We’re live at the launch of Micromax’s new range of LED TV’s. You can watch the live video here.
Category: Brands and Companies
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Angry Birds Star Wars To Be Launched On November 8th!
Angry Birds is flapping its wings to a galaxy far, far away next month. Rovio today announced a partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. for Angry Birds Star Wars, a new entry in the series hitting iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows 8, and Windows Phone on November 8.
According to the game’s announcement, Angry Birds Star Wars will tap into the science fiction franchise’s characters and settings, including the desert world of Tatooine and the supermassive Death Star ship.
[quote]“This is the best Angry Birds game we’ve ever done. It’s the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in in a galaxy far, far away,” Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement. “As a big ‘Star Wars’ fan myself, I’m really excited about this new universe. The Force is definitely strong with this one.”[/quote]
Not only will Angry Birds Star Wars invade smartphones, tablets, and computers, but various merchandise will hit retail beginning on October 28 (in the US that is!). These offerings will include Halloween costumes, apparel, action figures, and plush toys.
May the force be with you!
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Apple iPhone 5 Camera Purple Flare Issue : Tweak The Angle Says Apple
Image Courtesy : LA Times Whenever a new iPhone is released, there are always issues. Nothing is perfect, but the fans of Apple devices want them to be flawless. While some seem to be real issues (like Antennagate and Scratchgate), others do not, and thus we come to the “iPhone 5 purple flare camera issue.”
Soon after the iPhone 5’s release, users began complaining of a purple flare or halo appearing in photos taken with the camera when it is pointed at or near bright light sources. After some tech support reps issued emails that stated the “issue” was normal, Apple decided to post a response to complaints via a support document on its site , last modified on Sunday, Oct. 7.
[quote]“Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize or eliminate the effect.”[/quote]
Essentially, Apple wants you to hold the camera differently. For many, it sounds very similar to the 2010’s antenna flap when users reported low reception on their iPhone 4s when they held the device a certain way.
At one point, Steve Jobs famously responded to one user’s email by telling the person to simply hold the phone differently.
Ultimately, Apple gave a real solution for the iPhone 4’s antenna issues, but for now, it doesn’t appear Apple will further address the iPhone 5 camera’s purple flares.
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Report : Apple Orders 10 Million iPad Mini Units
Apple has reportedly ordered as many as 10 million iPad mini units from its suppliers, to be shipped in the holiday quarter this season.
A report in The Wall Street Journal notes that the order of 10 million units is approximately twice the amount that Amazon has placed with its suppliers for the same quarter. The report does not reveal any fresh details on the launch date of the iPad mini or price.
Rumors indicate that the iPad Mini will have a 7.85-inch display, with a possible resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels — the same as the third-generation iPad’s Retina display. The smaller iPad is also expected to have thinner side bezels, giving it a similar look to the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5. Topeka analyst Brian White tells AllThingsD that the iPad Mini “could outshine the new iPad in terms of how the device feels in a consumer’s hands.”
Reports out last week say that iPad Mini production has already run into a number of snags, with display suppliers for the device unable to meet demand. This could potentially result in significantly delayed shipping times for iPad Mini buyers — a problem that continues to haunt the iPhone.
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Apple Starts Rolling Out Fixes For Maps On iOS 6
Credit : AppleInsider Apple is trying to fix the problems that are dogging the new Apple Maps app by rolling out fixes. Apple launched its iPhone 5 on Sept. 12, which packed the latest iOS 6. Google Maps have been a standard feature on the iPhone since it debuted in 2007. However, Apple decided to discontinue Google Maps and introduce its own mapping service in the iOS 6.
Since the launch of iOS 6, users have reported problems with the new maps app, which lacks detailing and omits public transit directions. Moreover, Apple’s highly-touted 3D flyover feature has also received criticism as the feature displayed comically distorted images that look like major landmarks, and some structures even appeared to have been destroyed.
Several reports suggest that Apple’s quickly correcting some of its botched 3D Flyover views including the now-famous invisible Statue of Liberty. MacRumors says that imagery improvements have been reported in Honolulu, Hawaii; San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles; New York City and London. Additional 3D buildings in vector mode are also popping up. The Apple rumors website also states that users who don’t see the immediate changes will see them in the near future as “aggressive caching” is holding the roll out from hitting everyone.
Apple is reportedly prepping a program that will train retail staff employees to help report errors in cities where Apple Stores are located.
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Tata Motors’ Special Vehicles For Gujarat Police Force
Tata Motors Defence Solutions (TADS), a strategic partner of the Indian Armed Forces since 1958, delivered state-of-the-art 21 Light Armoured Troop Carriers (LATC) to the Gujarat Police Force. The new LATC will enhance the arsenal of the Gujarat Police Force and will certainly empower their security alertness.
