Author: Shivaank Rana

Microsoft Surface Touch Cover Detailed In New Video

With all the hullaballoo surrounding the new iPad Mini, it’s worth remembering that some actual Windows-flavored competition is ready to roll, the Microsoft Surface. We learned last week that Microsoft spent quite some time in a studio, carefully crafting the clicky, compact Windows 8 tablet. And one of its most special, and most important, features is the Touch Cover, which doubles as a tablet cover and a keyboard all in one 3mm package. Combined with the Surface’s built-in kickstand, it allows the tablet to be used as one would a laptop.

Microsoft also showed off the Type Cover, which is essentially a 6mm cover with a scissor key keyboard. It has all the same “smart” functionality as the Touch Cover, but with a bit more familiarity when typing.

However, an engineer in the video explains that, with the Touch Cover, “there isn’t a huge learning curve with respect to muscle memory of where your fingers are striking the keys.” We’ll have to wait until full reviews are released to find out.

Microsoft Surface RT is already available for pre-order and becomes available on October 26. What do you think of the Surface and its Touch Cover keyboard? Is it more desirable than the new iPad, which was updated yesterday with a faster processor and new Apple’s Lightning connector?

October 24, 2012
Google Nexus 7 8GB Sold Out And Unlikely To Return, 32GB Version Coming Soon

If you jumped onto the Play Store today looking to pick up an 8GB version of the tab in time for the holidays, you may have noticed the $200 8GB has been completely sold out, listed as “coming soon.” So what gives? Well, there have been whisperings that Google could have plans to completely phase out the 8GB version of the Google Nexus 7, in favor of offering the 16GB models for the exact same price.

Google is expected to announce a 32GB Google Nexus 7 tablet, both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, at their upcoming “playground is open” Android event on October 29th. Google has yet to confirm the news of a new version of the tablet, but some retails have received stock and unofficially started selling them.

From day one, many have complained that the 8GB version of the N7 simply lacked sufficient storage (5.6GB usable), and dropping it entirely sort of makes sense at this point, particularly with both the iPad Mini and Kindle Fire HD starting at 16GB. The 8GB retailed for $209 and hopefully a massive price drop for the 16GB version is en route…

Of course, it could just come back tomorrow, and we could be wrong, but hey, the timing is right, and our gut instinct here tells us otherwise.

October 24, 2012
Samsung Launches 75 inches LED Smart TV in Indian Market

Samsung on Wednesday launched a 75-inch LED smart TV – the largest television available in India so far – as it looks to strengthen itself in a segment where it is currently the only player. The E-series smart TV also marks the debut of the Korean electronics major’s latest 9 series in India, which runs till 14.

[quote]Mahesh Krishnan, vice-president — consumer electronics, Samsung India, said, “The ES 9000 has new interactive features like face, voice and gesture recognition that eliminates the need for a remote control. It features 1,600 apps, 3D downloadable content and a smart evolution feature with upgradable kit.” [/quote]

The TV also lets the viewers check Facebook and play games on the large LED screen. Priced at Rs7.5 lakh, ES 9000 is the most expensive in Samsung’s smart TV range, which includes LED and plasma models priced between Rs37,700 and Rs2,73,000. Samsung is confident of selling a minimum of 1,000 units of the ES in the next 6-12 months.

Samsung also said that it will introduce ultra high definition television sets in India by the end of next year after it rolls out the technology globally in 2013. Samsung has already developed the technology for ultra high-definition television (UHDTV), which has a minimum resolution of 3840×2160 pixels or 8.3 megapixels.

“We have developed the technology and are ready with it. We are planning to introduce it globally sometime next year and the India-launch will happen by the end of next year,” Samsung India Electronics General Manager (AV Division) Taeho Park told reporters here. The company is not launching UHDTV immediately as the content is not yet available for it, he added.

“Many of our competitors are also working on this technology, which uses four times more pixels than the high definition TVs. Samsung has developed it in Korea and we will sell UHDTVs in India by importing them from Korea,” Park said. He, however, declined to share details such as possible price range or the size of the panels.

October 24, 2012
Apple Revamps The Mac Mini!

