Author: Shivaank Rana

Whoops! 32GB Nexus 7 Tablet Accidentally Shipped!

The ASUS Google Nexus 7 is a very popular, keenly priced Android tablet. If you want to buy one you currently have only two choices; a version with 8GB of storage and a version with 16GB of storage. Since there is no SD card expansion available in these machines many users opt for the 16GB version, for obvious reasons. A Japanese customer who had made the prudent decision to go for more storage was in for a rather pleasant surprise!

The Japanese customer got twice the value he paid for when he received an as-yet unannounced 32GB Nexus 7 tablet!

It’s unclear how this may have happened, but if it’s true then Google won’t be able to deny the 32GB Nexus 7’s existence for much longer.

The 32GB Nexus 7 reportedly arrived in the packaging of a 16GB model, but the device itself shows more than 26GB of free space in its settings. It seems the person in charge of jamming these Nexus 7 tablets into their boxes may have pulled one from the wrong pile.

Then again, this could simply be a hoax.

October 10, 2012
Android 4.1.2 rolling out to Nexus 7 with landscape mode

Google announced today that it is rolling out a minor update to Jelly Bean in the form of Android 4.1.2. This minor bump brings performance and stability improvements to the Android Open Source Project, on which many custom ROMs are based, as well as specific improvements to devices like the Nexus 7.

The software update also adds a key feature to devices running the Jelly Bean software: home screen rotation support. Prior to this update, all Android 4.1 devices use portrait mode for the home screens, even when the smartphone or tablet is in landscape mode, making for a disjointed experience.

In fact, upon the announcement it was discovered that the update is already being pushed to Nexus 7 devices all over the world, with the added bonus of bringing landscape support to the stock launcher.

According to Google’s resident AOSP guru, Jean-Baptiste Queru, the update is especially important for the Nexus 7 as it corresponds with a slight hardware change.

[quote]

We’re releasing Android 4.1.2 to AOSP today, which is a minor update on top of 4.1.1.
As a note to maintainers of community builds running on Nexus 7: please update to 4.1.2 at the first opportunity. Future variants of the grouper hardware will have a minor change in one of the components (the power management chip) that will not be compatible with 4.1.1.

The build number is JZO54K, and the tag is android-4.1.2_r1.

–
Jean-Baptiste M. “JBQ” Queru
Technical Lead, Android Open Source Project, Google

[/quote]

It’s expected that Android 4.1.2 will roll out to other Nexus devices, including Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom, over the next few weeks.

October 10, 2012
Tablets : Micromax Sold More Than Apple And Samsung In Q2

In a CyberMedia Research it has been revealed that Micromax leads the Indian tablets market with 18.4 percent share in the second quarter of 2012. Samsung is in second position with 13.3 percent market share. Apple has a market share of 12.3 percent in terms of unit shipments during the 2Q 2012.

India tablet market sales touched 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012, up 673 percent y-o-y.

Entry of new tablet vendors and introduction of offerings from existing vendors at low to medium price points have contributed to the significant growth.

Though the tablet PC market in India is still at a nascent stage, but at the same time, has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry-level offerings, the report said.

Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till Q2 2012. The average selling value (ASV) in the said period dropped to little above Rs 13,000 from Rs 26,000 in the January-March 2012 period as a majority of vendors launched their products in the Rs 5,000-10,000 price range.

[quote]”During 2Q 2012, 47.4 per cent of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments,” CMR Lead Analyst (Telecoms Practice) Faisal Kawoosa said.[/quote]

This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at India’s youth, he added.

Some of the key trends in terms of specifications of media tablets inIndianoted in 2Q 2012 are listed in the table below.

Android operating system had the lion’s share of the market at 87.5 per cent.

“As Android devices become increasingly popular with users across the world, competition is increasing in the India tablets market with more and more vendors launching devices based on the Android OS,” he said.

October 9, 2012
Micromax Launches Android dongle with Android 4.0.4 and Motion Controller

Micromax has launched an Android dongle running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with a 1GHz processor and 4GB of internal memory.

The Android Dongle opens iGyaan fast!

Developing….

October 9, 2012
Live at the Launch of Micromax’s New Range Of LED TV’s

We’re live at the launch of Micromax’s new range of LED TV’s. You can watch the live video here.

