad mini with Retina may only be a product refresh rather than the iPad mini 2, which was rumoured to have been pushed back to a 2014 release.

As The Verge reports, the Bloomberg News article makes no mention of the larger, 12.9-inch iPad that’s been rumored previously, and it’s not clear whether we’ll see an iPhone 5S or a new, cheaper model at September 10th event. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[Via]

August 13, 2013