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Windows 8 Crosses 100,000 Apps Milestone

Microsoft has hit a pretty big milestone for Windows 8, with the Windows Store passing the 100,000 apps mark. It’s taken just over seven months for Microsoft to hit the big 100K after Windows 8 launched in late October last year, although the milestone didn’t quite happen quickly enough as it managed to miss Microsoft’s BUILD 2013 developer conference by roughly a week.

At the same time, Microsoft has also confirmed the development of some new exciting Metro apps, including a Facebook client that would allow users to access their profiles from the Modern UI. Flipboard and Rhapsody will also develop Windows 8 apps.

Even when compared against the iPad the feat is impressive. That device took 14 months to reach the mark, while the Mac app store still languishes on only 15,000 apps 30 months after its own launch.

Windows 8 has just passed the 5.1% share of the 1.3 billion PCs in use world-wide, according to NetApplications, which translates into more than 66 million PCs running Windows 8 at present, with at least 40% running a Metro app once per day. This is likely double the number of Windows Phones in use.

While Microsoft has hit the 100,000 app milestone, they still have a way to go to not only improve the quality of app offerings in the Windows Store, but also convince customers that Modern apps are worth downloading. Various analysts have been very critical of the app offerings in the Store, and consumers haven’t been convinced by Windows RT – which largely runs Windows Store apps – instead choosing to buy full Windows 8 tablets with desktop compatibility.

July 2, 2013
Sony C906 Honami Screenshots Leaked, Reveal New UI

Sony is going to release a new 5-inch flagship device in the coming months, a sequel to the Xperia Z. This smartphone, codenamed Honami, will reportedly come with a 5-inch 1080p display and a 20MP camera sensor capable of capturing video at 4K resolution, or 4000×2000 pixels. This insanely high video resolution is going to work synergistically with Sony’s big 4K TV push at the end of the year, but until then will mainly be little more than a sideshow act.

A system dump of the device has surfaced, which reveals some details about the hardware and showcase some of the new UI changes.

More impressive, however, is Sony’s subtle design improvements to its Android skin. Expected to ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, Honami takes what worked so well about earlier versions and tweaks the launcher and various first-party apps to look more uniform, attractive and minimalist.

One major addition to this newer software, which will probably trickle down to older devices when they are updated, is integration with Sony’s Music Unlimited streaming service in the main Music app.

Elements of the OS, like the keyboard, appear to have been spruced up as well, with new colour schemes and improved functionality. Sony’s integrated keyboard is already one of the best in the business, so it’s nice to see they’re still working on it.

Sony’s Small Apps, which overlay minimal HTML5-based utilities like a tiny web browser or camera lens, have been updated to allow more than one at a time.

Since the Xperia Z is only six months old, we likely won’t see Honami until later this year, but it’s shaping up to be a pretty fantastic device.

[Via]

July 2, 2013
Skype For Android Gets New Design

Skype has pushed out a major redesign of their Android app today – now looking very Metro, or what their design team is calling a “modern design.” Updated to version 4.0, the app was completely rebuilt and is ’faster and more reliable,’ aiming for improved stability, performance, and loading times. Key to this version is the focus on conversations and having the ability to quickly access your contacts and video calling.

Earlier versions of Skype for Android loaded a very simple screen at launch, with big buttons for Contacts, recent messages, a dialer, and your profile.

With Skype 4.0, you get more information right away by taking you straight to your Recent view. You can swipe to move to People or Favorite tabs, and you can tap a dialer button from any screen to launch a voice or video call. The new app has also reportedly been rebuilt “from the ground up” to be more responsive.

There’s no word on when this redesign will come to iOS, but as for future upgrades to Android, Skype stated that “This release is just the beginning. We have more updates in the coming months and year ahead to make Skype for Android even more reliable, reachable, and mobile-friendly.” Skype for Android tablets will see an update “just around the corner.”

Skype for Android has recently crossed the 100 million user milestone.

