Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

Galaxy SIII Premium Suite Update 4.1.2 gets Detailed on Video by Samsung

Samsung had started pusing out Jelly Bean 4.1.2 to some phones yesterday, but has now made an official video highlighting the features and calls it a Premium Suite. The Galaxy SIII Premium Suite brings a lot to the already popular SIII, including most of the features that are shared by big brother the NOTE II. A customizable notification panel, smart rotation, Page Buddy, Multi Window, new multitasking, NFC and reader features, plus contextual awareness tweaks that adjust the phone around your actions.

[box_light]

Contextual Awareness

(1) Page Buddy: Galaxy SIII Premium Suite will smartly predict what you intend to do according to your actions. For example, when you plug in your earphones, the device automatically opens up a page with the music player.

(2) Galaxy SIII Premium Suite Contextual Menu:  When you list up apps, you can now choose to see the most frequently used ones first. Especially convenient when you’re looking through apps  to find files to attach.

(3) Contextual Tag:  When you take a picture on the Galaxy SIII Premium Suite, you can tag the weather, date, and place immediately.



Enhanced Features

(1) Multi Window: You can open two different apps at the same time into two different windows on the mobile screen.

(2) Auto Share Shot Pairing using NFC: By setting the camera to ‘Auto Share Shot’ mode, you can quickly share your photos and videos by simply tapping their Galaxy SIII Premium Suite with other NFC and S-Beam enabled devices

(3) Reader Mode: You can easily control the size of the text on your browser! Also, you can just click the webpage to share it!

(4) Facebook Lock Ticker: The easiest way to see your Facebook News Feeds – set your Galaxy SIII Premium Suite to show it on your lock screen.

[/box_light]

December 7, 2012
HTC’s M7 Flagship Android Phone Rumoured For Early 2013

HTC is prepping a new flagship Android phone for launch, new reports have suggested, with a rumoured HTC M7 release date pegged for early 2013.

According to Focus Taiwan, HTC plans to stage a huge comeback in 2013, focusing on a few core products. This time it intends to actually sell them, ordering up to five million M7 devices from its manufacturing partners.

Such a device would have to be plenty powerful and plenty beautiful, right? The M7 is expected to feature a 5-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 screen, a 1.5Ghz quad-core APQ8064 SoC, 2GB RAM and 13MP camera, along with a unibody aluminum shell.

2012 wasn’t the best year for HTC, in the first three quarters the company failed to impress on the smartphone market and the financial results didn’t look to well for it.

HTC’s revenue for November increased over previous months, to $732 million USD, but is still down 31% over the same time last year. Products like the One X+, Windows Phone 8X and Droid DNA have helped bring the company back into the spotlight, but the brand has lost much of its recognition in recent months as Samsung continues to dominate the Android ecosystem.

December 7, 2012
Snapseed Photo Editor Now On Android, Goes Free on iOS

Nik Software’s robust photo editing app, Snapseed, has finally made its way to Android. The app, which is also available on iOS, lets you edit your photos using simple gesture controls, and allows you to share your newly-minted masterpieces via Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

Snapseed for Android is available for phones and tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich or above.

While this does limit the user base, Google is pushing people stuck on Android 2.2 and 2.3 to update their phones, or to purchase a Nexus device that will always stay updated.

Snapseed is very easy to use, and less onerous or labour-intensive than Photoshop Touch. It can aut0-fix photos, definitely, but it can be used to make subtle and even minute edits to photos that affect exposure, saturation, sharpness and contrast. In other words, it’s a fully-fledged photo editor that competes with iPhoto.

Google also updated the Snapseed’s iOS version, along with making it free. For reference, Snapseed for iOS was $4.99 until right this second.

Back in September, The Verge reported that Google had acquired Nik Software, the German startup behind Snapseed, a photo editing app that won Apple’s App of the Year in 2011.

December 6, 2012
Latest : Galaxy S IV To Launch In April With Breakthrough Unbreakable Screen?

Although the display of Samsung’s Galaxy S II uses Gorilla Glass, it’s certainly not unbreakable – as various videos on the web are demonstrating, and as some users have seen for themselves.