Tata Motors Defence Solutions makes a wide range of vehicles, in the light, medium and heavy categories. These include logistics, tactical, armoured and specialist vehicles. The Tata Motors Service network enables maximum operational readiness and low life-cycle maintenance costs for its Defence vehicles across the country.
[quote]Vernon Noronha, Vice President (VP), Defence and Government Business, Tata Motors said, “Tata Motors’ Defence Solutions covers the complete range of logistics and armoured vehicles that have been popular in supporting police and paramilitary forces across the country. The Tata Light Armoured Troop Carrier will enable comfortable movement of troops across the state.”[/quote]
Reportedly, the Tata LATC has all the trimmings of a world class product and incorporates an incredibly powerful powertrain, under its hood. Further, the vehicles comes with top draw security features and has been assimilated with an All Wheel Drive (AWD) system, besides coming with advance protective measures on all sides. The cutting-edge LATC vehicles have been laced with bullet-proof and splinter-proof glassing along with suspended seats and explosion resistant material in the fuel tank.
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Steve Jobs’ High School Girlfriend To Pen New Memoir
Chrisann Brennan was one of Steve Jobs’s first serious loves, his high school girlfriend and the mother of his daughter Lisa. Now Ms. Brennan will tell the story of her relationship with Mr. Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died in 2011, in a new memoir to be published next year. St. Martin’s Press, part of Macmillan, said on Thursday it had acquired the rights to an untitled memoir by Ms. Brennan, who is now a painter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
[quote]After meeting him at Homestead High School in Cupertino, Calif., Ms. Brennan later lived with Mr. Jobs in a cabin, meditated with him and attended lectures. “At 17, Steve had more than a touch of the cool sophistication of a Beat poet,” Ms. Brennan wrote in an article in Rolling Stone after his death. While in her early 20s, she became pregnant and gave birth to their daughter, who is known as Lisa Brennan-Jobs. Mr. Jobs initially denied paternity of his daughter but later developed a closer relationship with her.[/quote]
St. Martin’s said Ms. Brennan’s memoir would cover a range of subjects, including her relationship with Jobs, the founding of Apple and “Jobs’s enormous appeal, energy and drive as well as his developing ambition and ruthlessness in business and personal dealings.”
[NYTimes]
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Apple remembers Steve Jobs With A Tribute
Between 1997 and 2011, Steve Jobs was, in many ways, Apple. He was not only the face of the company, but was believed to have been the progenitor for many of the popular products the company brought to market. From the iPod to the iPhone, and later the iPad, there is no doubt, however you may feel about the company, that Apple has changed the world in many ways.
Steve Jobs died one year ago today. Apple has marked the sad anniversary with a short video outlining some of his most important achievements. Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO, wrote a letter to employees expressing his gratitude for Jobs’ contributions throughout the years.
[quote]
Steve’s passing one year ago today was a sad and difficult time for all of us. I hope that today everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place.
One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No company has ever inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.
I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road. It’s a wonderful tribute to Steve’s memory and everything he stood for.
Tim Cook
[/quote]
Visitors to Apple’s web site were greeted to a one-and-a-half minute video titled, “Remembering Steve.” As black and white photos of Jobs filled the screen, viewers hear him delivering some of his most inspiring quotes. Among them:
[quote]
“There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been. And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple.”
“This amazing little device holds a thousand songs and goes right in my pocket.”
“An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator. Are you getting it?”
“It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.”
[/quote]
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$12,405 Steve Jobs Tribute MacBook Pros To Be Auctioned
Uncover has announced that it will auction off three Steve Jobs tribute MacBook Pro Laptops. The laptops feature the design originally created by a Hong Kong artist that features the silhouette of Steve Jobs superimposed onto the bitten Apple logo.
“A year ago the world lost a force of nature in technology. Steve Jobs’ willpower, creative vision and business instincts disrupted no less than 9 different industries and inspired us all to try and achieve insanely great things,” said Uncover in a written statement. “In his honour we have crafted three MacBook Pro Retina’s, based on the design by Hong Kong-based artist Jonathan Mak. We’ve meticulously cut the silhouette of Jobs from the edges of the Apple logo and filled it up again with the highest quality epoxy. And each has the beautiful but lesser known ‘You can change things’ quote by Steve Jobs laser-tattooed on the bottom, as a covert mantra for inspiration.”
What will these three limited edition laptops be used for? Well, they will actually go to auction with a minimum bid of €9500 (that’s $12,405 USD) each, and the bidding will be going on until Monday night at Midnight ET (Monday at 9 p.m. PT). Although the price is outrageous and not justifiable by most, at least the proceeds from the sale will go to two different charities.