Along with the new versions of the iPad and MacBooks, Apple also launched an updated version of the Mac Mini. The new Mini’s have new processors, including quad-core models on the high end, as well as new built-to-order RAM options of up to 16GB. Pricing remains the same as the prior generation Mac Mini models. There are two standard configuration and a server configuration:

– $599, 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD
– $799, 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD
– $999, 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 2TB HD, Includes Mountain Lion Server

The first is a $599 model with a 2.5GHz dual-core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB HDD, and second a $999 server model with a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 Ivy Bridge, 4GB of RAM and dual 1TB HDDs.

Graphics is handled by Intel HD 4000 GPU, and Bluetooth 4.0 is handling wireless devices. When it comes to ports, four USB 3.0 slots come built-in, as well as an SD card reader and HDMI out.

The new Mac Mini is available to purchase starting today!

October 23, 2012
4th Generation iPad Launched With A6X Chip

Apple today announced the 4th generation of the iPad. It comes with the A6x Chip which doubles the CPU performance and the graphics performance. The new device comes with Apple’s new lightning connector.

The 4th generation iPad comes with a next-generation ISP display, which means the screen is going to be even better than the current retina.

It features 10 hours of battery life, an HD front-facing camera for a better FaceTime experience and expanded LTE. Also included is a Lightning to SD card cable.

The new iPad has also got HDMI out and VGA, through Lightning connector and is the same price: 16GB for $500.

Like all previous versions of the device, it comes in black and white.

October 23, 2012
200 Million Devices Running On iOS 6 : Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook, during his keynote presentation today in San Jose, announced that 200 million devices are now running iOS 6, which is the fastest operating system update in history.

Apple has also announced that 300 billion iMessages have been sent, 100 billion received (interesting…). There have been 35 billion app downloads, with $6.5 billion paid out to developers.

Also, the Apple App Store now has 700,000 apps.

Developing…

October 23, 2012

Honda launches CNG compatible City sedan

Honda has launched a CNG variant of the Honda City in India. Available in a single trim, V MT, the City CNG is priced at approximately Rs 9.60 lakh ex-Delhi. The Honda-approved retro-fitted CNG kit is available at all of Honda’s 45 dealers located in 28 cities in India. The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine from the petrol variant has been retained while the suspension is said to have been altered to handle the extra weight of the CNG kit. Honda is offering the CNG trim with ABS, BA and dual airbags.

Honda has also introduced an Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) pack on the V AT and MT trim levels. The AVN includes a Bluetooth-enabled touchscreen, DVD and CD player, USB/I-Pod/Aux-in connectivity and leather upholstery. The CNG powered City though doesn’t get the AVN package.

Speaking on the occasion Jnaneswar Sen, Sr vice president, Honda Cars India Ltd. said “Honda City is one of the most successful car brand in the country and certainly the most desirable sedan in its category due to its unmatched values of performance, mileage and overall reliability. We are extremely happy to bring the City with a CNG option for our customers. Adapting the CNG technology is another step to keep low cost of ownership for our customers and will add to the appeal of the car, as it will not only be cheaper to run and maintain but also eco-friendly.“

Here are the Honda City prices.

Fuel	Variants	Price in lakh (ex-Delhi)
Petrol	Corporate	7.26
Petrol	E MT	7.88
Petrol	S MT	8.41
Petrol	S AT	9.15
Petrol	V MT	8.94
Petrol	V AT	9.68
Petrol	V MT CNG *	9.03
Petrol	V MT AVN	9.72
Petrol	V AT AVN	10.46
Petrol	V MT (sunroof)	9.78
Petrol	V AT (sunroof)	10.52

* CNG Kit: Rs 50,200

Installation Charges (Extra)

[Overdrive]

October 23, 2012

Sony’s New Cloud Service To Be Called “MyXperia”?

Sony’s $1,47 billion acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in their Sony Ericsson joint venture closed in January of this year. The mobile division is called “Sony Mobile Communications” and they are focussed bringing the latest smartphones to market. The other key areas for Sony – that fall under the “One Sony” umbrella – are laptops, tablets and televisions.

