Category: Android
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iBall Slide 3G-7303 launched, MRP Rs 16,499
iBall’s launched its latest tablet, the Slide 3G- 7307, at an MRP of Rs.16,499 with the best buy price of Rs. 15,499. According to the company, the USP of this tablet is that it comes with built-in 3G capability.What’s disappointing is that the device comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and no indication has been given as to whether it will get an update to ICS or not.It features a 1GHz processor,supports 8GB storage expandable up to 32GB and can play 1080p HD videos. The built in high speed HSPA+ 3g supports upload download speeds up to 7.2 Mbps and download upload speeds up to 5.76 Mpbs. The tablet features a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution and Front and rear camera. Also included an a direct USB, HDMI port, supporting simultaneous use on tablet as well as TV.The pricing could have been better as you can get your hands on a Samsung Galaxy Tab2 P3100 by paying just a little more, which seems like a better option. -

Sony’s NXT phones get Transparent Bar Notification Alerts – via third party app
If you are rocking one of the new Xperia NXT phones then you might like to know about this new app called “Illumination Bar Notification”. The app is meant only for Xperia S, P and U and allows you to set up notification alerts by making the light in the transparent bar flash.
The illumination bar can blink with different speeds or have a constant light depending on your preference. This app will only work on the latest range of Sony Xperia mobile phones that have the illumination bar (the transparent bar at the bottom of the phone). Currently this is the following models: Xperia S, Xperia P & Xperia U. On Xperia U multiple colors are available to choose from (Red, Green, Blue, etc).
Various Settings allow for custom notifications, including the light staying on till the SMS is read, or till the screen is unlocked. Go to the link below to download the app yourself.
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Sony announces Xperia Miro, Tipo, Tipo Dual

The Miro will be available in various colours Sony yesterday announced three colorful, entry-level Android handsets (9 days before the official countdown) via its Facebook page that are expected to ship in the third quarter of the year. Though no spec-sheets have been revealed, here they are!
- Xperia Miro

The Miro is an entry level Xperia Xperia miro packs a 3.5″ screen, 5MP camera, DLNA, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and, of course, a bunch of Sony exclusive software tricks to go with the adjustable illumination effects of the handset. There’s also a front facing camera for video chat. This is a Sony’s Facebook-centric smartphone, with the social networking site being integrated into the device.
- Xperia Tipo, Tipo Dual

The Tipo dual has a dedicated sim-switch button The Xperia tipo and tipo dual are basic Android ICS handsets with a 3.2″ display and 3.2 MP camera. The phones run on an 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor but only 2.5 GB user accessible memory out of the 4 GB onboard memory. The tipo dual features a dedicated SIM-swap key to help switch between SIM cards. Users can also preset the phone to swap between SIM cards at a particular time during the day. Both the devices feature identical specifications except for the dual-SIM capabilities on the Xperia tipo dual.
Check out these introductory videos put up by Sony-
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Motorola Razr Maxx : Pre-order for Rs 31999

The phone features the same Kevlar coating as that of the Droid Razr The Motorola Razr Maxx, which was showcased at CES Las Vegas in January, is all set to hit Indian stores starting 24th July. The device is up for pre-orders online from Infibeam at a price of Rs 31,999/-.
The Razr Maxx features a 4.3-inch Super Amoled advanced touchscreen display with qHD (960×540) pixel resolution. It promises an impressive battery backup, providing a standby time of about 380 hours and 20.5 hours of talk time, 7.5 hours of web browsing with around 14 hours of video playback on a single charge.Powered by dual-core 1.2 GHz mobile processor, the phone packs 1GB RAM and 16GB ROM, has an 8 megapixel camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera. It comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onboard and has an 8 megapixel rear camera, capable of recording at 1080p at 30 fps. Like the Droid Razr, it comes with a Kevlar coating which adds to the device’s durability.
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My Xbox Live update turns iPhone into controller

