Author: Shivaank Rana

HP Announces Slate 7 Android Tablet, Priced At $169

As first rumored earlier this month, HP has officially confirmed its intentions to re-enter the tablet market following the HP TouchPad debacle by officially announcing the Slate 7 Android tablet, a 7-inch Android tablet meant to undercut Google’s own Nexus 7 for $169.99 with the launch slated for April.

The specs match up with the Nexus 7 in most areas although the two most important parts were sadly forgotten. Those being the processor, and the screen resolution.

The HP Slate 7 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, comes with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution display, and only a 1.6 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor but no additional details on the CPU were given. You’ll be enjoying 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage as well as a micro-SD slot for expanded storage options, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.

The HP Slate 7 has one front-facing VGA webcam and a 3.0 megapixel rear camera. The tablet also features stereo speakers with Beats Audio processing, recalling the audio features of the TouchPad in a stainless steel frame. Dimensions come in at 10.7 mm thin, 197mm x 116mm, 13.05 ounces, and HP promises 5 hours of video playback.

HP has yet to announce more specific availability details outside of the April launch date, including what territories the tablet will launch in during the initial April release. HP has also confirmed that the Slate 7 is only the first in a new line of tablets from the conglomerate, as it has also confirmed additional Android tablets in more sizes as well as Windows tablets.

February 24, 2013
Huawei Finally Announces The Ascend P2

Huawei has launched the Ascend P2 today, its new flagship Android smartphone equipped with a 4.7-inch HD display and running version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) of Google’s popular mobile operating system.

This is a follow-up to the Ascend P1 and is being dubbed as “the world’s fastest smartphone.”

The new Android handset has a quad-core 1.5GHz processor at its core, along with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. There’s a 13-megapixel camera around the back, along with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calling.

The 8.4mm thin Ascend P2 has a 4.7-inch 720p IPS screen with 312ppi ratio. This came as a surprise since all the previous rumors pointed to a 1080p display unit. The screen is covered by a Gorilla Glass 2 layer and is rounded at the edges to create an “Infinity pool” perception as Huawei calls it.

The capacitive touchscreen layer is embedded inside the display cell and it allows operation with gloves or nails, much like the one on the Nokia Lumia 920.

The Huawei Ascend P2 is skinned with the company’s Emotion UI 1.5 which might not add to much to the experience Android experience.

Huawei Ascend P2 also uses Huawei’s proprietary Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) power-saving technologies, which allegedly reduce power consumption and charging time by more than 25% compared to other smartphones.

Huawei declared its plans to focus on smartphone development and worldwide distribution. It also announced full-year global sales revenue of $7.5 billion with 127 million shipped devices. 52 million of those devices are handsets and 32 of those are smartphones.

February 24, 2013

Samsung Announces HomeSync, 1TB Android-based Media Server

Samsung makes phones, tablets, and televisions that can run apps. Now the company is also offering a set-top-box, called the HomeSync that can bring Android apps to your TV, let you stream content from your mobile device to a TV, or keep your data synchronized between devices.

This device runs a dual-core 1.7GHz SoC, has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash, and for all that media, a 1TB hard drive. It hooks up to your TV over HDMI and can connect to your local network over Gigabit Ethernet or WiFi. It will stream content right from your Galaxy phone, or can play back locally stored files. For connection to your home theater system, there’s optical audio-out.

Under the hood, the HomeSync is running software based on Google Android Jelly Bean, which means you can use it to watch movies on the hard drive or stream videos from YouTube, among other things. It also includes access to the Google Play Store, which should let you download additional apps such as Netflix or Vudu to turn the HomeSync into a pretty powerful media center for your TV.

Samsung says you can also link up to 8 accounts to the HomeSync so you can synchronize data across your devices or access shared or private storage. In other words, you can keep your music and movie collection on the HomeSync’s 1TB hard drive and use each of your family’s phones to access a different set of media files for each user.

Samsung hasn’t yet revealed how much the HomeSync will cost.

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Samsung HomeSync creates connected media experience for the whole family

Provides home cloud for storing, sharing and streaming content

across multiple devices

Barcelona, February 24, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced Samsung HomeSync, a home hub solution that a shared storage fit for a family, the best entertainment experience on a big screen TV, and a new way of enjoying your HDTV through a familiar and smarter Android user experience.