It seems, just like so many other manufacturers, Sony is heading into the cloud and might possibly launch a storage service. According to a recent European trademark filing Sony has coined the term “MyXperia,” hinting at a future, but unconfirmed, cloud service or app. The description says:

“Computer application software and downloadable software in the nature of mobile applications for use in connection with virtual computer systems and virtual computing environments for upload, storage, retrieval, download, transmission and delivery of digital content and media to and from the following: mobile phones; smart phones; digital or electronic tablets for the recording, transmission, processing and reproduction of sound, images or data; personal digital assistants (PDAs); and/or portable and handheld digital electronic devices for the recording, transmission, processing and reproduction of sound, images or data.”

The domain for MyXperia.com has already been secured by Sony and the basic website is already up and running. We’ll see soon enough whether something (big or small) will come out of the “MyXperia” filing.

October 23, 2012
Apple Starts iOS 6.0.1 Carrier Testing, Releasing Soon To Fix Bugs

Apple is now apparently in the process of testing a minor iOS update, iOS 6.0.1, with carriers with the update likely to hit users in the coming weeks. The report comes from BGR who say that one of their Apple sources has let slip about the update and that numerous bugs will be fixed with the update, including enhanced Wi-Fi support and fixes for cellular data as well as the horizontal aberrations in iTunes when entering a password.

Users have also reported issues with the camera flash not being timed properly with the shutter, leading to accidentally dark scenes. This should be fixed in the new software version, as well as a fix for iTunes Match incorrectly using data when WiFi is in use.

Apple is also rumoured to be testing its next big iOS version, 6.1, which is expected to come by the end of the year. While one may expect the new iPad mini to come with a new version of iOS, it seems increasingly unlikely that iOS 6.1 will be ready to go by the smaller tablet’s early November release date.

October 22, 2012
Sony Odin Reportedly Caught On Camera

We did talk about the Sony C650X Odin’s alleged specifications more than a week ago, but had absolutely no inkling of an idea as to just how the smartphone would look like. Well, it does seem as though additional light has been shed into the darkness of rumors, and here we are with what could very well be the first leaked image of the Sony C650X Odin in the flesh. The Sony C650X goes by the codename of Odin and is rumoured to compete with all the other phone/tabets – aka phablets – on the market.

It seems that Sony has translated their TV design over to the C650X Odin, where there is hardly a bezel for your eyes to grab a hold of, as it does look as though the screen itself offers edge-to-edge functionality. Of course, this could be due to the fact that the device itself has been turned off, so one cannot really make a conclusion as to whether this is legit or not.

Rumoured specifications include a 5” display at 1080 x 1920 resolution, a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB RAM. In addition, the Odin is an Android-powered device and currently runs OS 4.1.1, but by the time it’s released it might have OS 4.2 Key Lime Pie. Perhaps more will be revealed at the CES showfloor next year – or will we see an official announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona after?

October 22, 2012
Bharti Airtel Becomes World’s 4th Largest Mobile Operator

According to the Wireless Intelligence ‘Scoreboard’ report, Bharti Airtel has 250 million mobile subscribers across its operations by the end of June 2012. Bharti Airtel took over Telefonica Group with a growth of 13 percent over the year.

Bharti Airtel has operations in 20 countries across South Asia and Africa with a subscriber base of 250 million.

According to a PTI report, China Mobile continues to be at the top spot with 683.08 million connections, followed by Vodafone Group (386.88 million) and America Movil Group (251.83 million). Bharti Airtel (250.04) and Telefonica Group (243.51) are at fourth and fifth position, respectively.

The research report also listed three other Indian operators in the top 20 mobile operators with Reliance coming in 8^th position having a subscriber base close to 155 million, followed by IdeaCellular in 14^th position with 117 million subscribers and then BSNL in the 20^th position with 98 million mobile subscribers.

October 22, 2012
Nokia Asha 308 Dual-SIM Phone Launched At INR 5,865

The Nokia Asha 308 unveiled last month alongside the Asha 309, is now available in the country for Rs. 5,865. Users can head to the Nokia store and purchase the device online. The Nokia Asha 308 is available in Black and Gold colour variants. The company is also offering Yatra.com travel vouchers worth Rs. 4,500 for a limited period.

