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Microsoft Issues Apology And Explaination For Outlook Outage

During this week, Outlook.com suffered from an outage causing users to not be able to read their emails nor could they retrieve their files stored on Microsoft’s SkyDrive service. Today, Microsoft has offered an apology and an explanation on why this outage happened.

The company posted a message on its service status page to describe the problems, explaining that it was all just a glitch caused by a caching service.

Here’s the full message posted by Microsoft on the recent Outlook.com outage:

“This incident was a result of a failure in a caching service that interfaces with devices using Exchange ActiveSync, including most smart phones. The failure caused these devices to receive an error and continuously try to connect to our service.

This resulted in a flood of traffic that our services did not handle properly, with the effect that some customers were unable to access their Outlook.com email and unable to share their SkyDrive files via email.

In order to stabilize the overall email service, we temporarily blocked access via Exchange ActiveSync. This allowed us to restore access to Outlook.com via the web and restore the sharing features of SkyDrive. These parts of the service were fully stabilized within a few hours of the initial incident.

A significant backlog of Exchange ActiveSync requests accumulated as we worked to stabilize access. To avoid another flood of traffic, we needed to restore access to Exchange ActiveSync slowly, which meant that some customers remained impacted for a longer period of time.”

Microsoft has also decided that it’s the time to issue an apology for all its users, as many have turned to the company’s support forums to express their frustration regarding the outage.

“We want to apologize to everyone who was affected by the outage, and we appreciate the patience you have shown us as we worked through the issues,” it said.

Microsoft admits it has learnt from the incident and has made two changes to the networks.

August 19, 2013
Google Patents “Pay-per-Gaze” Advertising Model, Exploring Options

Google has been granted a patent for eye-tracking technology that could one day allow for a pay-per-gaze model of advertising in the real world and online. The Google Glass-like device registers when individuals look at an advert before charging the relevant company, according to the patent.

The technology (spotted by The Verge via Phys.org) could also detect individuals’ “inferred emotional state information” by measuring pupil dilation. The patent was actually filed back in 2011, but was only granted to the company last week.

“Under a pay per gaze advertising scheme advertisers are charged based upon whether a user actually viewed their advertisement,” reads the patent. “Pay per gaze advertising need not be limited to on-line advertisements, but rather can be extended to conventional advertisement media including billboards, magazines, newspapers, and other forms of conventional print media.”

The patent also allows the technology to generate “latent search results” based on “at least a portion of the items views by the user” including items that are in the user’s peripheral vision. Search requests can then be cached for later use automatically without the user’s active permission.

Google has previously been criticised for its attitude to privacy with regard to Glass, particularly by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Google has generously allowed for some degree of privacy here:

To protect individual privacy, personal identifying data may be removed from the data and provided to the advertisers as anonymous analytics. In one embodiment, users may be given opt-in or opt-out privileges to control the type of data being gathered, when the data is being gathered or how the gathered data may be used or with whom it may be shared.

August 19, 2013
Alleged Rear Shell Of Upcoming iPad 5 Leaks

A couple of pictures leaked on the Weibo forums in China seem to depict the back shell of the next-generation iPad 5, next to the counterpart for the iPad mini (possibly second-generation model).

The iPad 5 is almost confirmed at this point, with every new leak pointing to a design akin to that of the iPad mini, including the chamfered edges, the super-slim body, and even the reduced bezel size.

We’ve seen leaked images of iPad 5 parts previously, including back covers, and these latest photos tie in with long-time and widespread rumours that Apple would be able to reduce the overall size of its next iPad.

It’s expected that the iPad 5 will release in Q4 alongside the iPad mini 2, although we don’t expect them to be officially introduced at the September 10 event where the reveal of the iPhone 5S is anticipated. You can be sure we’ll bring you further news on all of these devices as we hear it.

Meanwhile, a report last month stated that the next-generation iPad mini will likely include a Retina display, and will potentially be available with back covers in a number of colours.