Shared Storage for a Family

HomeSync’s 1TB drive can help you sync to multiple devices, providing shared or private storage for all your content. It supports eight separate accounts to cover a whole family, and allows each user to upload and download content from multiple devices and instantly share with other family members. File encryption and user-specific ID and password ensure content in a user’s private area remains separate from the shared area in HomeSync.

Entertainment on a Big Screen

The HomeSync brings the best of Android gaming, movies, TV shows and streaming content direct into your living room. It allows you to stream content from your Galaxy device wirelessly to the TV – letting you watch, see and use all your home videos, photos and apps, and all at a full HD 1080p.

Giving any HDTV new Smarts

Users can enjoy the full and familiar Android experience with HomeSync’s Jelly Bean media player and access to Play Store and all of your apps. HomeSync also enables new ways to interact with your content via the control modes enabled wirelessly on the phone.

HomeSync will be available from April 2013 in select countries and continue to expand globally.

HomeSync specifications

Component		Description
CPU		1.7GHz Dual Core
Memory		1GB DDR3 + 8GB eMMC + 1TB HDD
Connectivity	LAN	Gigabit Ethernet
	WiFi	802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz & a/n 5GHz HT40 2×2 MIMO Channel Bonding
	Bluetooth	V4.0
Interface	USB 3.0	External USB I/F Connection (x2)
	Micro USB	PC Connection 11pin mUSB (x1)
	HDMI out	Support (HDMI1.4)
	Optical Audio	Audio Amp. Connection
Codec	Video	H.264, H.263, MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, WMV7/8, MP43, VP8, DivX
Codec	Audio	MP3, AAC LC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA 9std/10pro/Lossless, FLAC, Vorbis, AMR-NB/WB, Wav, Mid, AC-3
DRM		HDCP 1.3/2.1, Playready, Widevide, Trustzone

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

*Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, and Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales exceeding KRW 201 trillion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

[/toggle_box]

February 24, 2013

Microsoft Expected To Reveal Xbox 720 in April

Following Sony’s PlayStation 4 announcement earlier this week, Microsoft is said to announce the next-generation Xbox console at a media event in April, according to publication Computer and Video Games.

Sony’s “surprise” PlayStation 4 announcement earlier this week reportedly caught Microsoft off guard at first, according to one Sony senior official that asked not to be named. The person in question said they definitely ruffled some feathers which seems likely considering most expected the two companies to announce their next generation consoles at E3 later this year.

Further evidence supporting Microsoft’s decision to host a one-off event is the fact that Ustechs, a company that has worked with Microsoft in the past on other media briefings, recently registered the domain XboxEvent.com.

Leaks for the Xbox 720 (codenamed Durango) have indicated it will feature some serious power internally. An 8-core 1.6GHz processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, an 800MHz graphics card, a 6x Blu-ray drive, USB 3.0, and gigabit Ethernet are rumoured to be included.

Microsoft is also said to include a new Kinect sensor that will include not only better tracking results for large rooms, but will ship with the console by default.

At its media event, Sony wasn’t able to show the actual hardware for its PlayStation 4, and only detailed a few specs, the new UI, and controller with touchpad. It’s not known if Microsoft will show off the Xbox design at its event. Leaks haven’t pointed to what the design will look like as of yet.

Baird Equity Research last month said the next-generation Xbox will be sold for $350-$400 in the autumn, right in time for the Christmas shopping season that’s sure to bring a slew of sales to the company.

[Pocket-Lint]

February 23, 2013
Lava Launches Iris 454 and Iris 502

Lava today released its latest offering in the market, dubbed as Lava Iris 502 – the 5-inch Jelly Bean phablet and the Iris 454.

The Lava Iris 502 comes with dual-SIM configuration and runs on Android Jelly Bean operating system. It has a 1 GHz single core processor and 512 MB RAM.

The display comes with WVGA (800×480 pixels) resolution. There is a 5 megapixel camera on the back side of the body while a VGA camera is in the front for video chat and self-portrait images.

The Lava Iris 502 comes with 2 GB internal storage and one can add upto 32 GB micro SD card to it for added storage space. The device offers Bluetooth and USB connectivity for file transfer; there is EDGE, GPRS, HSPA+“>HSPA(3G), and WiFi for Internet connectivity too.

