Author: Shivaank Rana

Apple sells 5m iPhone 5’s in first three days

Apple has said that it’s sold more than 5 million new iPhone 5s in the three days since the latest smartphone was launched.

It said orders for the phone exceeded the initial supply it had available, something confirmed by several carriers and stores, which reported selling out over the weekend. The iPhone 5 went on sale Friday in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere.

[quote]“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.”[/quote]

That device was seen as a smaller technological step forward compared to the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 also had a bigger launch, going on sale in two more countries than its predecessor.

The company has aggressive rollout plans for the newest iPhone. Nine countries are now selling the iPhone 5, and that will grow to more than 100 by the end of the year.

Apple says it has shipped most of the phones that were ordered in advance. But it plans to ship many of them in October.

Check out the Press Release below :

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Apple today announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 is available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S is also available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract.***

iPhone 5 will be available on September 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices

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September 24, 2012
Samsung launches dual-SIM Champ Neo feature phone, priced at INR 3,670

Samsung Electronics has unveiled the Samsung Champ Neo in India targeting the youth population with the cost effective phone model. The touch phone with Dual SIM is priced at Rs 3,670.

The smartphone major has launched the touch phone in line with its vision to address diverse needs of consumers in the Indian mobile market.

The dual-SIM feature phone comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT touch display with Samsung’s TouchWiz-Lite UI atop. The Champ Neo packs in a 1000mAh battery claiming up to 14 hours of talk time. There’s also a 3.5mm headphones jack for listening to audio on the device.

The device is fully capable of social network support with apps like Twitter, Facebook. Samsung’s own chat application, the ChatON comes pre-installed along with 20MB memory expandable to 32GB, and a VGA camera.

Samsung Champ Neo Duos is available in ceramic white colour.

[quote]
According to Samsung’s own website, the Champ Neo Duos is, ”Housed in a compact and neat design with a full touch screen and enhanced connectivity, this mobile is always on to receive calls, access social networking sites, download apps, play music and much more,” [/quote]

September 23, 2012
Indian developers can now sell paid apps in Google Play Store

Google has now added India to the list of countries from where developers are allowed to sell paid apps on the Google Play Store. This move will allow individual app developers and development companies from India to sell their apps on Android devices and also enable in-app purchases.

Until now, developers were figuring out ways to circumvent the restriction. In some cases, this meant having to travel to the U.S. to create a local bank account there in the name of relatives and friends or even floating a company there for this purpose.

On its official Google Developer support page, Google listed India as one of the countries from where developers could register as Google Check-out merchants and sell paid Applications.

Next Wave Multimedia in Chennai, which has published more than 10 Apps each on both the Apple iTunes and the Android Marketplace over past three years, was one of the early entrants in the mobile Apps space.

September 23, 2012
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer Security Bugfix

Microsoft has released a temporary software fix for a bug in its Internet Explorer web browser. Cybercriminals used the flaw to install the Poison Ivy trojan on users’ computers. This piece of malware can steal data or take remote control of a PC.

[quote]”Earlier this week, an issue impacting Internet Explorer affected a small number of customers. The potential exists, however, that more customers could be affected… On September 21, we will release a cumulative update for Internet Explorer through Windows Update and our other standard distribution channels,” Trustworthy Computing Director Yunsun Wee said on the Microsoft Security Response Centre website. [/quote]

The solution will be automatically installed on PCs running on Microsoft’s Windows operating system if the machine is set up to receive important updates, Wee added.

Microsoft had began offering a temporary patch for the problem on September 19.

“We have released a Fix it (on September 19) that is available to address that issue. This is an easy, one-click solution that will help protect your computer right away. It will not affect your ability to browse the web, and it does not require a reboot of your computer,” Wee said.

September 21, 2012
iPhone 5 Teardown : Apple Impresses With Higher Repairability, Bigger Battery

It’s barely hours since the iPhone 5went on sale and iFixit has already completed its now-traditional teardown to reveal the handset’s juicy innards.

The site awarded the new iPhone a repairability score of 7 out of 10, reporting that the easily smashable glass screen is also easily replaceable (it takes just one step to get the iPhone 5’s screen off, compared to 38 repair steps on the iPhone 4S).