According to Reuters, the next flagship smartphone from Samsung may rock a cutting-edge OLED panel that resists cracks and scratches more easily, and would be “unbreakable”.

Unofficially dubbed the Galaxy S4, Samsung’s Next Big Thing could benefit from major advances in screen technology whereby the glass substrate protecting the display can be replaced with a more shatter-resistant plastic material. It would also be lighter, thus further reducing the chance of breaking the screen.

Samsung is already one of the pioneers of OLED technology and is hotly tipped to be the first to introduce it to mobile devices, as it was previously too expensive and experimental to do so. Naturally, the Galaxy S4 or at least its successor, would be a very likely to debut it.

Reuters also jumped on board the rumour train and sourced unnamed “analysts and tech blogs” stating that Samsung will unveil their new flagship Galaxy smartphone, internally called ‘Project J’ after head of its mobile division JK Shin, as early as April 2013. That is one month ahead of when the GS III was announced.

Rumoured specs of the GS IV have it running Android (potentially Key Lime Pie), larger display at 5-inches with a 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera.

Of course, all this is a rumour until Samsung comes out with an official announcement.

December 6, 2012
RIM To Start “BlackBerry 10 Ready Program”, To Give Enterprises Free BlackBerry 10 Device

RIM announced their “BlackBerry 10 Ready Program” this morning, an incentive for their enterprise customers to “prepare their environments” for the upcoming BB10 OS. RIM will be rolling out various offerings in a phased approach and will include four components: BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer, BlackBerry 10 Ready Webcast Series, BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up, and the BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services. The BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer and BlackBerry 10 Ready Webcast Series are both available today, while the other two will go live before RIM fully unveils BB10 on January 30th.

[quote]We remain committed to our enterprise customers and want to provide them with a head start on understanding the power of BlackBerry 10 and preparing their existing environments for the new mobile computing platform,” said Bryan Lee, Senior Director, Enterprise at RIM. “The BlackBerry 10 Ready Program gives customers access to a variety of services, information, tools, and special offers to help ease their transition to BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”[/quote]

The webcast series is simple, but incredibly important. This will be the educational portion and RIM will hold weekly webcasts to share info and answer questions about the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS, plus demonstrate how enterprise customers can easily integrate BB10 when it launches.

Specifics of the “BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer” reveals that RIM will be giving out a free BB10 smartphone, but is limited to one per company and currently available to those in Canada and the United States. RIM states that more countries will follow.

BlackBerry customers with BlackBerry Technical Support at the Advantage level or higher are eligible to receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Customers will need to install and run BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (which will be succeeded by BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10), and successfully complete an exclusive online learning course to qualify. Upon the launch of BlackBerry 10, the organization will receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

RIM has 80 million BlackBerry customers and 60 million BlackBerry Messenger users. The big unveiling of BlackBerry 10 is happening on January 30th, 2013 .

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Research In Motion (RIM) (RIMM)(RIM.TO) today announced the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program. The program is designed to address the needs of BlackBerry enterprise customers as they prepare their environments for the launch of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10, RIM”s powerful new multiplatform enterprise mobility management solution. The program will be introduced in a phased approach with four components. Two of the components – The BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer and the BlackBerry 10 Ready Webcast Series – are available today. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up and BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services components will be available ahead of the global BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30, 2013.

“We remain committed to our enterprise customers and want to provide them with a head start on understanding the power of BlackBerry 10 and preparing their existing environments for the new mobile computing platform,” said Bryan Lee, Senior Director, Enterprise at RIM. “The BlackBerry 10 Ready Program gives customers access to a variety of services, information, tools, and special offers to help ease their transition to BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”

BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer

BlackBerry customers with BlackBerry Technical Support at the Advantage level or higher are eligible to receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone.* Customers will need to install and run BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion (which will be succeeded by BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10), and successfully complete an exclusive online learning course to qualify. Upon the launch of BlackBerry 10, the organization will receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series

The weekly BlackBerry 10 webcast series is designed to share information, answer questions about RIM”s enterprise product portfolio, and prepare enterprise customers with the tools they need ahead of launch. The webcasts will be supported in multiple languages.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up

RIM will be offering customers who purchase BlackBerry 10 smartphones the ability to trade up their existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses on a one for one basis for free, until December 31, 2013.** The license trade up offer will allow customers to secure and manage their BlackBerry 10 smartphones with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Customers will be able to access an online tool for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up in January 2013.

BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services

This set of services will provide customers with a smooth migration path to BlackBerry 10. Change management and planning migration tools, and application development services will be available in January 2013. For more details customers can email [email protected].

For more information about the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program please visitwww.blackberry.com/blackberry10ready.

To register for the BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series, and to get a complete list of dates and times, please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10webcasts.

* Offer available while supplies last. Limit one (1) device per company. Offer currently only available for customers in North America. (Additional countries are expected to follow with similar offers.) Offer deadline: February 28, 2013. For complete details see Terms and Conditions:http://www.blackberry.com/business/blackberry-10-ready/free-blackberry-10-device/terms-and-conditions.html.

** Offer applies to BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses only; not applicable for BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express licenses. Additional Terms and Conditions apply.

About Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (RIM.TO). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “intend”, “believe”, and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM”s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of RIM”s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM”s forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

BlackBerry, RIM, Research In Motion and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other brands, names and marks are the property of their respective owners. RIM is not responsible for any third party products or services.

[/toggle_box]

December 6, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S3 Users Reportedly getting 4.1.2 Updates with MultiWindow Feature
While most users are still complaining about the Android 4.1 jelly bean update not yet being available on the Samsung Galaxy SIIIs, a few users reportedly have gotten the Android 4.1.2 update. SamMobile claims that Android 4.1.2 is starting to reach Galaxy SIII international 3G model, with multi-window support. While most users over the world will not get this update, Poland is first in the list and most users are reportedly busy downloading updates. More Apps from the Galaxy Note II like the gallery app, Smart Rotation and other apps may come in future updates.

Unlocked units will also be the first to get the updates, carrier-locked handsets will take a little while longer, though if previous releases are anything to go by, most networks seem pretty keen to push Samsung’s firmware updates as fast as possible to keep customers happy.

According to owners of the Gaalxy S3 GT-I9300 GS3 in Poland, Android 4.1.2 has hit their device, bringing with it the Note 2?s famous “Multi-View” windows for superior multitasking. There’s also a few TouchWiz applications that have been updated. Here’s everything worth looking forward to in the JZO54K update:
- Multi-View
- Page Buddy
- New Gallery App
- Notification Panel can now be customized (sweet!)
- Brightness Slider in notification panel can now be disabled
- Smart Rotation
- Continuous Input in Samsung Keyboard
- Paper Artist App
- Group Cast App
The update, currently rolling out in phases, will be available in other countries shortly.

[SamMobile]
December 6, 2012
Airtel launches Green Data Centre in Mumbai

Bharti Airtel has launched a new Green Data Centre in Mumbai. The state of the art facility has been designed to achieve 1.7- 1.75 PUE, making it one of the most energy efficient facilities in India.

The new data center expands Airtel Business’s ability to offer collocation, managed hosting, disaster recovery, remote infrastructure management, application and cloud computing services to small, large and medium enterprises across verticals in Mumbai. This is Airtel’s eighth tier 3+ data centre in the country and is in line with Airtel’s growing focus on hosting and managed services segment.

The data centre has been jointly designed and commissioned with India’s NetMagic Solutions Pvt Ltd; is carrier neutral, and is connected to airtel’s first class bandwidth capacity and network support infrastructure to enable scalability, resilience and efficient delivery of services to its valued customers.

[quote]

Drew Kelton, President – Airtel Business, Bharti Airtel, said “Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and is also one of the world’s top centres of commerce as a result it offers humungous opportunity to provide IT managed and cloud services to enterprise customers. With the launch of this facility, Airtel takes another step in moving beyond its core connectivity services and into collocation, managed and hosting services and bringing these services closer to our clients in Mumbai. It supports our drive to be the preferred IT&T provider delivering end to end solutions to our customers.”