Moving on to smaller side of the iOS family, a report from MG Siegler has shed a bit more light on the rumored gold iPhone 5S. Siegler claims to have been told by “multiple sources” that Apple is indeed planning to introduce a gold-colored version of its next iPhone that will feature a more “subtle” shade that’s akin to champagne.

[Via]

August 19, 2013
Rumour : Galaxy Note 3 Will Start Shipping In Early September

Samsung is preparing for their big Unpacked event on September 4th. This is when the Galaxy Note 3 and the rumoured Galaxy Gear smartwatch will be unveiled. Specs of both these Android-powered devices have leaked online, but today a new report by reputable site SamMobile has revealed possible shipping dates.

If the insider information is to be believed, we should expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to be available for purchase in September. The company’s third-gen phablet is expected to start shipping in Week 36, which goes from September 2 to September 8. Actual market availability usually takes about a week after the units start leaving the factories, so mid-September seems like a a likely target.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, it’s going to hit store shelves in October or Week 40 to be specific (September 30 – October 6).

Of course, none of these dates are confirmed and SamMobile has a reputable track record of nailing Samsung products and specs, and states there might be “a delay of a week or two may happen, depending on region.”

Another note on the Note 3 states that Samsung will apparently drop the 16GB version and offer a base model of the Galaxy Note 3 with 32GB of internal storage. Other notable rumoured specs of the Note 3 are its 5.68-inch full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080 resolution, 1.8GHz Octa-core Exynos 5420 processor, 3GB RAM, 13MP camera with OIS, LTE connectivity, 3,200 mAh battery and runs Android OS 4.3 Jelly Bean.

August 19, 2013
OPPO R819 Launched, MT6589, f/2.0 Sony BSI Sensor

OPPO today announced the launch of the R819, the company claims that this device is one of the thinnest and lightest smartphones in the world. The OPPO R819 is just 110 grams. The R819 is outfitted with f/2.0 aperture 8 megapixel Sony Exmor BSI rear facing camera and a front facing camera with an 88 degree viewing angle to capture more background.

OPPO R819 has gestures to control the phone with hand movements, dual SIM card support and a 2000 mAh battery coupled with a 1.2GHz 28 nm quad-core processor.

With this phone gestures you can control waking, answering and silencing your device with the slightest movements. As per the company, you can wirelessly view your screen’s content on any other TV, tablet or device with Wi-Fi display and DLNA. And the 2000 mAh battery supports a long-lasting charge. OPPO R819 also has dual SIM card support so you can use two numbers at once and get more use out of just one device.

This phone is outfitted with an f/2.0 aperture 8 megapixel Sony Exmor BSI back facing camera. And the front-facing camera has an 88 degree viewing angle to capture more background.

This device would be available for pre-order from today and will be out on sale starting from September.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]SHENZHEN – August 19, 2013 – OPPO today announced the launch of the R819, one of the thinnest and lightest smartphones in the world. Weighing in at just 110 grams, the R819 packs a sharp display, long-lasting battery life, and wide aperture camera into an ultra-thin 7.3 mm frame.

Let Nothing Weigh You Down
The R819 boasts a 4.7” IPS screen with OGS technology for amazing viewing angles and ample space for content. Encased in a slim frame of subtle curves and stylish metallic accents, the superior ergonomics make the R819 easy to hold, operate and carry with you.

R819 was built to simplify and improve your life; to offer you an impossibly thin and light smartphone without sacrificing the craftsmanship or functionality you’ve come to expect from an OPPO device.

Let Convenience Compromise Nothing
Using this smartphone is simpler than ever before. Gestures let you control waking, answering and silencing your device with the slightest movements. You can wirelessly view your screen’s content on any other TV, tablet or device with Wi-Fi display and DLNA. And the 2000 mAh battery supports a long-lasting charge to get more out of your phone. R819 also has dual SIM card support so you can use two numbers at once and get more use out of just one device.

