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Samsung Officially Launches Leather Wrapped Chromebook 2, Starts at $320

Samsung already has a Chromebook which was available sometime back at a price of $249. Samsung, has now launched the its successor, the new leather wrapped Chromebook 2, which is available in two variants, 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch and runs on Chrome Operating Systems.

Samsung was rumored to launch these new fake leather stitched Chromebook and now the company has officially launched these new Chromebooks.

The 13.3 inch display model comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 , which is powered by the Samsung’s latest Exynos 5 Octa processor. This Chromebook is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Samsung claims 8.5 hours of battery life which seems great, this variant is priced at $400. On the other hand, the 11.6 inch display model has a resolution of 1366 x 768, and has a slightly slower processor, and eight hours of battery. But it keeps everything else the same, but this is priced at $320.

March 4, 2014
Oppo’s Find 7 Will Have 50 MP Camera?

The Oppo Find 7 will be announced at a press event which takes place in Beijing on the 19th of March, and now a photo has appeared online which was apparently taken with the camera on the handset. An image sample implies an astonishing 50-megapixel rear camera for the Oppo Find 7, news that should make a few heads turn!

It’s difficult to judge the quality from one image alone, but this prospect is likely to excite plenty of potential buyers. We also wonder whether Oppo will provide an oversampling option, similar to that offered by Nokia’s PureView technology.

At this point, we know that the OPPO Find 7 will be available in two hardware versions. Both will be based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 solution. One will give a screen with a diagonal of 5? Full HD, while the second will make the jump to the diagonal of 5.5″ and resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels.

If the OPPO manufacturer is not playing with our patience and will not encounter other technological difficulties, Find 7 will be the first mobile phone with 2K screen, which says much about the ambitions of the new wave of Chinese manufacturers.

Other specifications on the Oppo Find 7 will include 16GB of built in storage plus 3GB of RAM, the device is expected to come with Android 4.4 KitKat.

Over to the event in Beijing!

[Via]

March 3, 2014
Karbonn To Launch World’s First Android, Windows Phone Dual Boot Handset

Dual-OS phones running Windows Phone and Android are six months away from launch, according to the chairperson of Karbonn, which has apparently signed a deal with Microsoft to produce them.

It is reported that the dual-OS smartphones will be out by June and will target office-going professionals and ‘techies.’

“Microsoft has eased the regulations and is opening up its platform for other players. We signed the agreement two days ago and will launch a range of Windows phones in about three months” – Karbonn CEO Sudhir Hasija

Price is still a mystery and so are the specs; we can only hope this Karbonn will be a high-end device with Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip. While it may seem a bit surprising that Microsoft would agree to share space on a handset, Microsoft has been taking steps to make it easier for manufacturers to install their software. That includes support for Qualcomm’s Android reference designs which would allow a phone maker to use the same hardware for Android or Windows Phone devices.

Reports surfaced recently that it had asked HTC to combine Windows Phone and Android on one device as well.

March 3, 2014
Apple Rolls Out CarPlay, Allows More Fun Use of iPhone in the Car

Apple has officially announced CarPlay, which is a new in car interface that will be compatible with Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo cars.

CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”

Once iPhone is connected to a vehicle with CarPlay integration, Siri easily access your contacts, make calls, return missed calls or listen to voicemails. When incoming messages or notifications arrive, Siri provides an experience by responding to requests through voice commands, by reading drivers’ messages and letting them dictate responses or simply make a call.

Users can easily control CarPlay from the car’s native interface or just push- and-hold the voice control button on the steering wheel to activate Siri. Vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week, while additional auto manufacturers bringing CarPlay to their drivers down the road include BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota Motor Corp.

[Apple]

March 3, 2014
Samsung is Rumored to Launch a New Leather Wrapped Chromebook

After the launch of its flagship Galaxy S5, Samsung is also focusing on other products. Started from the Galaxy Note 3, the leather like back panel is adopted by the Galaxy Grand 2, and now it seems that Samsung is planning to launch other devices with the same approach.

As per Evleaks, Samsung will launch a Google Chromebook wrapped with the leather like plastic coating that the company loves so much these days. Not much information is available on this, but if rumors are to be believed, we can expect a Samsung Chromebook with leather like coat really soon.

March 3, 2014
Nokia X Gets Hacked To Run Google apps

The recently launched Nokia X, the Android powered device that is intended to promote Microsoft’s services via Android, has been hacked to run Google’s services instead. Basically, you will now be able to run any Google Mobile Services – PlayStore, Gmail, Maps, Notes, etc, on the device.

