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Rumor : HTC To Unveil 3 Windows Phone 8 Smartphones In September

According to the latest rumors, HTC is set to unveil three new Windows Phone 8 devices in October, the Zenith, Accord and Rio. To date there hasn’t been any images of these devices surface online, but new details have potentially risen this morning. According to WPDang, HTC will beholding a media event in both New York and London sometime during the third week of September (17th – 24th) to announce their upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices.

The Zenith, Accord and Rio all come with various specs, but the flagship Zenith will be the star player and have a quad-core processor, 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display (300ppi), and an 8MP camera. It is rumored to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.

The HTC Accord appears to sit in the middle of the range and is rumoured to have a 4.3 inch touch-screen, dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It’ll also have a 5 mega-pixel and support for both NFC and 3G.

Sitting at the bottom of the range is the HTC Rio which will be an affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone. It’s specification is rumoured to include a 4 inch touch-screen, dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5 mega-pixel camera.

August 12, 2012
Sony Xperia Tablet Images and Specification Leaked

The IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany seems to be the ground center for several new devices that run on Google’s Android mobile operating system. Samsung is probably one of the most-discussed companies that are expected to launch new smartphones at the event, but Sony doesn’t fall too far behind.

If rumors are anything to go by, the Japanese electronics giant has three smartphones and one tablet lined up for this event.

This Xperia-branded tablet has earlier leaked via a set of slides, which detailed some very attractive specifications. A 9.4-inch 1280 x 800 screen can be seen up front, while a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset provides the power. It boasts an 8-megapixel and a 1-megapixel camera, a 6,000mAh battery that promises up to 10 hours of endurance, and wireless connectivity options that include 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi. Models with 16, 32 and 64GB of internal storage will be available.

Ice Cream Sandwich should be the most likely operating system of the device, but the presentation leaves open the possibility of some Jelly Bean action going on. The slides also include one with pricing details for the tablets themselves as well as the planned accessories. The base price for the entry-level 16GB unit falls at $450, while the larger options tack on $100 or $200 on top.

Photos of the upcoming device also reveal an evolutionary shift from the current Sony Tablet S, which de-emphasizes the latter’s wedge shape, while keeping its folded paper-like styling cues.

August 12, 2012
Google changes its search formula to address piracy

Google says it will introduce changes to its search engine that will discourage piracy by placing legitimate copyrighted content higher in online queries.

The change was viewed as a concession to movie studios, music labels and television companies that have tried to lobby, cajole and, in some cases, sue Google into helping them shut down online piracy.

This week, the company will begin using algorithms that push potentially pirated material to a lower position in search results, it said in a blog posting on its website.

Entertainment companies have urged Google for years to make pirated content harder to find. The new system will use ”removal notices”, or complaints from entertainment companies, that a website has received in ranking search results, Amit Singhal, the senior vice-president for engineering, said. Hollywood applauded the move.

”We are optimistic that Google’s actions will help steer consumers to the myriad legitimate ways for them to access movies and TV shows online,” Michael O’Leary, a senior executive vice-president at the Motion Picture Association of America, said.

Lower rankings do not represent a conclusion that copyright has been violated, Mr Singhal wrote. The company received 4.3 million copyright removal notices in the past 30 days, he said.

August 11, 2012
RIM looks to sell NewBay, other assets

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is looking to sell cloud services provider NewBay and some of the other minor assets it recently acquired, as part of a strategic review process, according to a source familiar with the matter.

RIM acquired NewBay, a provider of photo, video, and social-networking tools for smartphones and computers, in October 2011 for reportedly around $100 million, as it sought to roll out a new strategy to stem its steady decline.

RIM declined to comment on the sale report.

RIM, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is a pioneer in the smartphone industry, but has struggled over the last couple of years, as its aging line-up of BlackBerry smartphones have not been able to compete against more-advanced devices like Apple Inc’s iPhone and a slew of other devices based on Google Inc’s Android software.

The acquisition of NewBay in Dublin, Ireland, was a huge part of the former RIM leadership’s plan to alter its course and boost service revenue by having carriers use its services for messaging, content delivery and analytics on all smartphones.