The R819 is outfitted with an f/2.0 aperture 8 megapixel Sony Exmor BSI back facing camera for great shots in low light conditions. The dedicated Image Signal Processor enhances the color of all of your pictures making them more vivid and lifelike. And the front-facing camera has an incredible 88 degree viewing angle to capture more background than ever before.

Your Device. Your Choice.
OPPO believes in having the freedom to run the operating system of your choice to get the experience you want from your R819. Use the original ROM, or install OPPO’s Color ROM, which will soon be available, for a completely fresh take on Android that was developed with OPPO fans and is frequently updated. R819 can also run Stock Android, the Android experience as Google intended, for a fast, smooth user experience with familiar Google apps.

You use your phone every day. It should be able to do everything you need with style, and without ever getting in the way. The R819 offers a stunning screen, great camera and a long battery life. A unique fusion of function and design, the R819 is convenience without compromise.

The R819 is available online for pre-order today and ships early September.

R819 Specifications

Network GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
WCDMA: 850/900/2100MHz
Processor 28nm 1.2GHz MT6589 Quad-core
Display 4.7” 720P HD Display 312 PPI IPS (1280×720 pixels)
Memory 16GB ROM, 1GB RAM
Camera Rear: 8 megapixel Sony Exmor BSI with LED flash and dedicated ISP
Front: 2 megapixel
Connectivity 800.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
Features Android 4.2.1 (Jellybean)
Wi-Fi Display
DLNA
Microphone
FM Radio
Dual SIM card support
Wide angle front facing camera
Battery 2000mAh
Included Micro USB Cable
Accessories Charger
Earphones
SIM ejector tool

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August 19, 2013
Exclusive: Canvas Doodle 2 Leaked Images and Specs

Micromax is planning to launch a couple of phones in the coming months and the first in this list will be the Micromax Canvas Doodle 2, the phone will be powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor paired with 1GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. The device is expected to sport a 12 megapixel rear camera with LED flash. Other specifications my include are a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, Dual-SIM support and the gestures software seen on the Micromax Canvas 4. The device is likely to be juiced by a 2,600mAh battery and run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. This device will compete with rivals like Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and the Galaxy Grand Series. Preview a couple of the images of the upcoming device below and wait for a featured Hands On.

Micromax had recently launched the Micromax Canvas 4 A210 and this will be the second iteration of Micromax’s high build quality phones. The company is planning to demonstrate better builds with their latest handsets, but the inclusion of merely a MT6589 vs MT6589T that the competition is using may turn out to be a disadvantage for the company. The Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 may be dubbed as the A240 and will feature a HD 5.7 inch display. If the company does end up using the MT6589T chipset they might actually bump the screen resolution to 1920 x 1080 px as seen in the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1. The top flap of the phone around the camera will open up to make space for the two sim cards. It is also expected that the phone may not have expandable storage.

Update: It appears the above images are of the MyPhone Iceberg (A Philippines based brand), the same phone is going to be the Canvas Doodle 2.

August 19, 2013
Beats Reportedly Looking To End HTC Partnership

The known headphone maker Beats is reportedly attempting to buy back HTC’s 25 percent stake in the company. As per the Wall Street Journal’s report, Beats is looking to bring in a new investor to provide “fresh funds for growth,” and plans on buying back HTC’s stake at the same time. Although HTC bought a $300 million, 50.1 percent stake in Beats back in 2011, the headphone maker paid $150 million to take half of that stake back last year.

HTC’s quarterly sales have dropped below the US$4 billion mark since the fourth quarter of 2011, as it got squeezed in both the high and low end of the pricing spectrum globally. The Taiwanese company flagged earlier that it may post its first-ever operating loss in the current quarter.