[/quote]

Airtel currently operates seven level 3/3+ data centres in NCR, Bangalore, Chennai, Bhubneshwar and Pune – giving PAN India presence and choice to enterprise customers for their both primary/DR requirements.

December 5, 2012
Windows Phone Now Home To 120k Apps : Microsoft

WP8 would share the same kernel as that of Windows 8 and Windows RT

The Windows Phone Store now has over 120,000 apps ranging from photo apps to those that help you stay in touch with friends across the globe. Out of the top 50 apps available for iPhone and Android, 46 of them are available for Windows Phone 8. Back in June, the company had announced that it had crossed 100,000 published apps, and now a 20 percent increase in just six months is something to applaud.

For Microsoft, growing its app store is an important goal around fostering the image of the Windows Phone platform. Seeing as consumers love apps, having a plethora of them available for download is a critical selling point.

Microsoft has also announced that since Windows Phone 8 was launched a few weeks back, WP developers have witnessed more than 100% increase in revenue. While the company didn’t give the specifics, it does seem that WP apps are finally gaining some traction among the users, something which is certainly good news for the developers who have invested their time and money into developing Windows Phone 8 apps.

December 5, 2012
YouTube App For iOS Updated, Adds iPad, AirPlay, iPhone 5 Support

In addition to the Gmail app for iOS, Google also updated the YouTube app today. It adds support for a variety of different Apple products and services. It at last fills up the entire 4-inch display of the iPhone 5. Having those black bars next to videos annoyed a lot of users. Plus, iPad users can rejoice as well thanks to YouTube’s optimization for the tablet as well.

One of the new features is the Guide of channels that you can access by tapping on the YouTube logo in the title bar; tap it, and you’ll go back to the app’s main sidebar, listing your account’s options and Channels.

Among other improvements — including clickable links in video descriptions and ability to add or remove a video from your playlists — a notable addition is AirPlay support: you can now natively stream videos to any AirPlay-compatible device such as the Apple TV or a Mac running Reflection.

YouTube 1.1.0.4136 is now available as a free download via App Store and it’s fully compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad devices running iOS 5 or later.

December 5, 2012
Gmail 2.0 For iOS Released, Gets New UI, Multiple Account Support

Google’s Gmail app for iOS received its 2.0 facelift on Tuesday and is now available through Apple’s iTunes App Store.

From the seamless multiple account integration to the use of Google profile photos, the Gmail app feels smooth and fresh, an equally potent combination of top-tier iOS app design and Google’s recent minimalist flair. Aesthetically, it hews closely to the recent flat, white upgrade Gmail’s desktop site recently received.

The Gmail app also integrates Google calendar invites, so you can accept or reject times from within the app itself. Links also start up in Chrome by default (if it’s installed on the phone) so you can stay away from mobile Safari completely if desired. Google has improved search within the app which, if you’re anything like me, involves instantly retrieving results from 15,000+ emails.

Gmail 2.0 also incorporates infinite scrolling, so it never appears like you have to dig into the servers for emails older than 30 days. It downloads headers and content on the fly and, as stated, makes searching huge databases even faster than before.

Multiple account integration is going to be the biggest boost to productivity for many users; I was previously getting around this by forwarding my second and third accounts to a main one, but this is no longer necessary, thank goodness. Lastly, users can reply to Google+ posts from within an email thread, something we’ll likely continue to see Google iterate on in future updates. We wouldn’t be surprised if, one day, Gmail and Google+ are only one app on both Android and iOS.

December 5, 2012
Lumia 620 : Nokia Launches The Most Affordable Windows 8 Phone

Nokia has just launched their most affordable Windows Phone 8 device the Nokia Lumia 620. The Phone which runs Microsoft latest Mobile operating system is powered by a Qualcomm S4 1GHz dual-core CPU. Includes a 3.8-inch ClearBlack WVGA screen running at 800 x 480 resolution. FOr Optics we have a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front facing VGA one. The Phone has a fixed storage of 8 GB and no expandability upto 64GB via MicroSD.