Each of the Retina-equipped tribute MacBook Pro laptops contains the best specifications currently available, including a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, and a 750GB SSD.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and S Pen Tips and Tricks
The Galaxy Note 2 is a wonderful device and even so is also the most prominent smartphone in the Android Market, but what really sets this phone apart is its ability to interact with the S Pen ( or should be call it the S Pen 2? ) Completely redesigned from the bottom up the new S Pen is more ergonomical and precise. Lets look as some of the new things you can do with the new S Pen on your Shiny new Galaxy Note 2.
Pop Up Note.
This feature allows you to enable a Pop Up Note to show up every time you pull the S Pen from the new Galaxy Note 2. This feature Can Be anablet from Settings > S Pen Settings > Enable Pop Up Note
Color Selector in S Note
A new Color Selector dropper tool in the S Note application allows you to choose a custom color that you may pick up from the image you are editing or anywhere on screen. This will allow artists more flexibility with their designing.
Air View
One of the most versatile features of the new S Pen on the new Galaxy Note 2, the Air View feature adds a context menu to the Galaxy Note 2 and performs better than Samsung claims.
Air view adds a lot of new features :
- Scrolling: Just by hovering the Pen over the Top or bottom of Email and Message lists, you can scroll up or down. This feature will work in any app including browsers and music players. Mostly anywhere where scrolling can be enabled.
- Tooltip : Don’t know what a button is for? The Air view tooltip feature gives you a quick introduction to any button or menu item you will hover your S Pen over.
- Quick Preview : The Most useful AirView feature is the new quick preview, hovering the S-Pen over any EMail or SMS received on the new Galaxy Note II will give users a quick preview of what the content of the message is. This feature will also give you a preview of the pictures in a Gallery.
Quick Command
The new interface that lets you perform tasks and open applications with a quick swipe of your S Pen. Holding the button on the S Pen and dragging it an an upward direction opens up a quick command dialogue box. You can now use one of the pre set gestures or create your own, allowing you to open applications, turn on/off services like WiFi, Data, Bluetooth, etc.
Handwriting to Text
The Galaxy Note 2 mixed with the new S Pen has the best Handwriting to Text algorithms available today. It instantly converts the poorest of handwriting styles into crisp text. Although not a lot of people will use this features, but in some cases it may turn out to be much faster than typing.
Pressure Sensitivity
The new S Pen is really pressure sensitive allowing you to create thin or thick lines without actually changing the settings form the the pen menu. while creating strokes, a light touch will create a thin line whereas a thick stroke will create a thick line.
Missing Pen Alert
Once this feature is enabled from the Galaxy Note IIs Pen Settings Menu, the phone will vibrate every time you move 10 ft away from your phones S Pen, reminding you that you have left your S Pen somewhere. This is a feature that will really help those people who lost a lot of S Pens with the original Note.
OLD FEATURES
The Note 2 also retains most features from the original Note, including the slide left to close app gesture and slide right for menu function, among others.
Screenshot and Edit
Hold down on the Pen Button and long tap the screen with the S Pen to click a screenshot. The screenshot will immediately open up in the image editor and allow for editing, annotations and cropping. You can then share the image to various apps and services.
Video Link
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Mercedes-Benz Launches C-Class Sport and E-Class Sport
Mercedes-Benz India today launched a Sport Edition of its flagship sedans the C-Class and the E-Class. The Sport Edition of the C-Class 220 CDI and the E-Class 220 CDI Sport Edition was launched by Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India and Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India.
The C-Class and the E-Class flagships sedans have been Mercedes-Benz India’s highest selling luxury cars in India. The C-Class sedan known for its performance and driving dynamics has sold close to 16,000 units in the Indian market since its introduction. The E-Class sedan that sets benchmark in luxury segment has sold more than 21,000 units till date. The average age of customer in India today is getting more younger & the Sport Edition of the C-Class and E-Class is a tribute to these young, aggressive and trendy emerging new age consumers. The Sport Edition of the C-Class and the E-Class stands distinctively different from any other car in its segment in India, since the dynamic interplay of lines and colors and trims reflect the aggressive driving dynamics of these vehicles.
The Sports editions of the C-Class and the E-Class are priced at Rs 29.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and Rs 39.9 lakh respectively. Both the sedans are powered by the 220CDI four-cylinder diesel engine developing 170bhp and 400Nm of torque; mated to 7G TRONIC automatic transmission.
The C220 CDI Sports edition gets loads of additional features inside, along with the AMG body kit. The interiors get Artico upholstery with Black piano lacquer trim, electric seats, THERMATIC automatic climate control, an Audio 20 with single CD player with USB, Aux in and Bluetooth connectivity. The C 220 CDI also features a Mirror Package.
The AMG styling kit of C220 CDI includes front and rear bumper aprons and side skirts, 17-inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels, black painted roof with a SPORT badge, halogen lamp and is available in Polar White colour.