October 9, 2012
Angry Birds Star Wars To Be Launched On November 8th!

Angry Birds is flapping its wings to a galaxy far, far away next month. Rovio today announced a partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. for Angry Birds Star Wars, a new entry in the series hitting iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows 8, and Windows Phone on November 8.

According to the game’s announcement, Angry Birds Star Wars will tap into the science fiction franchise’s characters and settings, including the desert world of Tatooine and the supermassive Death Star ship.

[quote]“This is the best Angry Birds game we’ve ever done. It’s the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in in a galaxy far, far away,” Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement. “As a big ‘Star Wars’ fan myself, I’m really excited about this new universe. The Force is definitely strong with this one.”[/quote]

Not only will Angry Birds Star Wars invade smartphones, tablets, and computers, but various merchandise will hit retail beginning on October 28 (in the US that is!). These offerings will include Halloween costumes, apparel, action figures, and plush toys.

May the force be with you!

October 9, 2012
Apple iPhone 5 Camera Purple Flare Issue : Tweak The Angle Says Apple

Image Courtesy : LA Times

Whenever a new iPhone is released, there are always issues. Nothing is perfect, but the fans of Apple devices want them to be flawless. While some seem to be real issues (like Antennagate and Scratchgate), others do not, and thus we come to the “iPhone 5 purple flare camera issue.”

Soon after the iPhone 5’s release, users began complaining of a purple flare or halo appearing in photos taken with the camera when it is pointed at or near bright light sources. After some tech support reps issued emails that stated the “issue” was normal, Apple decided to post a response to complaints via a support document on its site , last modified on Sunday, Oct. 7.

[quote]“Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize or eliminate the effect.”[/quote]

Essentially, Apple wants you to hold the camera differently. For many, it sounds very similar to the 2010’s antenna flap when users reported low reception on their iPhone 4s when they held the device a certain way.

At one point, Steve Jobs famously responded to one user’s email by telling the person to simply hold the phone differently.

Ultimately, Apple gave a real solution for the iPhone 4’s antenna issues, but for now, it doesn’t appear Apple will further address the iPhone 5 camera’s purple flares.

October 8, 2012
Report : Apple Orders 10 Million iPad Mini Units

Apple has reportedly ordered as many as 10 million iPad mini units from its suppliers, to be shipped in the holiday quarter this season.

A report in The Wall Street Journal notes that the order of 10 million units is approximately twice the amount that Amazon has placed with its suppliers for the same quarter. The report does not reveal any fresh details on the launch date of the iPad mini or price.

Rumors indicate that the iPad Mini will have a 7.85-inch display, with a possible resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels — the same as the third-generation iPad’s Retina display. The smaller iPad is also expected to have thinner side bezels, giving it a similar look to the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5. Topeka analyst Brian White tells AllThingsD that the iPad Mini “could outshine the new iPad in terms of how the device feels in a consumer’s hands.”

Reports out last week say that iPad Mini production has already run into a number of snags, with display suppliers for the device unable to meet demand. This could potentially result in significantly delayed shipping times for iPad Mini buyers — a problem that continues to haunt the iPhone.

October 8, 2012
Sony C6502 “Odin” Could Be The Company’s Flagship Device For 2013, Runs Android OS 4.1.1

Sony’s 2013 flagship phone could be codenamed “Odin”! Also known as the C6502, C6503 and C6506 right now, this handheld is wrapped in total and utter mystery for the time being, with the only details known about it being that it will be launched sometime next year and that it runs Android 4.1.1.

According to GSMArena, there are two entry-level devices similar to the current Xperia tipo and Xperia miro models also scheduled for next year. Their model numbers are C1505 and C1604/C1605 and both have HVGA screens of unknown size and run Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The C160X is powered by a Snapdragon S4 Play chipset, with a single 1GHz Cortex-A5 core and Adreno 200 graphics as revealed by its NenaMark 2 results. The C150X is probably powered by the same platform, though there are no benchmark results for this one.

Looking forward to 2013!

October 8, 2012
Kobian Mercury mTab7 Now Available At INR 6,499

The Mercury mTab7 price in India has been revealed by Kobian, a brand that’s not known for merely associating itself with budget tablets. It’s given us the Rs. 15,000 mTab Neo2 and the Rs. 16,000 Neo previously.