The app will turn the iPhone into an Xbox controller Microsoft on Wednesday released an update for their My Xbox Live application for iOS (4.3 or later) which allows iPhone users to use the app to control their Xbox 360 consoles using a simple touch interface. The app also lets users launch games or apps on the 360 from the app on their phone without having to wade through tons of menus on the Xbox 360.
Even when the device is not connected to the Xbox, users can make changes to their profile, view their stats etc from their iPhone. Other additions to the iOS My Xbox Live app include improved authentication for increased stability, and high-resolution images for the new iPad. Remote control functionality is not yet available on the iPad.
The app was also released for Android but with restrictions, that is, users cannot gain any practical control over the Xbox, they can now check their Xbox Live profiles, friend statuses and the highlighted games.
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Amazon Updates Kindle App for Android for improved support of Tablets
If you do a lot of reading on your Tablet and your tablet is an Android one then you will be happy to know that Amazon has pushed out a new version of the Amazon Kindle app for Android.
The big addition is the ability to view two pages side-by-side in landscape mode (as seen above). Otherwise, you’ll now find additional options for margin and spacing controls, along with a number of bug fixes . Including the major bug that required you to re-sign in every time you restarted the App.
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MTS launches Android smartphone MTag 401, to cost INR 8999

The MTag will come with an "all you can use" data plan MTS today launched its fourth Android smartphone, the Mtag 401, which is going to be bundled with unlimited data plans. The phone, which features an 800MHz Qualcomm processor, 4-inch display with WVGA resolution, 1700 mAh battery, 3MP camera and 170MB of internal memory,comes with 256MB RAM is priced at Rs 8999 and is available in the market for purchase starting today.
According to reports, MTS also plans to launch an Android powered tablet later this year.
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HTC announces Desire C and V

The Desire V is the first Dual-sim smartphone from HTC After the recent success of their ‘One’ series handsets, HTC has shifted its focus to two new Desire series cellphones, called the Desire C and V.
Both handsets run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS and come with Beats Audio technology. These devices come with only 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), along with 25GB of free Dropbox space for two years.
An interesting feature of the Desire V is that it is the first Dual sim phone to come out of HTC’s stable, and is expected to hit indian stores later this year.
The Desire C device sports a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320×480 pixels resolution, powered by a Snapdragon S1 600MHz processor, with 512MB RAM, Sense 4.0 UI on top of Ice Cream Sandwich. It is expected to cost somewhere around Rs 14,299.
HTC released an introductory video for the Desire C :
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HTC will sell ONE S with 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 in select markets
HTC plans to launch the One S in two different variants across the globe. While the US, UK, Japan, Korean, France and Germany enjoy the new Dual core Snapdragon S4 processor, HTC will launch a different model with an older yet higher clocked S3 chipset for Asia-Pacific regions and some (as-yet unspecified) European markets.
So in short if it’s got a dual-core 1.7GHz processor, you’ve got the Snapdragon S3, if it’s 1.5GHz then you have the newer S4. Be very careful if you have been saving up for the HTC One S, India might just get the S3 variant.
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DIY : How to set-up tethering on your phone!
First and foremost : What is tethering? Tethering refers to using a cell phone as a modem for your laptop or any other device. Creating a connection either with cables or wirelessly “tethers” your cell phone to your other mobile device.
Basically it’s using the internet on your phone for other devices.
Now, how is it done? Do you need to jailbreak/root your phone? Read-on!
[tabgroup][tab title=”iOS”]
Tethering on iDevices was more of a hassle in the past, but come iOS 5, that changed! It can be done in 3 ways. Each requiring a data package from your carrier for your iDevice. We tethered our iPhone 4s on AirTel.

Click on Personal Hotspot 
Set your password and turn it on Through WiFi
Probably the most convenient of the 3. Go to Settings->Personal Hotspot->On. Set your password and it’ll prompt you to turn on your WiFi and Bluetooth. Once this is done, your device becomes a Wifi Hotspot for other devices to connect to.
As shown in the screenshot, the name of your device, in this case “Shivaank”, shows up as a WiFi network on your other device. Just click on connect and you’re connected to the internet via your iDevice’s network.

Your device name comes up as a WiFi connection Through USB
The basic steps for tethering through USB are the same as above. Go to Settings->Personal Hotspot->On. To save battery, turn off your WiFi and Bluetooth as you won’t be needing them.