Aside from the space saving aspect of the new in-cell technology, Apple will cut down on phone replacements this way, potentially saving millions of dollars.

iFixit have also uncovered a new higher capacity battery, made with a new manufacturing process. The 1440mAh cell is rated for 3.8V, making for 5.45Wh of total uptime. As most reviews have already found the battery life is significantly better, even over LTE.

Also something to note, Apple has notably lessened its reliance on Samsung DDR2 RAM; many of the new models come with parts from Elpida, which is expected to send nearly half its output to Apple this year.

September 21, 2012
New Samsung Ad Makes Fun of iPhone 5

Samsung is poking fun at Apple fans and the upcoming Iphone 5 in an advert designed to make us realise that its Galaxy S3 is the best handset around.

The advert shows a bunch of young trendies queueing outside an Apple store and talking excitedly about the incoming phone.

“All I’m saying is they should have a priority line for people who’ve waited five times,” one guy says at the start of the 90-second ad.

While the iPhone is never referred to by name, many of its specs are mentioned. “You have to have an adapter to use the dock on the new one,” one guy in the line says rather forlornly. “Yeah, but they make the coolest adapters,” says another.

Then a group of Galaxy S3 owners enter the area and talk about the features of the phone, causing curiosity among those standing in line.

The advertisement comes at a time when Samsung is still recovering from the major legal blow it suffered in its patent war with Apple last month.

Check out the advertisement below!

September 20, 2012
Sony Xperia SL available online at INR 30,999

Sony has launched the much awaited successor of the Xperia S, the Xperia SL. It is available online at a price of Rs 30,999.

The Xperia SL is a slight refresh of the S, it has an additional duo of color choices (silver and pink), a faster dual-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU and Android Ice Cream Sandwich (up from a 1.5Ghz processor and Gingerbread).

Apart from the above changes you have the same HD 720p display, 12.1 MP camera and 1080p video with anti shake.

The smartphone also comes with PSP certification that lets you to play PlayStation games on the phone with virtual keys.

September 20, 2012
Add iPhone 5 to U.S lawsuits : Samsung

Samsung Electronics Co said on Thursday it planned to add Apple’s iPhone 5 to its existing patent lawsuits against the U.S. rival.

The company added that it needs to examine the iPhone 5 first, however. It said the change in the lawsuit will likely come “as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device.”

Samsung’s action, when it happens, is not expected to affect sales of the iPhone 5, which begin on Friday in the U.S. and eight other countries.

[quote]”Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product,” it said in a US court filing. “Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models.” [/quote]

Samsung and Apple are locked in global patent battle in 10 countries and the stakes are high as the two technology giants vie for the top spot in the booming smartphone market. Both companies are also aggressively raising marketing spending to promote their latest products ahead of the crucial year-end holiday season.

September 20, 2012
Nokia Says Lumia Marketing was “Poor Judgement”

Nokia found itself in a mess after they unveiled their new flagship Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 a couple weeks back. The reason being was from a video they approved that promoted the OIS (optical image stabilization) features in the 920. If you remember, the video showed a girl riding a bike and the pleasant moments were all captured on camera by a friend, who was led to believe to be using the 920. However, the reflection in a window proved otherwise and revealed that the video was actually shot with a DSLR, not “the latest innovation from PureView technology.”

In a written statement, a Nokia spokeswoman said the findings from the internal investigation “confirmed that poor judgment was exercised in the use of the [marketing] materials.” She added that Nokia has taken “appropriate action” as a result of the findings, but declined to elaborate on the steps it has taken.

Nokia has yet to detail when the phones will become available, where to buy them or what they will cost.

September 15, 2012
Apple iPhone 5 16GB costs nearly $168USD to build

The iPhone 5 is going to be another huge success for Apple. This is a foregone conclusion. The company sold nearly 30 million iPhones last quarter, and that number is expected to grow with the introduction of the iPhone 5.

So how much profit does Apple make on each iPhone? We know that last quarter, with sales of 26 million iPhones the product line brought in approximately $16 billion in direct revenue, around 46% of the company’s entire take-home for the quarter. About $167.50, according to TechInsights. The company’s research found that the display costs $18, the camera costs $10, the processor is priced around $28, and a variety of other parts costs between $4.00 and $38.