The forked version of Android will not include Play Store or any Google App, like Chrome, Maps etc, however, it can still manage to run the Android applications you want. These X smartphones from Nokia will instead include, Skype, Here maps, Outlook and more services.

The first thing to remember about running Android is that any attempt to release a feature or app exclusively for one device family will only result in the hack/mod-minded Android community extracting and sharing said treasure with those running other Android-based devices.

The hack is pretty simple and we could see a good number of Nokia X models running Google services in the future. A developer named KashaMalaga, by using the popular rooting application, FramaRoot, which lets you avail admin privileges in just one-click, found a quick way to bypass the Nokia X’s bootloader and make it fit for installing a modified version of the operating system (custom ROM).

[Via]

March 1, 2014
Google Now Shows Restaurants Menu Through Cards, Works Only in US For Now

Looking up for a restaurant near by ? Google can now help you when you are starving and want a good place to treat your taste buds.

Google has included new cards on Google Now, which allow users to search menu’s of their favorite restaurants or any place nearby. It will not only show menu’s but will also divide it and show breakfast, lunch and dinner separately. Furthermore, these new Google cards will also show prices of the food items, which will help users to plan a pocket friendly meal. However, this feature is only available in the United States but should be available for other markets soon.

Google Now accepts various commands now, like make phone calls, Get directions, send messages, set reminders, it can answer many of your questions, schedule meetings, play music and movies, set alarms and even open up applications in the smartphones. Having said that, don’t be surprised if you get a Google Now card suggesting you to eat at your favorite restaurant.

[Google]

March 1, 2014
FIFA 2014 Now Available On Windows Phone Store

One of the latest football games is now available for download in the Windows Phone Store. FIFA 14, was available on Android and iOS devices since a long time, and is now available for Windows devices as well.

FIFA 2014 on Windows store free of cost, with EA hoping to bring in revenue by way of in-app purchases, which includes Ultimate Team points or even for the unlocking of additional game modes. The game not only includes currency that lets you spend cash to save time, but there are three modes (Manager, Tournament, and Kick Off) that are only available after a paid upgrade.

FIFA 2014 features 33 leagues, more than 600 licensed teams and more than 16,000 players, from the English Premier League and La Liga to the German Bundesliga and more. You can even listen to commentary in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

[Windows Store]

March 1, 2014
Report : Microsoft Developing Free Windows 8.1 Operating System

Sources close to Microsoft have reported this week that the company is currently developing and experimenting with a new free version of its Windows 8.1 operating system.

Bing, which will be at the center of the low-cost operating system, is already growing as a platform and Microsoft hopes that will continue into the future.

While early versions of the software have leaked online, we understand that Windows 8.1 with Bing is an experimental project that aims to bring a low-cost version of Windows to consumers.

Considering that the company has already cut licensing fees by as much as 70%, Microsoft is already looking to make Windows 8.1 a low-cost OS for manufacturers interested in using the platform.

More details of a low-cost Windows 8.1 operating system as well as the merging of Windows RT and Windows Phone are expected to be made available by Microsoft during their Build conference later this year.

[Via]

February 28, 2014
Micromax Funbook Ultra HD P580 With 7.8″ HD Display Available For 11,990 INR

Micromax has silently added a new 3G enabled tablet in its vast range of products. The Funbook Ultra HD P580, is now available at an e-commerce website for 11,990 INR.

The new Funbook Ultra HD sports a 7.8 inch IPS HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. This tablet is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor which is coupled with a 1 GB of RAM. The Funbook Ultra is packed with a 8 GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable upto 32 GB via MicroSD card.

Furthermore, this device is equipped with 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front facing camera, which can be used for video calls as this device comes with voice calling as well as 3G. The Micromax Funbook Ultra HD P580 tablet runs on a 3600 mAh battery, and runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

[Via]

February 28, 2014
Boeing Black Announced : A Tamper Proof Smartphone

Boeing Co. on Wednesday unveiled a smartphone that appears to come straight from a James Bond spy movie.

The long-rumoured “Black” Android spy smartphone, which has the ability to self-destruct if tampered with, will soon be a reality, according to a patent filed by the aerospace and defence contractor.

“Boeing’s Black phone will be sold primarily to government agencies and companies engaged in contractual activities with those agencies that are related to defense and homeland security,” the filing states. “The device will be marketed and sold in a manner such that low level technical and operational information about the product will not be provided to the general public.”

The Android device has a 4.3-inch diagonal screen, dual 1.2 gigahertz ARM Cortext APU processors and weighs 170 grams. It includes hardware-level security modules and “configurable inhibit controls” to protect the device, its data and transmitted information. The phone also has modular design and expansion port that lets customers add additional sensors or enhancements, such as satellite connectivity or expanded power capacity.