Your device serves as an Ethernet connection Connect your device to your laptop and turn on your Hotspot toggle. Then go to your network settings of your laptop and you’ll see your devices name as an Ethernet connection. Just click on connect and you’re good to go!
Through Bluetooth
Now, we were only able to tether our device to a MacBook using Bluetooth. The name of your device simply shows up on Bluetooth devices list. Click on pair to get going!!Apps like MiWi and Tether Me are viable options for those running an older version of iOS but these are paid apps.[/tab][tab title=”Android”]
On Android, the tethering process is a breeze! Tethering feature is inbuilt into Android and to activate follow these steps.
Through WiFi
Go to Setting->Wireless and Network->Tethering and Portable Hotspot->Portable Wi-Fi hotspot and turn it on. The name of your connection (which you can configure) shows up on other device’s to connect and voila! You’re connected!

You can change the name of your WiFi by configuring it. 
Windows Phone connected to Android Hoptspot Through USB
Go to Setting->Wireless and Network->Tethering and Portable Hotspot->USB Tethering. Click on it to turn it on and the computer you’re connected to shows your devices network as an ethernet connection. Click on connect to start using it.

Tethered through USB 
Device comes up as Ethernet connection [/tab]
[tab title=”Windows Phone”]
Possibly the easiest of the three! Just go to Settings->Internet Sharing and turn it on! That’s it! You’re device shows up as an internet hotspot, click on connect and you’re done.

Click on Internet sharing 
Turn it on and you're done! [/tab][/tabgroup]
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Android Activations up to 900,000 a day, says Google’s Andy Rubin
Android activations are at an all time high, considering companies are hell bent on stuffing the OS into anything possible. At MWC 2012 Andy Rubin had announced that Android activations were at about 850,000 a day, now the number is higher. Much Higher at 900,000, or just short of a million devices a day (woot!)
Just a day before WWDC (Apple’s Developer Event) Andy Rubin has dropped this information to crunch the usual numbers you can expect from Tim Cook’s Keynote event.
Incidentally we will have all the information on iGyaan.in
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Sony SmartWatch to launch this month, to cost Rs 6299

The SmartWatch will work with all Android phones. According to Sony India’s Facebook page it will release its SmartWatches for Android smartphones by the end of this month at a price of around Rs 6299. The SmartWatch has a 1.3 inch OLED display that is used by the watch to notify users about the updates and events, like incoming calls, texts, messages and social feeds with the use of vibration and screen alert. It would also include a bluetooth headset which allows users to recieve calls.
The watch, which would be available in various colours, would be compatible with all Android smartphones and would sync over Bluetooth 3.0.
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Galaxy Pocket Handled
The Galaxy Pocket is a Budget Phone from Samsung, Bharat takes a look at its initial impressions at the iGyaan Studio.
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Google maps to go 3D

Google Maps: The next dimension Google maps are set to add a new dimension! The announcement was made by Google from their San Francisco office where a press conference was held, keeping in mind Apple’s press event, the WWDC, which is set to take place next week. It is deploying a fleet of small, camera-equipped airplanes, via contractors, above several cities, the Internet search company’s latest step in its ambitious and sometimes controversial plan to create a digital map of the world. The images would be recorded at a 45-degree angle and would be integrated with Google Earth.
[quote]We’re trying to create the illusion that you’re just flying over the city, almost as if you were in your own personal helicopter, said Peter Birch, a product manager for Google Earth. [/quote]