When RIM bought it in late 2011, NewBay had over 80 million subscribers. NewBay stores media on its own servers and delivers it to any Internet-connected device, including mobile phones, personal computers and tablets.

But in the face of mounting pressure RIM’s Co-Chief Executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie resigned early this year. RIM’s new CEO Thorsten Heins has begun a strategic review process within the company and is focused on delivering a new line-up of devices that run on RIM’s new BB10 operating system, in the first-quarter of 2013.

Since taking the reins early in 2012, Heins has retained RBC Capital Markets and JPMorgan to explore options for RIM.

Its share price has fallen more than 60 percent over the course of the last year, as RIM has continued to hemorrhage market share to the likes of nimbler competitors like Apple and Samsung Electronics Co.

RIM’s shares closed more than 6 percent higher at $8.29 on Friday on the Nasdaq, after Bloomberg reported that tech giant International Business Machines Corp had at one point considered buying RIM’s enterprise division.

Source : Reuters

August 11, 2012
Sony Xperia ion Hands on with Video and Images
Sony has launched their new Smartphone the Xperia ion in India for a price of Rs 35,999. The smartphone currently runs on Android 4.0 ICS and should easily get an Update for Jelly Bean later this year, although the company is mum on the situation.

Sony Xperia ion Key Specifications
- Display: 4.6”, 1280 x 720 pixels 16M color TFT
- RAM: 1GB
- Internal phone storage: 13.2GB (up to 12.9GB user-accessible memory)
- microSD: up to 32GB
- Camera: 12.1 megapixel camera with auto focus, 16x digital zoom, photo light
- 1.3 MP front camera, 720p video
- Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 1.5 GHz Dual Core with Adreno 220 GPU
- Wi-Fi, DLNA and NFC.
- Price Rs. 36,999
Images

Video

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Introducing Sony Mobile’s New HD Powerhouse – XperiaTM ion!

Now retailing: XperiaTM ion – premium smartphone brings everything in HD experience to a 4.6” (11.7cm) screen; also available at select online stores
Airtel mobile customers who buy the new smartphone will enjoy 500MB of free 3G data per month for 3 months; and 200 minutes of Mobile TV for a period of 2 months

Pick and choose from a wide range of Sony Mobile devices and accessories, including XperiaTM go, neo L, and the Smartwatch, already available in the market

Mumbai, August 21, 2012| Sony Mobile Communications has announced the launch of XperiaTM ion in India. This launch comes soon after the brand brought its line of mid- range XperiaTM smartphones – Neo L and Go to India last month. While XperiaTM neo L and Go are already available, users can get hold the XperiaTM ion starting today. Available in retail stores across India, the all new smartphone comes with an exciting offer for Airtel mobile customers.

Highlighting the Xperia ion proposition, Prasun Kumar, Marketing Head, Sony Mobile Communications said “With XperiaTM ion, we’re bringing together a seamless experience across the multiple screens that we use to play, watch, listen, and share. XperiaTM ion is the gateway to HD entertainment when and – most importantly – where you want it. We are glad to see overwhelming customer response for our XperiaTM range and we thank them for supporting us unconditionally on this successful journey in India. We strongly believe that the consumer will like the XperiaTM ion’s HD entertainment experience which has exclusive Airtel data offer to enhance the smartphone experience.”

Upon buying a new XperiaTM ion, Airtel mobile customers will get 500MB of free 3G data per month for 3 months as well as 200 minutes of Mobile TV for a period of 2 months.

This premium Android smartphone brings everything in HD experience to a 4.6” (11.7cm) screen. The new smartphone boasts some impressive specs and hardware. The Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine allows crisp images, without any jagged edges. With reduced light reflection, the picture stays clear at outdoors too. This wi-fi smartphone even lets users wirelessly share their memories on the choice of HD screen.

The recently launched XperiaTM Go is a rugged, dustproof and waterproof device. This smartphone comes with ‘wet finger tracking’ technology making itself a loud and powerful impression for adventurers and sporty consumers. The Xperia TM Neo L, latest entrant to the existing Sony Xperia Neo series of smartphone and comes with extended gaming capabilities. With 4 inch (10.2cm) display the device looks bigger and the sleek look is exclusive to the neo series of Android based smartphones.