Due to the phone’s security features, Boeing is releasing few details about the wireless network operators or manufacturer it is working with, and has not provided a price or date by which the phone might be widely available, but said it has begun offering the phone to potential customers.

February 27, 2014
Apple Details iPhone 5s Touch ID Scanner

Apple has updated its iOS Security document to include intricate, detailed information pertaining to the Touch ID sensor that is found on the iPhone 5s.

Apple reiterates that Touch ID and its Secure Enclave store only data from scanned fingerprints, rather than actual images. Using a secure boot process, the Enclave – a coprocessor inside of Apple’s A7 processor – verifies and signs information independently of other iOS hardware and software.

All Secure Enclaves can function independently even if a kernel is compromised and each one contains a unique ID inaccessible to other parts of the system and unknown to Apple, preventing the company or any other third parties from accessing data contained within.

“Each Secure Enclave is provisioned during fabrication with its own UID (Unique ID) that is not accessible to other parts of the system and is not known to Apple. When the device starts up, an ephemeral key is created, tangled with its UID, and used to encrypt the Secure Enclave’s portion of the device’s memory space,” the document said.

“Additionally, data that is saved to the file system by the Secure Enclave is encrypted with a key tangled with the UID and an anti-replay counter.”

And while the A7 processor deals with data from Touch ID, this information is encrypted by the scanner, making it unreadable to the rest of the phone. Only Secure Enclave can authenticate the data.

“It’s encrypted and authenticated with a session key that is negotiated using the device’s shared key that is built into the Touch ID sensor and the Secure Enclave,” the document reads. “The session key exchange uses AES key wrapping with both sides providing a random key that establishes the session key and uses AES-CCM transport encryption.”

Apple has also spelt out that it has strict no-third party app rule when it comes to TouchID data. “Touch ID authentication and the data associated with the enrolled fingerprints are not available to other apps or third parties,” reads the document.

February 27, 2014
Google’s Project Ara Conference Announced

Google today revealed the first details of its Ara Developers’ Conference, a series of events that’ll focus on getting devs up to speed on the current and upcoming features of Project Ara. A new follow-up profile by TIME indicates we could see the device come to market by next year, with a $50 price tag to start.

That MDK should be released in early April, Google says, as a free and open platform specification, along with a reference implementation that will help would-be Ara module developers to create their own piece.

The event will take place in Mountain View, California, and will be streamed online to the whole world. In fact, Google claims that Project Ara is designed for 6 billion people. This indicates that Android maker may be working on a highly affordable modular phone for the masses.

Project Ara began as a project in the Motorola Mobility skunkworks, but after the news that Lenovo would buy the smartphone company, Google confirmed that it would be keeping the Ara team.

Headed under the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) division, the platform is meant to be a single hub onto which the user can place their own hardware. This means CPUs, cameras, sensors, screens, baseband, modems, connectivity, storage – the whole gamut.

February 27, 2014
Report: Samsung Galaxy S5 is Said to be Cheaper than its Competition

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy S5 at the Mobile World Congress 2014. While, the company has unveiled the device and all of its features, the price of the Galaxy S5 still remains unsaid.

However, putting some light on how well priced the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be, the Korean Media has reported that the device will be priced lower than its competition(Sony Xperia Z2). Samsung will partner with various carrier providers internationally and that might include India as well, this can be true after considering what happened with iPhone 5s.

Meanwhile, considering other rumors the Galaxy S5 is also said to be priced cheaper than the launch price of the Galaxy S4. Which means cheaper than 41,500 INR and this definitely, does not sound realistic. The official details should not be away, as this device will be launched on 11th April in 150 countries.

If you have not, check out our Hands-On video and benchmark video below:

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5_tzwTNXU4″]

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJehUF6JeUM”]

[Via]

February 27, 2014
Micromax Canvas Blaze HD Listed Online

Micromax is said to be working on the Canvas Knight, which will be the new flagship device for the company. However, working on the launch of the flagship device does not stop the company to showcase their mid-range smartphones.

Micromax has listed two new smartphones on its official website, Canvas Blaze HD and Canvas Duet II. The Blaze HD EG 116 is the successor to the Canvas Blaze which was launched in December last year.

This device sports a 5 inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. Micromax Canvas Blaze HD is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor coupled with a 1 GB of RAM. Furthermore, the device is equipped with 4 GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded up to 32 GB via microSD card. The device sports an 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front-facing camera. It is packed with a 2000 mAh battery, and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Just like its predecessor, this device will also come with MTS partnership, as the company’s logo is embedded at the back of the device.

[Micromax]

February 27, 2014