July 2, 2013
Datsun reveals sketches teasing first model

Reborn Datsun has revealed design sketches of its first model in 32 years which will make its world debut on July 15^th in New Delhi. The car will mark the return of the Nissan-owned Datsun brand after it was discontinued in 1986. The first new-generation Datsun model is a five-seater hatchback designed for growing economies like India, Russia, Indonesia and South Africa, targeted at an aspirational middle class that is fast embracing car ownership.

Internally known as the K2, the first Datsun model will be based on the Nissan Micra platform and will get its three-cylinder, 1.2-liter gasoline engine but with different tuning. Although no interior pics were provided, it is believed the gear lever and handbrake will be positioned on the center console to free space between the front seats.

In direct competition with the Hyundai i10 and Maruti Wagon R, the Datsun hatch is expected with a sticker price of around Rs. 3.2 lakh when it goes on sale in mid-2014.

July 2, 2013
Report : Apple Applies For iWatch Trademark In Japan

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple recently applied for iWatch name ownership in Japan, a country where devices arrive in stream — and the filing reveals that Apple’s iWatch is categorized as “handheld computer or watch device.

The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week.

Apple has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatch-like device that may perform some of the tasks now handled by the iPhone and iPad, two people familiar with the company’s plans said in February.

You may call it a “defensive move” against copycat manufacturers, but it also shows that Apple is looking to introduce its own wearable device to compete with the other big guns.

In May, speaking at an All Things Digital conference, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the market for wearable computing is ripe for innovation, noting that the wrist was a natural place for such a device.

The Apple iWatch will likely include biometric sensors and applications such as mapping tools and ways to view information that comes via an iPhone or iPad.

As The Verge reports, the company has been known to trademark plausible names for future products, like 2009’s iSlate application, as well as ideas it’s more loosely tied to, such as 1988’s Knowledge Navigator.

Apple’s rivals are already offering their own version of smartwatch, including Sony, a maker of the Android-based devices.

July 1, 2013
Report : Nokia Set To Buyout Siemens’ Stake In Joint Venture

Finnish handset-maker Nokia Corp. is set to buy out German engineering giant Siemens 50 percent stake in the Nokia Siemens Network B.V. joint venture for about 1.7 billion euros or $2.2 billion, according to media reports on Sunday. The deal is expected to be officially announced as early as today.

Formed in 2006, Nokia Siemens Networks operates IPTV, WCDMA refarming, mobile TV, mobile backhaul and other “behind the scenes” technologies that power our mobile internets. The deal will help Nokia in the long run due to the profitable nature of the business, especially with some drastic cutbacks in recent years to help streamline their workforce. The business is also based in Espoo, Finland, meaning those jobs should be safe from a third-party purchaser.

Siemens has been looking for an exit strategy from this joint-venture for some time and had recently announced its intent to sell off its stake earlier this year.

The talks have taken on a certain degree of urgency, apparently, because April marks the deadline for a shareholder renewal of the NSN deal.

The reported acquisition of the stake will provide Nokia full control of a company that has been improving profitability since its restructuring began. It will also provide Nokia with an additional revenue stream amid the waning demand for its mobile handsets that saw it reporting the lowest quarterly revenues in the past 13 years.

July 1, 2013
Sony Xperia ZR Unboxing

The Sony Xperia ZR is a small brother of the Xperia Z with a major differences in design and hardware. The one thing that remains common is the water resistance and dust proof nature of the phone.

Inside the box of the Xperia ZR you will get the standard set of accessories, including a wall charger, the USB to micro USB cable and in ear headset along with documentation.

Xperia ZR Initial Impressions

The Xperia ZR is water resistant to the point where you can go swimming with it, but the build is slightly different than the Xperia Z. The back panel is made up of a rubber coating vs a glass back on the Xperia Z. The Xperia ZR has a 4.55 inch 1280 x 720p display which makes it 323 ppi .

The back of the Xperia ZR has a 13 MP camera, but it appears that the company held back with the front camera which is a VGA camera. The phone is also slightly thicker at 10.5 mm and also shorter thanks to the size of the display, which makes the overall device more compact and slightly more portable.