And just when you thought it’s over, the Sony Smartwatch manages to impress! This Android watch features an easy-to-use, ultra-responsive touch display, and allows users to check their social network updates, read SMSes, check calendar, and answer/reject/mute calls. Consumers can also download compatible applications on Google Play, making the Android compatible gadget personal to each user!

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August 11, 2012
Red claims Dragon is ‘Single most Significant Sensor in the History of Image Capture’

Red Camera’s CEO, Jim Jannard claims that the company’s new camera sensor are going to be the most extreme thing that has happened to the movie industry in a long time. While the company calls this camera the new resolution and dynamic range king. It is also touted as the cleanest sensor you have ever seen, ISO 2000 looks better than MX at ISO 800.

The company showed off its sensor at NAB touting 15+ stops of DR and 120fps at a full 5K of resolution, with $6,000 upgrades for Epic customers coming at the end of the year. Dont worry if you own their new $9,700 (brain only) Scarlet-X, which is also set to get the Dragon Sensor.

[Reduser Forum]

August 11, 2012
Olympics Day 14 Google Doodle : Be the next Schmeichel, Penalty Shootouts! !

Yet another enthralling Google Doodle! This time, you get the chance to be the next Peter Schmeichel! Save shots from a notoriously obese player as he starts off slow but somehow manages to fire bullets as the game goes on! I managed a score of 39 (Beat That!) and have been trying better that ever since! Go check it out now and post your score below!

August 10, 2012
HTC One X Android 4.0.4 update rolling out

The international version of the HTC One X will be getting its Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich update today, the same update that began rolling out for the AT&T version of the device just a short time ago.

HTC has announced, courtesy of Engadget, that the HTC One X’s Android 4.0.4 update will begin to roll out today and that it will be bringing a number of enhancements along with it.

Owners of the international HTC One X will now be able to map a menu function to the ‘recent app’ key in the lower right hand corner of the device. This will improve presentation in applications that currently do not support Ice Cream Sandwich. So obviously, this makes the button more useful than it already was.

The update will also new abilities to the device’s camera including white balance and continuous autofocus, both of which will be welcomed improvements.

HTC has also included a dedicated tab switching button in the browser to make it easier for owners to switch between tabs in the browser.

The update for the HTC One X will also bring better overall browsing, more stability to the device, and more. So, it’s a pretty substantial update and one that users will want to take advantage of as soon as they possibly can.

Of course, the update is not Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google’s latest piece of mobile software that is all the rage right now in the Android world.

HTC has promised Android 4.1 for the HTC One XL, HTC One X, and the HTC One S at some point down the road but first, it needs to take care of some devices that are still limping their way to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

August 10, 2012
Bharti Airtel crosses 200 Million customers in India

Bharti Airtel has crossed 200 million customers in India. The 200 million customers include Airtel 2G, 3G, 4G, fixed line. DSL broadband. IPTV and DTH customers. Airtel started operations in India in 1995 and 2009 after 14 years it managed to reach the 100 million customer mark. Three years post the 100 Million mark Airtel has crossed 200 Million.

Airtel became the first Indian telecom operator in India to start 4G operations. With infrastructure of basic networks still struggling, Airtel still remains as the preferred service provider.

187.3 million are mobile customers which makes Bharti Airtel the largest wireless operator in India. Additionally, Airtel has 5.1 million active 3G customers of which 3.7 million are active 3G data customers.

August 10, 2012
FTC hits Google with $22.5 million fine for Safari tracking

Google Inc. has agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for misleading users about its tracking activities on Apple Inc.’s Safari browser, the regulatory agency said.

The penalty is the largest-ever FTC penalty for violating a commission order. It comes amid mounting privacy concerns related to the vast amount of information collected by technology companies through browsers, websites, social media and cell phones.

A representative from Google was not immediately available for comment.

For several months in 2011 and 2012, the FTC charged, Google placed advertising tracking cookies on the computers of Safari users who visited sites within Google’s DoubleClick advertising network, though the company had previously told users that they would automatically opt out of this tracking through the browser’s default settings.