The two companies had different fortunes over the past few years. Beats’ revenue was reportedly “roughly $1 billion” last year, up five times from 2010, and in June statisticians at NPD claimed Beats had 59 percent of the US market for premium headphones. In contrast, HTC has crashed to quarter upon quarter of dwindling profits, although the company believes it will return to form towards the end of this financial year. All of HTC’s high-end handsets are branded with the Beats logo and claim to have enhanced sound thanks to Beats integration. It’s not clear what would happen to the two companies’ branding partnership should Beats be successful in severing its financial ties with HTC, we will have to wait and see.

[via]

August 19, 2013
Intex Adds to Affordable “Cloud” Range With Cloud X4 and Cloud Y2 Smartphones
Intex has launched two new affordable smartphones in the “Cloud” range, the Intex Cloud X4 and Intex Cloud Y2, priced at Rs. 4,590 (Cloud X4) and Rs. 6,190 (Cloud Y2). The new phones are based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, Cloud X4 flaunts a screen size of 3.5 inches while Cloud Y2 sports a 4.0 inch screen. The handsets are equipped with 1 GHz and 1.2 GHz dual core processor respectively. Both phones have capacitive multi-touch displays, dual SIM support and dual camera capabilities.

Intex has sold over 4 lacs Smartphones in last quarter and planning to sell 3 million this fiscal year. This widespread acceptance is testimony to our differentiated and rich product portfolio, which is backed by a strong service and support network. Our latest offerings in the ‘Cloud’ series offer an enhanced mobility experience to users who demand the best of features and performance from their smartphones and are economical too.”

: said Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, GM-Mobility Division, Intex Technologies (I) Ltd.

Cloud X4

Cloud X4:
Cloud Y2

Cloud Y2:
Both the phones will come with Pre-loaded apps that, include Intex Play, Intex Life Box, Intex zone, Intex movies, YouTube, Facebook, Skype and Hungama.
August 19, 2013
Halo: Spartan Assault Is Now Available For All Windows Phone 8 Users

Microsoft has released Halo: Spartan Assault for all Windows Phone 8 owners in the US. The company made the title available for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices worldwide back in July, but there was a catch in the US, where Verizon took over the initial distribution rights to leave AT&T and T-Mobile customers facing a wait.

Halo: Spartan Assault

Halo: Spartan Assault is a big deal for Microsoft as it is the first time that its renowned Halo franchise has been released for mobile devices. The company and its partners like Nokia will hope that the game provides another factor to persuade consumers to purchase a Windows Phone 8-powered device.

[youtube id=”BxsYQtltOco#at=30″ width=”100%” height=”300px”]

Halo: Spartan Assault game is priced at $6.99 and requires 1GB of RAM for installation. It’s been well received, to date, and includes 25 new missions for Halo enthusiasts to get their teeth into, although the most dedicated fans outside of the US have probably already done so.

We will have to wait and see if and when this game will make its way to India. Also, we will have to see if this step by Microsoft will help them to increase sales for Windows Phones. Recently Windows store reached more than 1,00,00 apps, which means Nokia and Microsoft are working hard for making Windows Phones considered in the ‘Best Sellers’ list.

[via]

August 19, 2013
Mark Zukerberg’s Profile Hacked By A White Hat Hacker

A Palestinian white hat hacker posted a Facebook security issue on the Social Networks’ CEO Mark Zukerberg’s profile a week ago, in an attempt to prove the security extent of the bugs he had found, to the company. Initial bug reporting attempts by him were not acknowledged by the Facebook team.

The hacker, who uses the name of ‘Khalil’, discovered an issue that allowed users to make posts to others’ Timeline pages without even being connected to them on Facebook. Khalil said he tried reporting it to the security team earlier in the week, but as it was not acknowledged. Consequently, he made the post on Zuckerberg’s wall by using the security bug he reported for, probably the only way he could think of getting security’s attention.

It certainly did. The security flaw was fixed as of Thursday, shortly after Khalil posted to Zuckerberg’s page. A post made by a Facebook security team member on Web forum Hacker News said that Khalil’s limited English skills and lack of complete information made it difficult for the team to immediately respond.