Sony has really gained popularity with its Xperia series thanks to the right mix of Hardware design and build quality and the Xperia ZR is not behind in this trend. Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064 1.5 GHz Quad core Krait chipset the phone also has the might Adreno 320 GPU. The whole mix is powered by a 2300 mAh battery and has 8 GB of storage along with 2GB of RAM.

You do have storage expandability in the Xperia ZR but only to 32GB vs the 64GB offered by many. Sony has also shipped this handset with Android 4.1.2 while many companies are now offering Android 4.2.2 out of the box.

Check out our images and video and stay tuned for the followup, iGyaan style.

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June 30, 2013
Lava Iris 504Q Unboxing And Hands-On

The Lava Iris 504Q is a smartphone targeted at the likes of Micromax and Karbonn with their Canvas and Titanium series. Powered by a Mediatek Processor (6589) the company is trying to differentiate the product from the mass of multiple devices in the market with features like gesture control and software enhancements.

The handset is manufactured well and almost resembles the HTC Butterfly from a distance, thanks to the resemblance to the earpiece grill. The back of the Lava iris 504Q is a soft touch plastic, that almost feels rubberized for added grip.

The new Lava Iris 504q has a slim 8.4mm thickness that makes it the slimmest handset in its category. It brings HD experience to a 5 inch IPS screen with OGS display technology and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and running on the latest Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Iris 504q comes with an intelligent flip cover.

This device sports an 8MP camera with rear auto-focus and BSI sensor. Lava Iris 504q also packs in 1GB RAM and an internal memory of 4 GB, which is expandable up to 32 GB.

For a price of Rs.13499/- in the market Lava has added yet another competitor in the Quad Core dual sim market.

You can watch our unboxing and hands-on below. We’ll be back with the gaming and full-review soon!

[youtube id=”EbTC_qg113k” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

June 29, 2013
Micromax Canvas Lite A92 launched at Rs. 8499

While many are awaiting the new Micromax Canvas 4 A210, the company is not shy of releasing more handsets. Micromax has today launched the new A92 Canvas Lite for a price of Rs. 8499. The specifications of the Micromax Canvas Lite A92 match those of the original Canvas A100 with a 5 inch 480 x 800 px display, A Mediatek 6577 Dual Core 1 Ghz Chipset. The Micromax Canvas Lite A92 will also have 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via microSD and 512 MB of RAM.

The Canvas Lite A92 also has the same set of cameras as seen on the Canvas A100, a 5 MP main shooter along with a front facing camera (0.3 MP). While the company has phased out the A100, this is a great way for the company to relaunch older hardware with a new name. For the price the specifications are quite okay, but considering that with a couple thousand more nowadays you can get a Quad Core chipset and a 720p display. Would you be interested in buying a Micromax Canvas Lite A92?

June 29, 2013
Indian Company Rolocule Launches Motion Tennis For iOS, Turns Your iPhone Into A Wii Like Console

There are a lot of things that Apple has done since coming out with the iPhone that have turned the industry around. There are a lot of things that companies producing apps to be sold for Apple products that are helping to further the Apple stranglehold on the industry.

Apple may not have turned the Apple TV into a console yet, but that hasn’t stopped one game developer from trying it, with Pune-based company Rolocule Games launching Motion Tennis, turning the iPhone into a Wii style motion-controller for the set-top box.

As SlashGear reports, the game relies on AirPlay Mirroring, more commonly associated with screen sharing, but used by Rolocule Games to translate gyroscope and accelerometer data from how the iPhone is swung into Wiimote-like motion information to control the virtual players on-screen.

The game works just as that Wii title does, as the player swings his or her iPhone in order to make the player on screen swing. The game uses the iPhone’s accelerometer in order to determine how the player is holding the iPhone and, in turn, translates a swing and hit into a normal shot, a slice or a lob.