Besides, Lava Iris 502 comes with 2000 mAh battery, FM radio, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, and 32 GB expandable memory.

The Iris 454 boasts decent hardware and specs. It is a dual SIM handset with 4.5 inch IPS LCD Screen, along with a resolution of 540 x 960 Pixels. The newly launched TouchWiz smartphone houses an Android v4.0.4 OS and is powered 1 GHz Cortex A9 Dual Core processor.

Further, Lava Iris 454 is equipped with 8 Megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, 4GB ROM, 512 MB RAM, 2GB internal memory, microSD, upto 32 GB expandable memory, Wi-fi Hotspot, 3G with Video calling support, HDMI, GPS Support, Bluetooth and Audio Jack 3.5 mm.

The smartphone will further flaunt a dimension of 137x70x9.9 mm and a weight of 154.6grams (with battery). Talking about battery, Iris 454 is loaded with 1650 mAh Li-Ion battery, which the company claims will support talktime of 5 hrs and standby time of 280 hrs.

The Iris 502 has been priced at Rs 8,600/- and the Iris 454 has been priced at Rs 8,499/-

February 23, 2013
Microsoft Reveals It Was Hit By Cyber Attacks

Microsoft officials revealed on Friday that the Redmond, Washington-based company had been targeted by the same hackers who had previously set their sights on Apple and Facebook.

Last week Apple announced it had been hit by malicious software, known as malware, which took advantage of a vulnerability in a Java program used as a plug in for web browsing programs.

A few days earlier Facebook admitted it had been targeted in a similar way through a loophole in Java software created by a mobile developer called Oracle.

Facebook said that the malware infected employee laptops even though they were running up to date antivirus software, and described the attack as “sophisticated”

[quote]Describing the attack on Microsoft, Mr Thomlinson said: “As reported by Facebook and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion. During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organisations. We have no evidence of customer data being affected and our investigation is ongoing.”[/quote]

Like Facebook, Microsoft says it is still investigating how malicious software was planted on what it said were a small number of its computers.

February 23, 2013
Leaked : Nokia Lumia 720, Lumia 520, Expected To Be Announced At MWC

Days before Nokia has a chance to unveil its Mobile World Congress lineup, apparent leaks of its two upcoming smartphones, the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, have already surfaced to go along with some bubbled-up specs.

While we can’t tell specs from the official renders provided by @evleaks, it’s a safe bet that these phones will be announced next week at Mobile World Congress. It’s also safe to assume that the Lumia 720 will have slightly toned-down specs from the 820, but will maintain its colourful heritage. Nokia appears to have done away with removable back plates on the Nokia Lumia 720, making for a thinner and likely lighter smartphone.

And though we can’t tell scale from this particular photo, a 4.3-inch 800×480 resolution ClearBlack screen is in the cards, alongside a 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus SoC, 512MB RAM, 8GB internal storage, an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera.

Rumoured specs of the Nokia Lumia 520 put the device at 4-inches, with 512MB RAM, 8GB internal storage and a 5MP rear camera.

The two devices should slot in directly above and below the Nokia Lumia 620, leaving Nokia with a full spectrum of Windows Phone 8 devices at every price point. However we are still waiting for the launch of the Lumia 620 in India!

[EVLeaks]

February 23, 2013
Rumour : MacBook Air With Retina Display Coming In Q3

The MacBook Air could be in line for a Retina Display upgrade later this year, according to reports.

Taiwanese newspaper the Economic Daily, citing those infamous ‘supply chain sources’ is claiming the ultra-portable laptop will be fitted with a super hi-res display and launched in the third quarter.

The report added that both the 11.6-inch and the 13.3-inch iterations have been earmarked for the screen technology first utilised on the iPhone 4, before the 4S, 5, iPod touchand iPad 3 got in on the act.

The tech also arrived on Apple’s computing products in 2013, with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 2560 x 1600 Retina Display and a 15-inch Pro with a 2880 x 1800 Retina Display launched.

Apple last week cut the price of its 256GB MacBook Air by $100, to $1,400. The move was a response to it dropping the price of its MacBook Pro with Retina down to $1,500. Apple also boosted processor speeds in its MacBook Pro line.