Safari is the browser installed on Apple’s Macs, iPhones and iPads.

Google also represented itself as a member of the Network Advertising Initiative, an industry group that requires members to adhere to a code of conduct, which includes disclosing data collection and use.

Google generates a large chunk of its revenue from selling online advertising services, including the delivery of targeted ads online. By placing tracking cookies on a user’s computer, it can collect information about that person’s web-browsing activities, and use that information to send online ads targeted to the user’s interests.

Along with the penalty, Google has agreed to disable all the tracking cookies it said it would not place on users’ computers, the regulator said.

The FTC charged that Google’s actions violated an October 2011 settlement, which barred Google from misrepresenting the extent of control that customers have over the collection of their information. The earlier settlement dated back to FTC’s charges that Google had used deceptive practices and violated its primacy promises when it launched its social network Google Buzz.

August 10, 2012
BREAKING : Micromax A84 Superfone Elite Leaked on Micromax’s Site

An Upcoming Superfone the A84 Elite has suddenly popped up on Micromax’s official website. Although, you need to do a bit of digging like iGyaan.

The phone features 1GHZ processor. 5MP LED Flash Camera. 10.1CMS WVGA Screen. Bluetooth 2.1. GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity. Motion Sensor. Expandable memory up to 32GB. A Large A80 style Battery and Android 2.3.6.

We will try and get pricing info for you guys asap.

Check out the images below or hit the source to check out the phone on Micromax’s website.

Source: Micromaxinfo.com

August 10, 2012
Nokia Launches Dual Sim Asha 305 and Asha 311 Phones in India – Hands On Video (PR)
Nokia has today launched their new range of “Budget Smartphones” in India. The Asha 305 and Asha 311 are what nokia calls the consumers smartphone, where smartness lies in their capabilty of delivering value to the consumer.

Karun Chandhok, Formula One Driver, was present to launch the devices along side Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India.

[quote]The latest Nokia Asha devices were launched by India’s ace racer, Karun Chandhok. “I spend most of my time on the road and this is a great device for me to stay connected with my friends and loved ones. Being a gaming enthusiast, I am impressed by the EA Games package on these devices. With these devices, Nokia again has launched a winner true to its legacy,” said Karun Chandhok.[/quote]

[quote]The Nokia Asha family has received tremendous consumer response. With a variety of form factors across price points and innovations such as Nokia Browser, Nokia Maps and DRM free Nokia Music, Nokia Asha family has triggered data consumption habits in first time data users. With the launch of Nokia Asha Touch range, we are strengthening our range of ‘mobile internet’ devices that offer these exciting experiences to the consumers, said Mr. Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India[/quote]

The most prominent feature for these touch screen dual sim phones is probably the internet connectivity boasted by the new Nokia Cloud browsers that will deliver compressed data (compressed on Nokia servers) by upto 85 %, to deliver a faster and cheaper internet experience.

Nokia’s new tie up with EA Sports offers 40 free games to download and keep forever, although these games are Java versions of their popular counterparts. Nokia is also touting Maps, Nokia Music and Nokia Apps as a prominent feature in these phones.

The Phones at a Glance.

Nokia Asha 305
- 3” WQVGA resistive touch screen
- Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity
- 2MP camera
- Available in Dark Grey, Red, mid blue and a silver white variant.
- Price Rs. 5029/-
Nokia Asha 311
- 3 inch Capacitive Touchscreen
- Gorilla Glass
- 3.2MP camera
- Nokia Maps
- 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds
- Rose Red and Dark Grey and Sand White Color
- Price Rs. 7139
August 9, 2012
Google Tests Showing Gmail Messages in Search Results

Google is creating an information bridge between its influential Internet search engine and its widely used Gmail service in its latest attempt to deliver more personal responses more quickly.

The experimental feature unveiled Wednesday will enable Google’s search engine to mine the correspondence stored within a user’s Gmail account for any data tied to a search request. For example, a query containing the word “Amazon” would pull emails with shipping information sent by the online retailer.

Such Gmail results will typically be shown to the right of the main results, though in some instances, the top of the search page will highlight an answer extracted directly from an email. For example, the request “my flight” will show specific airline information imported from Gmail. Something similar could eventually happen when searching for a restaurant reservation or tickets to a concert.