The game is available in the app store for $7.99 (you will also require an Apple TV to play the game) in the App Store and despite its unique gaming perspective, users will be able to play multiple functions including single player versus the computer with four different difficulties, a co-op doubles match with two human players going against two computer players and a final mode of survival. In survival, the first player to miss a point loses the match.

The game studio, based in India, has previously released a series of touch-based tennis, badminton and squash games. Motion Tennis is new in that it brings gameplay to the television using motion gestures.

Rolocule’s Linkedin page description reads : Rolocule Games is an award winning game development and research studio located in Pune, India. Its mission is to entertain universally, by blending technology with art and creating most enjoyable experience for everyone and strongly believes that art and technology often creates magic.

We’re glad to see an Indian company gaining accolades world-wide for a truly innovative concept. Well done.

June 29, 2013
Apple, TSMC Ink Deal Involving A-Series Chips For iOS Devices Starting 2014

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has inked a deal with TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) for the company to produce iPhone and iPad processors starting in 2014.

The deal was closed after the company met requirements from Apple regarding their speed and power usage. Samsung will remain Apple’s primary supplier for these components through 2014, according to TSMC executives. Apple is one of Samsung’s biggest customers for processors and memory chips. But the two firms compete directly in the mobile-phone market and have spent the better part of the past two years suing and countersuing over the look, feel and features of their gadgets.

The report states that TSMC plans to start producing the chips in early 2014 using 20-nanometer technology, which would make chips smaller and more energy efficient.

The two companies have been discussing their arrangement since 2010, with serious discussions on the process of creating the chips starting in 2011.

TSMC executives told the WSJ that Apple had asked to either invest in the company or to have TSMC set aside a factory specifically for Apple chips. Executives said they had denied both options because they wanted to keep TSMC’s independence and manufacturing flexibility intact.

We’ll see how this deal plays out for Apple and Samsung, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

June 29, 2013
Report : Micromax Canvas 4 A210 to launch for Rs. 16,900

Although many websites are reporting that the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 will launch for upwards of 24 thousand Rupees, the truth is far from the rumors. Micromax is all set to officially announce and launch the Canvas 4 at an event being held on 8th of July. The event will showcase the product and will also announce official pricing. According to sources close to iGyaan, the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 will launch at a price under Rs. 20,000/-. While the market price will be Rs. 16,999/- at the beginning.

Micromax has also initiated this phone, with its key feature being a blow to unlock software, and a 5 MP camera in the front ensuring that the users have nothing to complain about lack of basic features. The main camera is a 13 MP autofocus camera and the back panel is glazed just like on Samsung Galaxy phones.

Micromax is also planning to launch the Canvas 4 A210 in White and Black colors, with a graphic texture back panel. The Micromax Canvas 4 A210 is expected to be under 9 mm in thickness, where the 8.9mm standard may come into play. The 5 inch 1280 x 720 p display indicates that the phone will be at-least 144 mm high (5.67 inches ) and 76 mm wide (2.87 inches).

We will get you more details when available, and you can expect iGyaan style videos to follow suit.

June 29, 2013
BlackBerry CEO : BlackBerry Messenger Coming to iOS and Android ‘Before the End of Summer’

For those millions of eager iOS and Android users who are dreaming of a day that you’ll be using BBM on your device you’ll have to a bit longer. During the quarterly call, CEO Thorsten Heins stated that BBM for iOS and Android will be released “before the end of the summer.”

It was originally rumored that BlackBerry Messenger would make its way to iOS and Android on June 27, but obviously that didn’t happen.

T-Mobile UK confused the entire Internet as they released a teaser image of BlackBerry Messenger running on a Samsung Galaxy S3 announcing BlackBerry’s popular messenger would be making its way to both iOS and Android on June 27.

Competing with top messaging services like WhatsApp, Viber, Google’s Hangouts and Apple’s iMessage, BlackBerry is betting on its messaging platform to stay relevant, and hopefully, to keep consumers engaged on its product and services. Blackberry Messenger allows users to communicate by text through data connection instead of traditional SMS text charges. It is also faster than traditional texting.