In addition to talk of improvements to the MacBook Air, another report out of Korea today said Apple’s next-generation iPad would come with GF2 display technology, a thinner alternative to what’s currently running in the device. Apple’s iPad Mini uses GF2 display technology. The addition of GF2 should make it easier for Apple to deliver a thinner full-size iPad.

This news comes after Google today launched the Chromebook Pixel.

The Chromebook Pixel from Google features a 12.85-inch touchscreen display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1700 pixels, amounting to a pixel density of 239 pixels per inch (ppi). Google says that the display on the Chromebook pixel is the best screen that has ever been put on a laptop. The display is a step ahead than Apple’s 13.1-inch Macbook Pro with Retina display that has pixel density of 227 pixels per inch.

February 22, 2013
Apple Hit With ‘Planned Obsolescence’ Lawsuit Over Fourth-Generation iPad

Apple’s legal troubles in Brazil grew on Thursday, as news emerged that the company has been hit with a class-action suit alleging that the quick release of the fourth-generation iPad constitutes “planned obsolescence” with regard to its predecessor.

Brazil’s Jornal do Comérciao reports that the Brazilian Institute of Politics and Law Software (IBDI) has filed suit against the iPad maker, claiming that the company could have, when launching the third-generation “New iPad,” implemented all of the technological upgrades it introduced in the fourth-generation model. Apple’s failure to do so, the suit alleges, amounts to planned obsolescence and unfair business practices.

“Consumers thought [they were] buying high-end equipment not knowing [it] was already an obsolete version,” says IBDI attorney Sergio Palomares.

The New iPad and iPad with Retina display are different in three ways.

For one, the current generation tablet includes an A6X processor versus the A5X processor that came with the discontinued iPad 3. It also includes a FaceTime HD camera. The previous model included a VGA front-facing videophone camera. Finally, the iPad 4 includes Apple’s new Lightning connector. The iPad 3 included a 30-pin connector.

It should also be noted that iPad 3 buyers who had purchased their tablet within 30 days of the iPad 4 announcement were able to make a return. In addition, some retailers extended this policy even further.

Apple also faces a struggle over rights to the iPhone brand in the country, having lost the right to the trademark after a court found in favor of Gradiente Electronica, a company that first registered the iPhone trademark in 2000.

February 22, 2013
Huawei Ascend P2 To Feature 4.7-inch 720p Display Instead Of Rumoured 1080p

The Huawei Ascend P2 is no stranger to leaks, but the one thing we were truly excited about — its4.5-inch 1080p display — has been scrapped (if it was anything more than a rumour in the first place) in favour of a more standard 720p resolution.

And it’s a reliable shout too, since it’s based on comments from Huawei’s head of mobile Richard Yu, who’s said on Weibo that a full HD display on a sub-5in display makes no sense, since the human eye wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that and a 720p panel, but you’d still pay the penalty in terms of battery life.

Huawei, in order to achieve record-breaking thinness on the Ascend P2, reportedly chose to include in-cell display technology, much like iPhone 5. This should allow the company to reach the 6.5mm number while maintaining decent battery life.

Considering it’s meant to be a mid-range device, the rumored specifications are certainly impressive, including a 1.5GHz quad-core Hisilicon K3V2 CPU, 2GB of RAM, Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, 4.7-inch display,13MP camera, and 3,000mAh battery.

The Huawei Ascend P2 will be one of the new handsets to be unwrapped at MWC in Barcelona. If you want to know what is happening at MWC, stay tuned!

[Unwired View]

February 22, 2013
Google Glass Preview Video Shows New Functionality

Fresh details about Google’s eagerly-anticipated smart glasses have been released by the company.

A YouTube video uploaded by the company shows Google Glass in action – including the interface which appears in the wearer’s line of sight.

The search giant has also opened up the trial of the product to “creative individuals” and developers.

[quote]”We’re looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass,” Google said “We’re still in the early stages and, while we can’t promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting.”[/quote]

Users will say, “OK, glass” to initiate verbal input, and will be able to search the web, get directions, share video and photos, and more. This isn’t the open UI of Android; Google is wisely keeping Glass a closed ecosystem, limited to a few core functions. Of course, Google Now will play a big part, providing information about attractions, directions and more when relevant to the user.

Some examples of how the glasses can be used include turn-by-turn navigation, taking photos and translating languages on the spot.