The imagery would be done at a 45-degree angle. Brian McClendon, Google’s head of engineering for its maps product, said that privacy issues were the same as that accompany aerial imagery. Privacy has been an issue for various countries, especially when Google’s Street View cars had been inadvertently collecting emails, passwords and other personal data from people’s home wireless networks.
A demo of a San Francisco map in 3d was showcased and it was nothing short of spectacular.
It also announced that Google maps for Android would soon get an offline caching feature, allowing users to download a part of a map on their devices and use them later.
Google doesn’t want to say when these features will become available, making it pretty obvious that today’s announcement is meant to preempt Apple’s rumored announcements next week.
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Spice Mobility Launches Stellar, Stellar Horizon and Stellar Craze, Ice Cream Sandwich to boot (PR)
Spice Mobile has launched three new Smartphones in the Android Segment. The Spice Stellar (Mi 425) , Stellar Horizon (Mi 500) and Stellar Craze are the new three launches for Spice all featuring Ice Cream Sandwich either out of the box or upgradability.
SPICE Stellar (Mi425)
We already Unboxed the Device Here , the phone features Android 2.3 (Upgradeable to 4.0), a 4.0 inch Capacitive Touch Screen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon Processor, a 2000 mAh battery along with a 5MP Autofocus + VGA front Camera. The device is a Dual Sim (3G+2G) device with a 32GB internal memory capability.
Price : Rs. 9999
SPICE Stellar Horizon (Mi500)
The device will be unboxed soon, it features a massive 5 inch Capacitive Touch Screen along with Android 4.0 ICS out of the BOX, am impressive 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon Processor, large Battery- 2150mAh, and the usually expected Dual SIM (3G + 2G) and 5MP Auto focus + Front camera. WHats more interesting is the fact that the device has 4GB ROM +512 MB RAM of course there is a 32GB upgradability.
Price : Rs.11,999
SPICE Stellar Craze
The Craze is the lower end model out of the three, featuring an 800 MHz processor, 3.5 inch capacitive screen, Dual SIM (3G + 2G) and 5MP camera + front camera. The phone will come with Android 2.3 out of the box but will be upgraded to ICS Android 4.0 soon.
Price: Rs. 6,499
[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]
Spice Unveils India’s First ‘Secure Android’ Smartphones – ‘Spice Stellar”
The Ice Cream Sandwich ready range comes pre-embedded with the latest security solutions
Spice Stellar packs a punch with 1 year data plan – ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Delhi, 6th June 2012: Spice, India’s leading Mobile Internet company today announced the first ever range of ‘Secure Android’ smartphones in Delhi. This new range of smart phones is launched under the name ‘Spice Stellar’ and would come with 3 products with varied screen sizes – 3.5’’, 4’’ and 5’’. Present at the launch were Mr. Kunal Ahooja, Global Head-devices S Mobility Limited and Mr. Calvin Cai, GM-Overseas Business Development and Partnership, NQ Mobile.
The Stellar range offers ‘Security’ as the unique proposition which promises total protection against virus/data loss/theft/financial security on this android device for its customers. The initiative reinforces S Mobility’s efforts in making its devices safe and secure as users are becoming wary of the potential threat to data in their smart phones.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Kunal Ahooja, Global Head – Devices, S Mobility said, “We are happy to tie up with NQ Mobile to offer latest solutions on mobile security for the benefit of our customers. This association will go a long way in reinforcing our brand vision of being ‘One step ahead of the needs of the mobile internet society’. High processor speed coupled with the latest android version on Spice Stellar range of devices, provides rich consumer experience but to ensure that this experience can be enjoyed without any interruption, Mobile Security is equally important!”Spice Stellar, launched today, is powered by the Android 2.3 Gingerbread which is upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). It runs on a powerful 1GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and generates stunning graphics with 245MHz. Stellar has a big 4.0 inch touch screen which is a first of its kind in this price range. The smartphone also boasts of a huge 2000 mAh battery which provides a backup that lasts up to 7 hours of talk time and up to 120 hours standby. Currently, smartphones run on fast processors and have a lot of applications around them but do not have long lasting batteries to support them. The handset also packs in a 5 megapixel autofocus shooter along with a front camera to support video calls. Given the high end features, the latest handset from Spice’s smartphone stable will be available at a jaw dropping price of Rs. 9,999.
Coming soon will be the Spice Stellar Horizon which has a swanky 5 inch touch screen bundled with the Android 4.0 ICS. It packs in a powerful 1 GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that makes multi tasking a piece of cake and a dedicated 300 MHz GPU for the game heads. It possesses a 5MP auto focus camera with a 0.3MP front camera supporting video calling. Other key features include Dual Sim capability, GPS/ AGPS, Wi- Fi Tethering and a big battery life amongst many others.On the other hand also coming soon will be the Spice Stellar Craze that offers a 3.5 inch touch screen, 800 MHz processor and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread which is upgradable to Android 4.0 ICS.