The reason could also be because Facebook receives too many bugs each day thanks to the Bug Bounty Program, which pays hackers for sharing the security related bugs.

Despite of all this, Facebook admitted its failure to follow up in its dealings with Khalil.

“We should have pushed back asking for more details here,” Facebook software engineer Matt Jones

The company said that they encourage further bug reports from Khalil and other White Hat hackers looking to help the site.

[via] [via]

August 19, 2013
‘DOT’ Hits Hard On Piracy And Porn In India

The government has decided to put a blanket ban on several websites that allow users to share pornographic content. Department of Telecommunication (DOT) has directed Internet Service Providers to block 39 websites that allow users to share pornographic content.

Most of these websites are web forums, where internet users share images and URLs to download pornographic files. But some of these websites are also image hosts and file hosts, mostly used to store and share files that are non-pornographic.

The DOT order doesn’t give any reason or law under which the websites have been blocked. It says, “It has been decided to immediately block access to the URLs… you are accordingly directed to immediately block access to those URLs.”

As per TOI: A senior DoT official, who pleaded anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said the department was just following the orders issued by cyber security coordination committee and hence could not talk about the specific reasons behind the block.

“In the case of file hosts and image hosts, which people use for various purposes including for storing personal files, the DOT order is a clear overreach,” said Sunil Abraham, director of Centre for Internet and Society (CIS). “Even in the case of pornography, there is nothing in the IT Act that can be used to block websites hosted outside in India.” He added,

There is a possibility that government is interpreting some sections of the IT Act to suit its purpose, but I feel that is wrong and should be challenged in court by ISPs if they care about the rights of their users.”

Rajesh Chharia, president of Internet Service Providers Association of India, said that it was not possible for ISPs to pushback orders from DoT. “We are the licensee and we have to operate under the laws… we can’t pushback,” he said.

But I feel ideally the government should ask the people who have produced objectionable content to remove it from the web if these people are in India… If they are outside, the websites should be blocked at the international cable landing stations. Involving 150-odd ISPs to implement an order is not the right way to do it,” added Chharia.

I have travelled to China and Middle East and have seen that people access pornographic websites using various web tools. In fact, by banning websites the governments have made it more alluring for users to watch and access pornography,” says Abraham. None of the western democracies have explicit ban on pornography.

Is India becoming the next china ? Is it the end of porn and piracy in India ? What do you think ?

August 19, 2013
AMD Temash Powered ASUS VivoBook X102BA Leaks

Asus is one of the few major PC companies that still makes inexpensive laptops with 10 inch screens. Earlier this year the company released the Asus 1015E Windows 8 laptop with a 10 inch display and Intel Celeron dual-core processor. Now it looks like the company may be preparing a new model with an AMD Temash processor.

SweClockers published a leaked press shot of the notebook on Friday and reported that the VivoBook X102BA would feature a 1.0GHz, dual-core AMD A4-1200 CPU with Radeon HD 8180 for graphics. The mid-range PC will also sport a 10-inch screen, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. One of the more interesting bits is that Asus will reportedly ship the new VivoBook with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013.

The processor is the “entry level” model of AMD’s Temash family, the A4-1200, an APU which combines two general purpose computing cores running at 1GHz with a Radeon HD 8180 which has 128 stream processors running at 225MHz. This chip has a TDP of 3.9 watts.

As far as connectivity goes, the VivoBook X102BA has the standard 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. Ports, meanwhile, include one Ethernet, dual USB 2.0 slots and a single USB 3.0 slot, as well as VGA and HDMI for video output, an SD card reader, and a standard 3.5mm audio jack. The battery comes in two configurations based on which model is purchased – 22wH and 33wH, reportedly giving 5 hours of use.

The VivoBook X102BA is rumoured to be priced around the $450 price point.