The video depicts a combination of people going about their everyday lives and other adventures, like skydiving, and shows them using Glass to record video, take pictures or navigate.

According to Google’s website, Google Glass will come in five colors: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky.

Google is asking users who want one to compose a short story around the hashtag #ifihadglass and post it to Google+ or Twitter. Once selected, customers will have to pay $1500+tax for the privilege.

February 22, 2013
Sony To Release ‘Smart Glass’ Like PlayStation App For Android & iOS

And shortly after the event, it added to the day’s announcements by unveiling its official PlayStation mobile application. The app, which will land on both iOS and Android, will expand PS4 gameplay by offering a ‘second screen’ experience…

Here’s Sony’s press release on the app :

[quote]“A new application from SCE called “PlayStation®App” will enable iPhone, iPad, and Android based smartphones and tablets to become second screens. Once installed on these devices, users can, for example, see maps on their second screens when playing an adventure game, purchase PS4 games while away from home and download it directly to the console at home, or remotely watch other gamers playing on their devices.”[/quote]

Sony boasted that the PS4 will feature integration with third-party services, phones, and tablets that will allow players on mobile devices to view gameplay videos and challenge friends in head-to-head play.

There will be no actual gaming available on the app, rather it’s meant to be a companion for the consolem kinda like the Smart Glass app. The PlayStation Vita, however, has gained a “Remote Play” feature that allows gamers to pull PS4 games from their TV and play them on the 5-inch device.

It is currently unknown if the app will be similar to Microsoft’s Smart Glass Xbox app that allows users to view the stats of other gamers. Sony has yet to announce a release date, but the console is scheduled to arrive during the 2013 holiday season.

The PlayStation 4 was the highlight of Sony’s media event, with a PC-style architecture, an eight-core x86 processor and 8GB of RAM, the new Dualshock 4 controller with touchpad and new social layers for a better gaming experience.

February 21, 2013
Google Brings Chrome App Launcher To Windows

Google on Wednesday announced a significant bridging of the gap between Chrome and Chrome OS: the app launcher, a little window that features all your apps in one place. The company has ported the dedicated “home for your apps” from Chrome OS to its Chrome browser.

Available now in a developer preview, the launcher experience is similar to that available on Chrome OS. Users can scroll their mouse over the Chrome icon on the task bar and be provided with a list of Chrome apps to launch them quickly.

In the developer preview, Google has included its own Chrome web apps such as Gmail and YouTube, as well as packaged Chrome apps downloaded by users from the Chrome Web Store. Packaged apps deliver an experience as capable as a native app, written in HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS – usually meant to work offline.

As of now the app launcher is available only for Windows, but the Chrome team said the feature would come to Mac OS X and Linux soon.

The Next Web also said users can continue using the Chrome browser as just that – a browser – without having an extra menu.

For those wondering, Google is expected to release Chrome 25 this week or next. This feature won’t be ready till Chrome 26 or Chrome 27, however, meaning it will arrive in April at the earliest.

[The Next Web]

February 21, 2013
Sony Launches The PlayStation 4, Yet We Don’t Know What It Looks Like

Sony has officially lifted the lid off the PlayStation 4 during its New York City event today, showing that it wasn’t just gathering journos, developers, and the watching world for the biggest practical joke ever.

The console, which Sony didn’t show once during the 2-hour gathering, should arrive by holiday time 2013. It marks the first major system introduction from the Japan-based company since the PlayStation 3 was launched in 2006.

News.com.au sums up the much hyped PlayStation 4 event perfectly, it was like hosting a gala wedding and not inviting the bride.

[quote]Not surprisingly, Microsoft’s Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb was quick to mock the Sony event. “Announce a console without actually showing a console? That’s one approach,” he tweeted. [/quote]

However, we do know SOMETHING about the PS4.

With under-the bonnet power considerably in excess of that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it will usher in a new breed of games with startlingly lifelike graphics, set in virtual worlds that operate in a much more believable manner than the current crop. But it will not have that ground to itself: Microsoft is applying the finishing touches to a successor for its Xbox 360 which, it is believed, it will unveil at the E3 Show in Los Angeles in June. That, too, is likely to go on sale this Christmas, unleashing a titanic battle for living room supremacy between Sony and Microsoft.