The biggest expenditure for Apple is the A6 chip, which costs $28; the Qualcomm baseband chip costs $25. That upgraded Retina display only costs Apple $18 to manufacture, only $3 more than the previous 3.5-inch part. While these are still estimates based on what TechInsights knows about the supply chain, it’s clear that Apple’s sizeable margin is no less than it was a year ago with the iPhone 4S.

The Apple iPhone 5 comes in either white and silver or black and slate. Its prices start at $199 for 16GB (with a two-year service contract). The iPhone 5 will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB model.

If each phone nets Cupertino $482, or somewhere close to it, you begin to understand why Apple has $100 billion sitting around in the bank, and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world despite its size.

It sure doesn’t look like the cost of the iPhone has risen drastically, so where is that extra revenue going? Straight to the bank.

September 15, 2012
GoDaddy Apologizes By Offering 30% Discount on Registration

GoDaddy apologized to customers whose websites were knocked offline Monday.

In an email, the company said it was offering one free month of service, 30% off, to its customers, including those who pay for web hosting.

[quote]”We let you down and we know it,” GoDaddy Chief Executive Scott Wagner said in the email. “I cannot express how sorry I am to those of you who were inconvenienced.”[/quote]

To get the credit, users have to click on a button within the email and must do so within seven days. It also doesn’t appear the email was sent to every GoDaddy customer.

GoDaddy, which hosts more than 5 million sites, suffered an outage Monday morning that began kicking offline many of the sites the company hosts as well as some of its web services. It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that GoDaddy put out a tweet saying most sites were back online.

Initially, hackers associated with the online activist group Anonymous took credit for the hack, but GoDaddy debunked those claims Tuesday, saying the outage was caused by internal problems.

September 15, 2012
Sonata Announces TouchScreen Wristwatch

Titan’s Sonata has announced the launch of its the first ever touch screen watch that does away with most of the physical push buttons on the digital watch.

The touch screen watch is a multi-function sports watch with a high water resistance and comes packed with features such as light, stop-watch, multiple time display, day, date, alarm, and is available in three vibrant colours.

The watch is part of Sonata’s Super Fibre Ocean Series and is available at an introductory price of Rs 1,499.

September 14, 2012
UCWeb’s International Users Exceeds 60 Million

China based web browser company, UCWeb, claims that its market share in India has grown more than 20%. The company has said that its market share in India has grown from 12% to over 23%, in the first half of 2012. Note that UCWeb opened its first office in India in September 2012.

The company also claims that it now has 60 million users outside of China. UCWeb said that it has achieved a worldwide user base of over 300 million in a period of 8 years since its existence. It is also releasing a new international version of its browser.

UC Browser’s current version is available in 7 different languages, and according to the company is available in 150 countries and regions.

To celebrate its 8^th anniversary, UCWeb will be conducting a series of contests on its official Facebook page and give away prizes for participating users. The winners will not only be receiving prizes, but will also have their picture placed on the theme page of the new upcoming international version due soon.

Check out the Press Release below :

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UCWeb’s International Users Exceeds 60 Million

New Delhi, India (August 13, 2012) -UCWeb Inc. (UCWeb), the leading provider of mobile internet technology and application services, today announced that its users outside of China has reached 60 million. UC Browser, a mobile browser company headquartered out of China has achieved a worldwide user base of over 300 million in a period of 8 years since its existence, thus becoming the world’s largest mobile browser by user base. In addition, the company will also be releasing its new international version.

To celebrate its 8^th anniversary, UCWeb will be conducting a series of contests on its official Facebook page and give away prizes for participating users. The winners will not only be receiving prizes, but will also have their picture placed on the theme page of the new upcoming international version due soon.

Founded in 2004, UCWeb was the pioneer company to adopt Cloud Computing Framework on to its mobile browser. Its flagship product, UC Browser, is now available on more than 3,000 different models of cell phones from over 200 cell phone manufacturers across all major operating systems. In June 2011, the company released its U3 kernel. With U3, UC Browser brings users faster, more convenient and more secure web surfing experience.

With the first international version of UC Browser released in 2009, UCWeb has been dedicating a huge amount of effort in its international business group. Currently, it is available in 7 different languages spread across more than 150 countries and regions. UCWeb has now surpassed 10% market share in 6 different countries, including India. UCWeb has opened its first office in India outside China in September 2012 and its market share in India has grown more than 20%. According to Stat counter, in the first half of 2012, UC Browser’s market share in India has grown from 12% to over 23%.