The Spice Stellar Horizon and Spice Stellar Craze will be hitting the retail market by end of this month and will be available at a price of Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 6,499 respectively.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Kunal Ahooja, Global Head-devices S Mobility Limited said, “With the launch of the ‘Stellar’ series of handsets, we have brought in the country’s first secured Android handsets and also created a platform in offering one of the best in technology at an affordable price. We are proud to offer the latest Android ICS platform on the ‘Stellar’ handsets.”
To address mobile data security concerns, Spice has entered into an association with NQ Mobile, one of the leaders in mobile security solutions space with its headquarters co-located in China & USA and operating in more than 150 countries, to provide security software solutions in all Android devices of Spice. The solution is very critical in today’s environment since there are numerous threats in terms of malwares which can steal user’s data, banking information, or simply makes the phone sluggish.
The solutions offered will include an Antivirus that will provide real time protection from malicious Internet threats and also offers flexibility for the user to set a schedule for regular scans of data in the device as well as SD card. Also in the security stable is a Network Manager giving access to data like Traffic, setting monthly data transfer limit. Other features include Anti-Theft and Vault- privacy lock for following apps like, Photos, Videos, SMS and Call Logs & Secret Contacts. The users can update the virus/malware database for a period of six months absolutely free.
Speaking on their association with Spice, Mr. Calvin Cai said, “This cooperation is aimed at alleviating the security concerns in using smartphones for mobile internet activity. We are proud to be associated with Spice and are confident that we will collaborate to offer the best solution for customers in the future as well.”
The Stellar performance comes bundled with Stellar benefits for the consumer. To enable the consumer enjoy uninterrupted and superior mobile internet experience, Spice Stellar comes packed with 1 year data plan – Absolutely Free!
S Mobility has entered into partnership with Aircel, one of the leading 3G telecom operators in the country for its Spice Stellar series of devices. As part of this partnership the consumer is eligible for 100 MB data free per month for a period of 1 year without any additional conditions. The Aircel-Spice partnership promises a long term data usage plan for an unmatched mobile internet experience.
With this tie up, you can now stream your favourite videos, checkout the coolest websites, video chat on Skype, and enjoy loads of other features while staying connected with your world for one full year.
The handsets will be available across India through more than 50,000 retail points including the 750+ Spice HotSpot retail network and www.saholic.com. S Mobility is also conducting the ‘Spice Mobile Indiblogger meet’ on the 10th of June, 2012 in Delhi where the top ranked bloggers from the country will converge to discuss Spice Stellar and its unique features.
About S Mobility Ltd
S Mobility Ltd is one of the fastest growing mobile devices company in India. With a customer base of over 15 million and an annual volume of over 6 million devices, the BSE/NSE listed, S Mobility has market share of nearly 4-5% of the Indian mobile devices market. Known for its innovation, S Mobility has launched several firsts including the Dual SIM phones – across GSM, CDMA, Triband & Touch Screen PDA and smart devices on Android platform. S Mobility also became the first company in the country to introduce a 12 mega pixel camera phone with optical zoom and now has won Golden Peacock Innovation award for India’s 1st 3D phone this year. With business operations spanning across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka S Mobility is expanding its geographical presence from Indonesia to Ivory Coast. Moving forward the company aims to achieve further brand acceptability among all target segments through a broader offering of cutting-edge handsets that combine mobile phone functionality with enriched content and smart device capabilities for greater high-speed voice and data capacity. S Mobility has been featured in Forbes 2010 Asia’s 200 ‘best under a Billion dollar’ Companies. S Mobility is spearheaded by Dr. B.K. Modi, Global Chairman & Futurepreneur- Si2i. He has set up joint ventures in partnership with global companies in the field of information technology, document processing, telecommunications and cellular telephony. He engineered the S spice brand which is driving business involving technology-innovations, communication and entertainment. Dr.Modi’s vision enabled S Mobility to become one of the first and leading Mobile Internet devices providers in the nation.
About NQ Mobile
NQ Mobile Inc. (NYSE: NQ), formerly known as NetQin Mobile Inc., is a leading global provider of mobile Internet services focusing on security, privacy and productivity. The company was one of the first to recognize the growing security threats targeting smartphone users and is now a leading provider of Freemium subscription services with approximately 172 million registered user accounts in over 150 countries. NQ Mobile’s proprietary, cloud-based security solution has been recognized by third-party testing facilities around the world as the most effective solution for detecting and combating mobile threats. NQ Mobile was bestowed the 2011 Technology Pioneer Award by the World Economic Forum for its technology leadership and innovation in mobile security. To facilitate global expansion, NQ Mobile’s headquarters are co-located in Beijing, China and Dallas, TX, USA.
NQ Mobile offers the strongest mobile security and productivity products on the market today, including:
Mobile Security: We protect users from mobile threats, data theft, and privacy intrusion.
Mobile Productivity: We help users better manage their time and relationships.
Intelligent Cloud Services: We provide a customized user experience that can be easily accessed through mobile devices.[/toggle_box]