The console owns an eight core, x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU.

It houses 8GB of GDDR5 unified high-speed memory, and a “highly advanced” PC GPU with “remarkable longterm potential.”

That processor, also made by AMD and referred to as a “next-generation Radeon based graphics engine” in a post-conference press release, boasts 18 compute units that together produce 1.84 teraflops of processing power.

We’ll also see Blu-ray and DVD support in the PS4, along with HDMI, Analog-AV, and optical digital output.

Sony has inserted a secondary chip completely dedicated to uploading and downloading titles, regardless of whether the system is on or off.

Using Gaikai’s technology, a company which they bought in 2012, to provide backwards compatibility gives the PlayStation 4 an economic edge, too: it means that costly backwards-compatibility chips can be dispensed with, making it cheaper to manufacture.

PlayStation Cloud will let gamers stream games from former PlayStation consoles, including the PS1, PS2 and PS3 to their shiny new Sony PS4 over their home broadband connection, using integrated Gaikai tech.

With Gaikai, the lion’s share of the game processing will take place server-side, rather than within the Sony PS4 console itself, but your PS3 disks will not be compatible with the PS4.

We’ve also been introduced to the all-new DualShock 4, a touchpad-packing controller especially designed for the new system.

The PS4 DualShock 4 controller features two sticks, four triggers, a directional pad, plus triangle, cross, circle, and square buttons, just like a classic PlayStation controller.

But it also has a touchpad across its face, and a PlayStation Move-like “light bar” across the top. The start and select buttons have been moved to the sides to make room for the touchpad, and the DualShock 4 also features a “share” button next to the triggers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The touchpad can be used for touch interactions and doubtless other processes that have yet to be revealed or imagined, while the color-changing light bar allows the controller to interact with the PS4’s evolution of the PlayStation Eye, presumably for motion and pointing controls.

The PlayStation controller hasn’t changed much over the years, from the original PS1 DualShock to the PS3’s Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers.

The PS4’s DualShock 4 controller is both a huge departure from that formula and more of the same.

No pricing details were revealed at the event, so all we’ve got to go on are various rumours from before the launch – but it might be that Sony has a price point of around $400 in mind for the US release. That translates to around Rs 22,000.

With the PlayStation 4’s incorporation of cloud gaming and power, Sony appears to have launched a convincing first salvo in the impending console showdown with Microsoft. Final pricing, a launch date and the console’s physical design, along with a firm line-up of launch games will surely emerge at the E3 Show in June, along with Microsoft’s rival console. This Christmas could be the most exciting one ever, as far as gamers are concerned.

Sony posted a couple of videos on YouTube for the PS4, check them out below :

[TechRadar]

February 21, 2013
LG Announces The Optimus F5 And Optimus F7

LG has announced the launch of two new F series smartphones, the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 ahead of Mobile World Congress at the weekend proving the show is becoming less and less significant for launches by the day.

LG is certainly taking a different route this year and leaving no element of surprise for Mobile World Congress next week. We already know of the second generation of the L-Series with the Optimus L3II, Optimus L5II and Optimus L7II.

As is usually the case, the official announcement of these devices didn’t follow far behind leaked renders, which seem to have been spot on.

Both run OS 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and have dual-core processors. The F7 is the bigger beast, while the F5 has respectable specs. Here are the specs for each:

Optimus F5 Specifications:
– Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
– Processor: 1.2 GHz Dual-Core
– Display: 4.3-inch IPS (256 ppi)
– Size: 126.0 x 64.5 x 9.3mm
– Memory: 8 GB / 1 GB RAM / microSD (up to 32GB)
– Camera: 5.0 MP AF / 1.3 MP
– Battery: 2,150mAh

Optimus F7 Specifications:
– Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
– Processor: 1.5 GHz Dual-Core
– Display: 4.7-inch True HD IPS (312 ppi)
– Size: 131.7 x 68.2 x 9.6mm
– Memory: 8 GB / 2 GB RAM /microSD (up to 32GB)
– Camera: 8.0 MP AF / 1.3 MP
– Battery: 2,540mAh

No word on an Indian release and pricing for either smartphone, but LG noted that “Optimus F5 will begin in the second quarter in Europe, followed soon by the Optimus F7 in selected markets.”

[Via Engadget]

February 21, 2013