About UCWeb Inc.

UCWeb Inc. (UCWeb) is a leading provider of mobile internet software technology and application services. Since its inception in 2004, UCWeb’s mission has been to provide better mobile internet experience to billions of uses around the world.

Additional information about UCWeb can be found at:

Official Website: http://www.ucweb.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ucmob

Twitter: http://twitter.com/UCBrowser

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/ucwebvideo

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September 14, 2012
Amzer Announces Shatter Proof Screen Protector

Amzer today introduced the next level of device protection with the arrival of AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector. It’s extreme grade protection makes the device shatter and shock proof. ShatterProof has a unique shock dissipative function which uses the physics concept of dissipation.

It is super thin urethane film at only 0.2 mm thick and is certified by the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) having passed D1004 Tear Strength, D2240 Hardness and D4329 UV Light Discoloration Tests. The protector is scratch resistant, stress resistant, drop resistant and a has special self healing capability with dissipative functioning embodied – it is virtually indestructible.

[quote]“With ShatterProof protection, Amzer has proven itself yet again – as the leader of the accessory market, a leader which believes in innovation – we have created a revolutionary product to provide foolproof protection without adding any bulk to the beautiful devices, all this at a very nominal price! When we say Amzer accessories are inspired by real life, we mean it – we proved it.” emphatically says Amzer CEO – Pinakin Dinesh.[/quote]

Check out the Press Release Below :

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Amzer announces the next level of device protection – AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector

HOUSTON—September 13, 2012—Amzer today introduced the next level of device protection with the arrival of AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector. The AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector is a revolutionary product innovated to provide the best protection to the next-generation of wireless devices. AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector’s extreme grade protection making the device shatter and shock proof. ShatterProof has a unique shock dissipative function – unlike any other product in it’s category – ShatterProof uses the physics concept of dissipation, dissipation embodies the concept of a dynamical system where important mechanical modes, such as waves or oscillations, lose energy over time. ShatterProof does exactly the same to protect devices from drops and shocks, drops and stress which wireless devices usually don’t survive – which is why the name ShatterProof.

AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector is super thin urethane film at only 0.2 mm thick, ShatterProof is certified by the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) having passed D1004 Tear Strength, D2240 Hardness and D4329 UV Light Discoloration Tests. The protector is scratch resistant, stress resistant, drop resistant and a has special self healing capability with dissipative functioning embodied – it is virtually indestructible. “With ShatterProof protection, Amzer has proven itself yet again – as the leader of the accessory market, a leader which believes in innovation – we have created a revolutionary product to provide foolproof protection without adding any bulk to the beautiful devices, all this at a very nominal price! When we say Amzer accessories are inspired by real life, we mean it – we proved it.” emphatically says Amzer CEO – Pinakin Dinesh.

AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector is currently available for the Apple iPhone 5, Apple iPhone 4S/4, Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Galaxy Note, Apple iPod Touch 5th generation, Apple iPod nano 7th generation – other popular devices shall be added to the ShatterProof lineup. AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector is available on Amzer Stores as well as leading Amzer re-sellers like Amazon, Walmart and Newegg. Suggested retail price (MSRP) for AMZER ShatterProof Screen Protector is US$ 29.95. The entire range of ShatterProof screen protectors can be seen at amzer.com/ShatterProof

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September 14, 2012
Epson Launches Android Powered Mobile Viewer

Epson has announced the launch in India of its wearable display device – the Epson Moverio BT-100 see-through mobile viewer, which operates on the Google Android 2.2 Froyo platform. According to Epson, the “revolutionary mobile entertainment viewer lets you experience larger than life movies, images and more with crystal clarity.”

The Epson Moverio BT-100 projects an 80-inch perceived ‘floating’ display 5 metres away from the user and it can be used for for web browsing, playing games, watching videos and interacting with content privately. The device also allows the user to see what’s around with its see-through ability.

Specs highlights for the BT-100 include six hours of battery life, Dolby mobile surround sound, the ability to run apps like YouTube, which has a huge reservoir of 3D content. It has 1GB of internal memory, and supports 32GB microSDHC cards. The user-interface is controlled by a touch-enabled trackpad and navigation buttons.

It is priced at Rs. 42,900 and will be available in major retail outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore & Hyderabad.

September 14, 2012