This time around, the company is catering to the ‘price sensitive Indian market’ with its latest introduction. It is the sixth and newest of the mTab members, all of which run various versions of the Google mobile OS.

Priced at Rs 6,499, the tablet comes with a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen. Other specifications of the tablet include a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 processor, 512MB DDRM and 4GB storage.

Mercury mTAB7 operates on the Android v4.0 platform. As per an official statement released by Kobian, the tablet weighs 300 grams. The 7-inch touchscreen gives a vivid and clear picture, a stable response time of liquid crystal, and its smart driving technology.

The tablet is Wi-Fi enabled and supports Adobe Flash 11.1. The 0.3 megapixel front camera allows users to capture the memorable moments and video chat. It allows connectivity to 3G through a dongle and offers a high HDMI output. The built-in speaker with full HD is a boon.

[quote]“The price sensitive Indian market is always looking for low cost, feature rich tablets and here we introduce one in the sub 7k range. mTAB7 brings joy of tablet at low cost .The ultra-thin and light weight features allows one to carry mTAB7 easily anywhere and its sleek features allow it to comfortably land in your pockets. We are not preloading with applications as we believe that the customer has a wide array of choices and they can download and access Apps easily through the Wi-Fi support,” said Sushmita Das, country manager – India at Kobian.[/quote]

October 8, 2012
Apple Starts Rolling Out Fixes For Maps On iOS 6

Credit : AppleInsider

Apple is trying to fix the problems that are dogging the new Apple Maps app by rolling out fixes. Apple launched its iPhone 5 on Sept. 12, which packed the latest iOS 6. Google Maps have been a standard feature on the iPhone since it debuted in 2007. However, Apple decided to discontinue Google Maps and introduce its own mapping service in the iOS 6.

Since the launch of iOS 6, users have reported problems with the new maps app, which lacks detailing and omits public transit directions. Moreover, Apple’s highly-touted 3D flyover feature has also received criticism as the feature displayed comically distorted images that look like major landmarks, and some structures even appeared to have been destroyed.

Several reports suggest that Apple’s quickly correcting some of its botched 3D Flyover views including the now-famous invisible Statue of Liberty. MacRumors says that imagery improvements have been reported in Honolulu, Hawaii; San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles; New York City and London. Additional 3D buildings in vector mode are also popping up. The Apple rumors website also states that users who don’t see the immediate changes will see them in the near future as “aggressive caching” is holding the roll out from hitting everyone.

Apple is reportedly prepping a program that will train retail staff employees to help report errors in cities where Apple Stores are located.

October 7, 2012
Tata Motors’ Special Vehicles For Gujarat Police Force

Tata Motors Defence Solutions (TADS), a strategic partner of the Indian Armed Forces since 1958, delivered state-of-the-art 21 Light Armoured Troop Carriers (LATC) to the Gujarat Police Force. The new LATC will enhance the arsenal of the Gujarat Police Force and will certainly empower their security alertness.

Tata Motors Defence Solutions makes a wide range of vehicles, in the light, medium and heavy categories. These include logistics, tactical, armoured and specialist vehicles. The Tata Motors Service network enables maximum operational readiness and low life-cycle maintenance costs for its Defence vehicles across the country.

[quote]Vernon Noronha, Vice President (VP), Defence and Government Business, Tata Motors said, “Tata Motors’ Defence Solutions covers the complete range of logistics and armoured vehicles that have been popular in supporting police and paramilitary forces across the country. The Tata Light Armoured Troop Carrier will enable comfortable movement of troops across the state.”[/quote]

Reportedly, the Tata LATC has all the trimmings of a world class product and incorporates an incredibly powerful powertrain, under its hood. Further, the vehicles comes with top draw security features and has been assimilated with an All Wheel Drive (AWD) system, besides coming with advance protective measures on all sides. The cutting-edge LATC vehicles have been laced with bullet-proof and splinter-proof glassing along with suspended seats and explosion resistant material in the fuel tank.

October 7, 2012
Raid-de-Himalaya Flagged off From Shimla

The 14th edition of the Raid-de-Himalaya, one of the world’s toughest off-road motor rallies, was flagged off amid much fervor yesterday.