As far as the specs are concerned, Asha 308 has a 3 inch capacitive multi-point touchscreen display with 400 x 240 pixel resolution, 800MHz processor, 2MP rear camera with fixed focus, 64MB internal memory, 128MB mass memory and a micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB expandable memory.

In terms of connectivity, the Nokia Asha 308 packs features including Bluetooth and micro USB 2.0. Also, the handset is powered by a 1,110 mAh BL-4U battery.

Also, the Nokia Asha 308 comes with a fluid ‘swipe’ user interface and an open environment for third-party application development. We have seen the fluid ‘swipe’ interface before when Nokia unveiled the Asha 305 and the Asha 311.

The Nokia Asha 308 also comes with the free gift of 40 premium EA games, and pre-loaded Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp apps. The device also features Nokia Messaging Service, and video streaming through the browser from sites like YouTube.

October 22, 2012
Winston Churchill Land Rover sells at auction for £129,000

A Land Rover used by legendary leader Sir Winston Churchill to transport him around the grounds of his Kent home has sold for more than double its estimate, at £129,000 .

The vehicle, which was used to drive the former Prime Minister around his Chartwell estate and presented to him on his 80th birthday, went under the hammer in Cambridgeshire.

The vehicle, which had been modified to enable him to be chauffeur-driven around his Chartwell estate in Kent, was expected to fetch up to 60,000 pounds at an auction in Cambridgeshire, the BBC News reported.

It was sold with the original logbook registering it to Churchill to a bidder who wished to remain anonymous. The previous owner had kept it in a shed in Kent since 1977.

The 1954 Series 1 Land Rover was registered as UKE 80 in the name of the “Rt Hon Sir Winston Spencer Churchill KG. OM. CH. MP. Chartwell, Westerham, Kent”. It was especially modified for him with an extra-wide passenger seat and heated footwell.

Cheffins auctioneers said the vehicle, which had 20,812 km on the clock, was the most expensive item in its auction of more than 2,000 vintage vehicles.

October 21, 2012
Google Contemplating FTC Settlement Over Patents : WSJ

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Google is contemplating a settlement of an FTC investigation that is probing whether the company purposely refused to license industry essential patents to competing mobile device makers, and in some cases leveraged the IP to seek injunctions.

The FTC in June began investigating Google’s use of patents it acquired after purchasing Motorola in May.
Following the buyout, the internet search giant continued to press forward with a number of existing lawsuits, including possibly anticompetitive litigation regarding standards-essential FRAND patents.

One of the sources noted that the FTC had threatened to bring a case against Google over alleged unfair business practices involving the use of Motorola’s IP against rival mobile device makers like Apple and Microsoft. During discussions, the agency’s lawyers cited a number of cases in which the Google subsidiary possibly violated FRAND terms.

Google reportedly argued that competitors currently holding FRAND patents also violated their duties in bringing suit against Motorola and others, including filings from Apple. The company went on to say that if a settlement was reached, it would be left defenseless as rivals push forward with their own FRAND claims.

[Apple Insider]

October 21, 2012
Couple Finds Camera Buried In Earthquake With Wedding Photos Intact

A crazy story of photo survival has emerged over in New Zealand. Apparently a couple had lost their camera during the Christchurch earthquake last February. They found the demolished camera yesterday, 18 months after it got buried in silt, and were overjoyed to find that their precious photos were still readable.

According to Stuff (via PetaPixel), Martin lost his camera in the damaging earthquake that struck Christchurch in February, 2011. He and his wife had just returned from their honeymoon, and had only been back in their home an hour when the quake hit.

In the ensuing panic to evacuate their crumbling house, the camera – with more than six months’ worth of pictures on its Adata 4GB SDHC memory card – was washed away with other belongings in silt more than a meter deep. The newly married couple, though upset by the loss of the precious photos, accepted there was nothing they could do and carried on.

Then on Wednesday evening, a full 20 months after the quake, Martin noticed an object sticking up out of his driveway. On closer inspection, he realized it was his long-lost camera. As you can see from the image above, the snapper was in bad shape, but Martin wondered if the memory card might be made of sterner stuff.

To his astonishment, following “a bit of tinkering” with the memory card on his computer, the New Zealander was able to recover all the shots contained on it, including those from his wedding and honeymoon.

October 21, 2012