The app will be free and will work with devices running iOS 6 or later and Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. At first, Blackberry Messenger for iOS and Android will be limited to messaging and groups, but, later, an update will bring other popular BlackBerry features, including BBM Voice, screen share, and BBM Channels.

Also, Blackberry had promised a BlackBerry 10 update for its aging PlayBook tablet, which was released over two years ago, but has reneged on the offer. According to CEO Thorsten Heins, the device just never felt right with the test versions of BlackBerry 10. The experience was not up to the company’s high standards. This is likely due to the older dual-core Cortex-A9 architecture of the 1Ghz Snapdragon chipset, along with the monumental task of having to re-engineer core aspects of the BlackBerry 10 experience.

June 29, 2013
HTC One Google Edition ROM Now Available For Rooted Devices

If you’re an HTC One owner and are not entirely enthused by the Sense 5.0 experience, especially since it runs atop older Jelly Bean software, you’re in luck.

A flashable version of the HTC One Google Edition is now available to download, and it appears to mimic the experience that U.S. buyers will have when their phones begin arriving on July 9th. The ROM was built from a system dump uploaded by Android Central’s Jerry Hildenbrand and has been altered slightly to be compatible with all HTC One models, but is otherwise unchanged.

The new HTC One Google Edition ROM will work with the GSM version of the HTC One, and it will give your handset the same experience you would get on the Google Play edition of the HTC One.

Notable improvements include lockscreen widgets and Photosphere, along with an improved stock camera app. You’ll have to already have an unlocked bootloader and/or S-OFF, and a custom recovery, along with the know-how to install it.

If you’re interested, head to XDA-Developers and get downloading.

Meanwhile, the team at Sammobile claim to have an early 4.3 build for the Samsung Galaxy S4. They claim that this is from a Google Play Edition variant of the S4, and the build is completely functional when tested on other Galaxy S4?s, but there’s no way to verify the validity of the claim. Since Google has not yet announced Android 4.3, and it doesn’t seem that there are any significant changes to the OS, this could well be a very clever fake with an edited build.prop to say 4.3.

June 29, 2013
Peugeot Citroen to allow GM takeover due to financial troubles

Reports suggest that the founding family of PSA Peugeot Citroen is running out of cash and could step back to let US-owned GM take over the ailing business. Sources have already warned that PSA could get close to not having enough free cash to run the business by the end of 2013, having burned 3 billion euros in operating cash last year. GM, which operates Vauxhall, Opel and Chevrolet in Europe, already owns 7% of PSA having invested in March 2012.

Both GM and PSA are suffering from over-capacity, in spite of plans to scale back production. A report from news agency Reuters suggests that if GM were to take control of PSA, it would want to shut down factories and make redundancies in France and Germany, something that would be especially unpopular with French president Francois Hollande.

Peugeot is reported to have sought finance for the business elsewhere, but a lack of willing bidders has forced it to turn to GM, which owns seven percent of the current business. The move was made with the support of current PSA Chief Executive Phiippe Varin.

The Peugeot family initially asked for financial support from Chinese partner Dongfeng, but turned to GM when those talks came to nothing. According to Reuters, GM is ‘playing hardball’ by holding out for assurances that it can cut plants and jobs at a reasonable cost. It’s also reported that any decision is unlikely to be made before the German general election in September.

The Peugeot family has now accepted that they’ll lose control.

Plans are already afoot to produce a range of Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Opel models with shared engines and platforms, including a new Vauxhall Zafira, Peugeot 3008 and Citroen C3 Picasso.

Overall the Peugeot family owns a 25.4 per cent stake in the company, but controls 38.1 per cent of the voting rights. Peugeot currently employs 77,000 people in France, while sales of Peugeots and Citroens fell 13.9% in the first five months of 2013 versus 2012, slightly worse the GM Europe’s drop of 11.0%. Neither Peugeot nor GM has commented on the story.

[Reuters]

June 29, 2013