The basic body kit remains the same on the E220 CDi as well, but the alloy-wheels are bigger – five-spoke 18-inch rims. The E-Class Sport also gets LED Day time lights and Direct Control Suspension; it is also available in the Polar White colour.
The features on the E220 are similar to that of the C220; however it gets burr walnut wood trim. Both cars have host of safety features including PRE – SAFE, NECK Pro, Attention Assist, tire pressure loss warning system, 6 Airbags, Antilock Braking System, Brake Assist, and Electronic Stability Programme with Acceleration Skid Control (ASR).
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Xperia S Tablet Sales Put On Hold Due To Water Resistance Defect
Sony Corp said it has halted sales of its Xperia tablet PCs, a month after its launch, after discovering gaps between the screen and the case that make some of the machines susceptible to water damage.
The problem with the tablet, which is supposed to be water resistant, is the result of a manufacturing flaw at the Chinese plant where it is fabricated, said Sony spokeswoman Noriko Shoji. Sony has not yet decided when it will resume sales, she added.
Sony began selling its latest Android tablet on September 7 in the United States followed by launches in Japan, Europe and elsewhere. So far it has shipped around 100,000 of the devices. The company said it will fix any of the tablets sold and expects the cost of the recall to have no significant impact on earnings.
The tablet joins a crowded market for tablets that is still dominated by Apple Inc’s iPad. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, with its rival Android machine, leads the pack of Apple challengers. -
Samsung expects a operating profit of US $ 7.28 Billion this Quarter
Samsung has let the details out ahead of its earnings call for Q3 results. It’s expecting a fourth straight record quarter with overall operating profits of 8.1 trillion won ($7.28 billion), Almost double of what the company made at the same time last year.
Earnings at the mobile-phone business surged 93 percent in the quarter with the May debut of the Galaxy S III and the Note, according to a Bloomberg News survey of six analysts, helping mask a slump in profit from selling computer-memory chips. TV sales also helped Asia’s biggest consumer-electronicscompany, which lost a California patent trial in August to rival and key customer Apple.
[quote]“Smartphone sales were very solid,” Kim Young Chan, a Seoul-based analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., said by phone today. “Smartphone shipments have increased significantly, easing concerns about marketing spending eating into profit.”[/quote]
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Samsung Electronics Announces Earnings Guidance for Third Quarter 2012
Consolidated revenues estimated at 52 trillion Korean won
Operating profit at 8.1 trillion wonSEOUL, Korea – October 5, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its earnings guidance for the third quarter, 2012.
Consolidated Sales : Approximately 52 trillion Korean won
(Range: 51 – 53 trillion Korean won)Consolidated Operating Profit : Approximately 8.1 trillion Won
(Range: 7.9 – 8.3 trillion Korean won)The above figures are consolidated earnings estimates based on K-IFRS
? ’12 2Q and ’11 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows
(in trillion won)
’12 .2Q
‘11.3Q
Sales
47.60
41.27
Operating profit
6.72
4.25Disclosure regulations in South Korea do not allow earnings guidance to be provided as a range, therefore the official disclosure was made based on the median value as stated above.
The guidance is provided ahead of the full announcement of quarterly earnings results for the convenience of investors and media, before our external audit on the financial results of our headquarters, subsidiaries and affiliates is completed. Therefore, the above estimate may differ from the actual results.
The full earnings for the third quarter will be disclosed following the Board of Directors’ approval of the financial statements and quarterly reports.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
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Asus PadFone 2 Specs leak again, hinting massive overhaul, Launch on 16th Oct
The Asus Padfone came and went faster than we could say hello, but its successor may stay on. The revision includes a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch display with a 1280 x 720 resolution, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 2,140mAh battery.The Padfone will operate GSM 1900/850 MHz, WCDMA 2100 MHz and comes with NFC. But, these specs are no different from the box specs that leaked out in the past. Image below.
The company will announce the Hybrid on 16th October in Milan.
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Windows 8 Tablets will reach the US in December
While India awaits, The US will get two Windows 8 tablets from ASUS and Samsung, namely the VivoTab RT and ATIV Smart PC, this holiday season.
The VivoTab RT from ASUS is equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor,Windows RT, 4G LTE connectivity, 32GB of internal storage and features a 10.1-inch Super IPS display with ASUS TruVivid technology for a better viewing experience.
Samsung’s 11.6-inch HD ATIV Smart PC includes a dual-core Intel Clover Trail processor clocked at 1.5GHz, Windows 8, 64GB of internal storage and can be connected to a detachable keyboard dock. As an added bonus, the VivoTab RT comes preloaded with Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview Edition, while the ATIV Smart PC includes a trial of Office 2013.
The two tablets will be launched on the At&t network in the US during the holiday season. India is expected to play host to all Windows 8 Tablets early next year.