[Via]

August 17, 2013
GFX Benchmark Leak Hints At A Snapdragon Powered Kindle Fire HD With A 2560 x 1600 Display

With the new Nexus 7 already in stock, and rumours that the next iPad Mini will come with a Retina Display, it may be time for Amazon to up its tablet game as well. A new set of benchmark results published on GFX Bench details an upcoming Kindle Fire HD with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, putting it on par with Google’s redesigned slate.

According to the website, the tablet is code-named Apollo, and it will have a 2560 x 1600 pixel display and a processor which runs at speeds between 300 MHz and 2150 MHz.

Image Courtesy : Android Authority

That would seem to confirm earlier reports that the next-generation Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets would have Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processors, and that the 8.9 inch model would have a 2560 x 1600 pixel screen.

If the rumours hold up, we may be able to expect a new 7 inch model with the same processor and a 1920 x 1200 pixel display. Both are expected to have 2 GB of RAM and operating systems based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Amazon will also likely offer a new entry-level Kindle Fire tablet with a 1280 x 800 pixel screen and a slower processor.

We must point out that it’s very easy to fake these things, so we’d advise you to take these specifications with a pinch of salt for now. And even if they are real, it’s possible Amazon has simply been testing prototype devices, so these details may not reflect the final model.

August 17, 2013
Twitter Sets New Tweets Per Second Record

Recently, something remarkable happened on Twitter: On Saturday, August 3 in Japan, people watched a telecast of the movie ‘Castle in the Sky’, and then tweeted so much that twitter hit a one-second peak of 143,199 Tweets per second.

Twitter takes in more than 500 million Tweets a day which means about an average of 5,700 tweets in a second. This particular peak was around 25 times greater than a normal peak for Twitter.

The Twitter Blog Says

During this spike, our users didn’t experience a blip on Twitter. That’s one of our goals: to make sure Twitter is always available no matter what is happening around the world. New Tweets per second (TPS) record: 143,199 TPS. Typical day: more than 500 million Tweets sent; average 5,700 TPS.

Three years ago, the World Cup brought Twitter crashing the service with nearly every play. Krikorian(VP Engineering Twitter) says the experience gave the company pause, prompting them to reevaluate its approach to managing traffic.

“We learned a lot. We changed our engineering organization.” Krikorian goes on to detail the transformation, explaining how the firm tweaked its programming models, architecture, services, applications and storage databases to eliminate bottlenecks and increase stability. “We’re now able to withstand events like Castle in the Skyviewings, the Super Bowl, and the global New Year’s Eve celebration.” said Raffi Krikorian, VP Engineering Twitter.

[via]

August 17, 2013
Images Of Rumoured Gold iPhone 5S Leak, May Come With 128GB Storage

Rumours have been swirling over the past few days that Apple plans to introduce a third color option with the launch of the iPhone 5S. Now, images of what are claimed to be the casing from Apple’s next-generation smartphone in gold have been published by French blog MacBoutic. While the authenticity of the device pictured is unknown, the casing and internal markings do jibe with earlier leaks that were believed to be authentic.

It appears that the new iPhone 5S will launch along with a 128GB variant similar to the iPad that was released back in February. The report comes from a well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Security, who has been quite accurate when it comes to rumors regarding unreleased Apple products.

Kuo has made a number of predictions about the upcoming iPhone 5S, with one them being that it’ll share the same design as its predecessor. The alleged iPhone 5S is expected to feature Apple’s latest A7 SoC with 1Gb LPDDR3 RAM and an improved camera, along with various other enhancements and features. A number of rumours also suggest the upcoming iPhone 5S with sport a 12-13MP camera with dual-LED flash.

According to Kuo, the new A7 processor will not only be faster than the earlier version, but it will offer 20% greater efficiency.

Apple is rumoured to reveal the new iPhone 5S on September 10. The new iPhone is rumoured to feature a sapphire-covered home button with a fingerprint sensor and will of course run the new iOS 7.

Would you like to see a gold iPhone 5S from Apple?

[Via]

August 17, 2013