Although Google has a commanding lead in Internet search, it remains worried about the threat posed by social networking services such as Facebook Inc. As social networks have made it easier to share information online, the Web is starting to revolve more around people than the keywords and links that Google’s search engine.

Google has been trying to adapt by building more personal services and plugging them into its search engine.

Blending email information into general search results could raise privacy worries. Google is trying to mitigate that by showing Gmail results in a collapsed format that users must open to see the details. For now, users must sign up to participate.

Google Inc. ran into trouble over privacy in 2010 when it tapped the personal contact information within Gmail accounts to build a social networking service called Buzz. Google set up Buzz in a way that caused many users to inadvertently expose personal data from Gmail. An uproar culminated in a Federal Trade Commission settlement requiring the company to improve its privacy controls and undergo audits for 20 years.

Google is treading carefully as it hooks Gmail up to its Internet search engine. The new feature initially will be available to 1 million Gmail users who sign up at HTTP://G.CO/SEARCHTRIAL . That’s a small fraction of the more than 425 million Gmail accounts that have been set up since Google launched its free email service eight years ago to compete against the offerings from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

After getting feedback from the test participants, Google hopes to give all Gmail users the option of plugging their accounts into the main search engine, according to Amit Singhal, a senior vice president for the company.

Singhal said Google is also willing to display information from other email service in its main search results. The gesture could avoid spurring additional complaints about Google abusing its position as the Internet’s search leader to favor its other services. That issue is the focal point of an antitrust investigation by antitrust regulators in the U.S. and Europe.

Microsoft said it has no plans to make information in its competing Web mail service available to Google’s search engine. Yahoo, which operates another Gmail rival, had no comment.

August 9, 2012
Google says voice is the future of web search, introduces Siri-like app for iOS

Google Inc showed off enhancements to its voice-based search technology for Apple Inc’s iPhone and said it was testing a new service that will combine its Web-based email with its search engine.

The new version of Google’s search app for the iPhone and iPad, expected to be available within a few days, will let users find information about everything from the weather to nearby movie showings by speaking into the devices, matching some of the capabilities offered by Apple’s own Siri technology.

Google’s new app recites answers to search results in a human sounding voice, similar to Apple’s Siri, which some analysts and technology observers believe could make iPhone users less reliant on Google’s search service.

The news comes as the relationship between the two companies grows increasingly competitive. On Monday Apple said it would no longer offer Google’s YouTube app as a pre-loaded app in future versions of its iPhone.

Google, which unveiled a version of the voice-based search app for its Android software earlier this year, showcased the version for Apple devices at a press event at its San Francisco offices on Wednesday.

The company also announced a test version of a new service that will integrate users’ personal emails into searches on the Google website. The service, which Google said will initially be available to 1 million users, aims to make it easier for consumers to access information such as flight schedules or shipping orders.

A truly universal search will “have all the information that humanity has put on the Web and information that’s your information,” Amit Singhal, senior vice president of Google Search.

The initial “field trial” will work with Google’s Gmail, but Singhal said the company was open to working with other email providers.

Source : Reuters

August 9, 2012
India ranks No.2 in Google search queries for education

India ranked second in the number of education queries on Google, the search engine major said today.

India was ranked 8th in 2008, and is now behind only to the US, reveals a study titled ‘Students on the web’ compiled by Google India. The study was compiled by combining Google search query patterns and an offline research conducted by TNS Australia on behalf of Google India

[quote]“With over 60 million Internet user population in India being in age group of 18-35, educational related search queries are exploding on Google. Our core objective behind compiling this study was to understand the impact Internet is having on this young population with regard to education related decision making by the students,” Google India Vice President and Managing Director Rajan Anandan said.[/quote]

Education related queries on Google in India are growing at over 46 per cent year on year that highlights strong demand for information on institutes and courses that are available in the country.

Out of all education related search queries on Google, over 40 per cent of queries were for higher education courses and institutes.

Search queries from mobile phones have considerably grown showing a growth of over 135 per cent and amounting to over 22 per cent of all education related search queries.

August 8, 2012