The rally is witnessing the participation of around 260 participants in the four and two wheeler categories, who would be braving the inhospitable terrains and hostile weather conditions of the Himalayas.

Vice-President of the Himalayan Motorsport Association, Manjeev Bhalla, said participants will cover a distance of 1,800 kilometers in six days before reaching Leh, the terminating point.

[quote]”This year our event is running over six-days, we start off in Shimla today and finish in Leh on the 12th. The prize distribution is on the 12th evening at Leh itself. The total distance the rally will cover will be about 1,800 kilometres, of which 600 kilometres are competitive mileage and then we have three and a half days in Himachal. We go from here to Manali, from Manali we head for Kaza, we spend one-day in Kaza itself and then make our way to Pang in Ladakh and from Pang we go to Leh,” said Bhalla.[/quote]

The tough route this year goes through some of the highest motorable passes and human settlements in the world.

These include Darcha (3360 mts), Keylong (3440 mts), Leh (3524 mts), Kaza (3650 mts), Dhanka (3894 mts), Losar (4079 mts), Rumtse (4300 mts), Kunzum La (4551 mts), Komik (4587 mts), Pang (4600 mts) & Wari La (5313 mts).

Motorists will compete across three categories: X-treme 4-wheelers (50 teams), X-treme 2-wheelers (34 participants) (both Xtreme 2W and 4W categories cater to professional motorsport enthusiasts), and 60 teams in the Adventure Trial category for amateurs. There are 14 foreigners participating this year from Austria, Netherlands and UAE.

The Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya invites participation in three categories: Moto Xtreme, Adventure Trial and Bike Xtreme categories. The participants are grouped in different categories depending upon their prior experience, endurance levels and expertise in handling the escalating difficulty levels.

October 7, 2012
Steve Jobs’ High School Girlfriend To Pen New Memoir

Chrisann Brennan was one of Steve Jobs’s first serious loves, his high school girlfriend and the mother of his daughter Lisa. Now Ms. Brennan will tell the story of her relationship with Mr. Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died in 2011, in a new memoir to be published next year. St. Martin’s Press, part of Macmillan, said on Thursday it had acquired the rights to an untitled memoir by Ms. Brennan, who is now a painter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[quote]After meeting him at Homestead High School in Cupertino, Calif., Ms. Brennan later lived with Mr. Jobs in a cabin, meditated with him and attended lectures. “At 17, Steve had more than a touch of the cool sophistication of a Beat poet,” Ms. Brennan wrote in an article in Rolling Stone after his death. While in her early 20s, she became pregnant and gave birth to their daughter, who is known as Lisa Brennan-Jobs. Mr. Jobs initially denied paternity of his daughter but later developed a closer relationship with her.[/quote]

St. Martin’s said Ms. Brennan’s memoir would cover a range of subjects, including her relationship with Jobs, the founding of Apple and “Jobs’s enormous appeal, energy and drive as well as his developing ambition and ruthlessness in business and personal dealings.”

[NYTimes]

October 7, 2012
Apple remembers Steve Jobs With A Tribute

Between 1997 and 2011, Steve Jobs was, in many ways, Apple. He was not only the face of the company, but was believed to have been the progenitor for many of the popular products the company brought to market. From the iPod to the iPhone, and later the iPad, there is no doubt, however you may feel about the company, that Apple has changed the world in many ways.

Steve Jobs died one year ago today. Apple has marked the sad anniversary with a short video outlining some of his most important achievements. Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO, wrote a letter to employees expressing his gratitude for Jobs’ contributions throughout the years.

[quote]

Steve’s passing one year ago today was a sad and difficult time for all of us. I hope that today everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place.

One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No company has ever inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road. It’s a wonderful tribute to Steve’s memory and everything he stood for.

Tim Cook

[/quote]

Visitors to Apple’s web site were greeted to a one-and-a-half minute video titled, “Remembering Steve.” As black and white photos of Jobs filled the screen, viewers hear him delivering some of his most inspiring quotes. Among them:

[quote]

“There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been. And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple.”

“This amazing little device holds a thousand songs and goes right in my pocket.”

“An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator. Are you getting it?”

“It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.”

[/quote]

October 6, 2012