Nokia is ready to play the 610 game with the Lumia 620 as the company will offer seven colors with exchangeable shells in gloss and matte finishes depending on color. You will also get a full host of Nokia only apps including Nokia Drive, Nokia Music and Nokia Maps. Nokia is also calling it the world’d most affordable Windows Phone 8 device yet with a price of 190 euros or Rs. 12,999 globally. We are hopeful that the company can quickly launch and make the device available in India around the same price mark

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Nokia introduces new Nokia Lumia 620

Nokia’s third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone offers youthful appeal

Espoo, Finland and Paris, France – Nokia today introduced the Nokia Lumia 620, the third and most affordable in its range of Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Alongside the flagship Nokia Lumia 920 and mid-range Nokia Lumia 820, the Nokia Lumia 620 offers a more fun, youthful appeal, and compact design.

The Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new dual-shot color technique to deliver a variety of striking color and texture effects. Dual-shot adds a second layer of colored, transparent or translucent polycarbonate on top of a base layer to produce secondary color blends and depth effects. With seven different exchangeable shells to choose from, people can adapt the look of their Nokia Lumia 620 to their own personal taste and style.

“We continue to execute on our strategy to reach new audiences and new markets,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices. “With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, the Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point.”

Among the features shared with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 are exclusive camera lenses that transform the creative power of the Nokia Lumia 620’s five megapixel main camera and VGA front-facing camera. The Cinemagraph lens adds simple animations to still photographs, while Smart Shoot creates a single, perfect shot from multiple images, even removing unwanted objects from the picture.

The Nokia Lumia 620 also provides access to the world’s best maps and location experience, including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and the exclusive Nokia City Lens. Nokia City Lens displays information about local surroundings overlaid onto buildings as seen through the camera viewfinder.

Making it easy to discover and enjoy new music, Nokia Music provides free streaming of ad-free tracks without registration or subscription and the ability to download playlists for listening offline.

With NFC support, the Nokia Lumia 620 can easily pair with NFC-enabled accessories like the JBL PlayUp Portable Speaker for Nokia. Open and secure NFC-connectivity makes it possible to share and receive content by tapping with compatible devices, or make secure payments using the Wallet application in Windows Phone 8.

Powered by Windows Phone 8, the Nokia Lumia 620 delivers a more personal smartphone experience. Adjustable Live Tiles update direct to the Start Screen. People Hub pulls together contact information from multiple address books and social networks into a single location, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and set up contact Groups and private Rooms for sharing. From the Me Tile people can check in to their location, post an update, set chat status, see what’s new and monitor notifications across Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Windows Phone 8 also includes Xbox Live, Microsoft Office, 7GB of online SkyDrive storage and faster, safer surfing with Internet Explorer 10.

These features and capabilities are enabled by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon(TM) S4 Plus processors.

“People can do more of the things they love when they choose a mobile device that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president of Qualcomm Europe. “The Snapdragon S4 Plus processor is the heart of the Nokia Lumia 620, making it possible to multi-task, stream in HD and share content at super-fast speeds.”

The Nokia Lumia 620 will be available in a range of colors* including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. Estimated at USD 249, excluding taxes and subsidies, the Nokia Lumia 620 will begin selling in January 2013 in Asia, followed closely by Europe and the Middle East before expanding further.

* Availability of colored shells may vary by country.

[/toggle_box]

December 5, 2012
Jelly Bean Now On 6.7% of Android Devices : Google

Google’s latest iteration of their mobile OS, Jelly Bean, has enjoyed a good start so far – in the last thirty days alone, Jelly Bean has had a nice boost in scooping up more market share thanks to people buying Jelly Bean-based devices like the incredible Nexus 4 which comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on-board. It now runs on 6.7% of all Android devices.

Gingerbread is still the most widely used version of Android and is installed on 50.8% of devices while Android Ice Cream Sandwich comes in at second place with 27.5% of handsets running it. Although the statistics are aimed at offering useful insights to developers they give a good overview of how fast the newer versions of Android are catching up and what the state of the operating system’s fragmentation is.

Incredibly, there are still traces of Cupcake, Donut and Eclair roaming around the Google Android universe, while Froyo still holds over 10-percent of the share.

These latest figures from Google are based on users who have accessed the Play Store within the last 14 days. The next few months should show a more rapid shift in the percentages as more devices get the Jelly Bean update, not to mention the inevitable future success of Google’s Nexus 4.

December 4, 2012
Apple Files Patent For Wireless Charging Technology

When it comes to wireless charging, today’s options aren’t exactly as cord-free as the label would suggest. Things like charging mats or other wireless docking options are fine and all, but adding more accessories and bulky cases to the mix is often more trouble than it’s worth. As Wired reports, a patent filed this week by Apple side steps these pesky add-ons and could offer true wireless charging for the first time on Apple hardware.

An Apple patent application published Thursday, “Wireless Power Utilization in a Local Computing Environment,” uses a different approach. Apple’s implementation would utilize a near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power supply to deliver juice to nearby devices that have an NFMR resonator circuit within.

In the patent filed by Apple, the company claims they will “utilize a near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power supply to deliver juice to nearby devices that have an NFMR resonator circuit within.” This approach would create a “virtual charging area” within about a yard of this power supply, which would thereby charge your device.

A secondary benefit is that wireless devices like the mouse and keyboard could ditch their batteries, helping the environment. Eco responsibility is a cause that, despite challenges with product repairability, Apple is quite dedicated to.

Interesting!

December 3, 2012
Nokia 114 Dual SIM Feature Phone Launched in India

The Nokia India website has just listed a new device, the Nokia 114. It is a dual-SIM budget phone which offers hot swappable capabilities with its SIM card.

Nokia 114 looks like the dual-SIM variant of the Nokia 109 that was unveiled in some markets (but not India) last month. The phone features a 1.8-inch (4.57 cm) QVGA colour display, 32GB of expandable storage and Bluetooth. It comes with a 0.3-megapixel camera capable of recording QCIF video at 15fps. The Nokia 114 comes with a 1020mAh battery capable of 637 hours standby time and 10.5 hours talk-time or 27 hours of music playback.

This 2G-only phone measures 110.0mm (H) x 46.0mm (W) x 14.8mm (D) and weighs just 80 grams.

The Nokia 114 is current listed as “Coming soon” on the Nokia website and there is no mention of exact price or date of availability.

December 3, 2012
21-inch iMac Teardown Shows Dual Mics, Replaceable RAM & Glued On LCD

iFixit has released a comprehensive teardown of Apple’s new 21.5″ iMac, scoring it as a 3 out of 10 (down from 7 last year).

The new iMac, with its ultra slim bezel proved to be a disappointment to the iFixit team, because both the glass and the LCD are glued to the iMac frame with strong adhesive, which negatively impacts repairability.

[quote]The late 2012 iMac 21.5? — code-named EMC 2544 — is an exercise in disappointment for us. We were quite worried when we saw that super-thin bezel during Apple’s keynote, and unfortunately we were correct: the glass and LCD are now glued to the iMac’s frame with incredibly strong adhesive. Gone are the lovely magnets that held the glass in place in iMacs of yesteryear.[/quote]

The logic board (Apple’s name for its motherboard) appears to contain both the Ivy Bridge i5 and the GPU, unlike previous iMacs, which used a separate MXM daughterboard for their GPU. The computer’s expansion ports are mounted directly onto the logic board—the SD card slot, headphone jack, four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, and a gigabit Ethernet port. As Apple has said, there is no Firewire port.

In good news, RAM, hard drive and CPU are all possible to replace, should things go wrong or should users want to upgrade their memory or internal storage. The bad news, though, is that unlike on previous generation iMac, none of these pieces are easily accessible. iMacs used to at least have user-accessible RAM trays on the underside of their face, which actually made it really easy to swap out upgrades. Now, while it’s still not soldered to the motherboard like on the latest Retina MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, getting at the RAM requires removing the screen, and also behind the logic board, meaning you’ll have to essentially take the iMac completely apart to change things up.

December 2, 2012