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Leaked : Images Of The Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10

Guess what? BlackBerry may be working again with Porsche Design on a special version of the Z10 smartphone. If we can learn anything from the past, the upcoming (presuming it actually launches) Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10 will be one expensive device, reserved for the few willing to pour out couple of grands for their smartphone.

Pictures surfaced online this week showing that BlackBerry and Porsche Design will once again come together and release a follow-up to the elite priced P’9981. Additional info has now been leaked that reveal the Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10 variant will come to market by the name of Porsche Design BlackBerry Z10 P’9982 – not so much of a stretch. In addition, similar to the previous model, the P’9982 will sport a unique BlackBerry 10 UI and come with upscale stylings that include stainless steel casing and leather.

The pictures below are from a early prototype and rumours are that we’ll see this launch in “the middle of next year” for about $2,000. Though the pictures look convincing enough, information about the naming, OS and price is purely speculative.

[Via]

August 2, 2013
Jelly Bean Now On 40% Of Android Devices

Each month, Google posts the breakdown of its Android versions, ostensibly for developers to see which ones they can target with their apps.

As of August 1st, over 40% of users run Jelly Bean and, combined with Ice Cream Sandwich, 63% of users run phones with Android 4.0 or above. While this is not necessarily the target we’re looking for — over 90% of iOS users run the latest version, according to Apple — it indicates that Google has largely stabilized the fragmentation issue.

Gingerbread is holding fairly steady at 33%, dropping only 1.1% from the previous month. In fact, Ice Cream Sandwich also dropped from last month as more devices were upgraded to Jelly Bean, both in the 4.1 and 4.2 flavours. Google’s now next-to-newest version, Android 4.2, is only running on 6.5% of devices, and some of them would have been upgraded to 4.3 in the past week or so.

Unfortunately, Android 1.6, 2.1 and 2.2 still exist, though their numbers are dwindling as users replace their phones with newer models.

The big takeaway from this is that developers can now soundly target Android 4.0+ without worrying that they’re alienating the entire ecosystem, something that couldn’t be said a year ago.

August 2, 2013
BBM Beta testing for Android and iOS Begins (All slots full)

A few folks lucky enough at the BlackBerry’s Beta Zone have been given the ability to test out BBM Beta for Android devices. Once registered at the beta zone, all one needs is an Android Device running Android 4.0 and up.

The program is not available for everyone, but if you have received an email like the one shown above, you’ll find it available under Eligible Programs. Much like it will be when it goes official, the beta version of BBM for Android requires v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich); while the BBM beta for iPhone requires iOS 6 as a minimum requirement.

[Via]

August 2, 2013
Report : Apple will use Samsung Retina Display in the next iPad Mini

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Apple has chosen Samsung to supply the displays for the next generation iPad Mini, which will also boast a retina resolution. As originally imagined, Apple was intending to only employ LG and Sharp for the supply of the LCD panels, but the it seems due to lack of supply, the displays have been also ordered from Samsung’s display division.

Apple has often been known to test components before confirming the final elements of the build. Earlier reports had stated that Apple will not launch an iPad Mini Retina this year, but if the present report is to be believed, not only will Apple Launch a iPad Mini with a high resolution Retina Display, they will also employ their arch nemesis with the job of providing hardware for the unique build.

Apple has tried to completely block off purchasing from Samsung, but the korean giant is probably the only producer of high quality panels that can be produced at an economical and profitable price. Apple presently gets their displays form AU Optronics, who have clearly stated

We cannot take [Apple’s] orders because our rate of output efficiency is too low to be profitable, the company doesn’t make a profit from manufacturing the current iPad Mini’s screens. – said an AU Optronics manager.

In these desperate time it appears that Apple might just have to buy a LCD technology company, but unfortunately for them none are for sale.

August 2, 2013
Moto X Launched : Motorola X8, 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED starting US $ 199

Motorola and Google have finally made the Moto X rumored device official, it is dubbed the “Moto X” and is designed with the “user in mind”. The Moto X comes with the ability of the User to design their own phone, it is designed and assembled in the US.

Motorola has also redesigned the structure of the Handset, with new processing via Moto’s new X8 Mobile Computing System. A SoC based on a Snapdragon S4 Pro with a 1.7GHz dual-core Krait CPU and a quad-core Adreno 320 GPU, positioned alongside two unique Motorola processors, including one to handle language interpretation and a contextual computing core, which manages the smartphone’s sensors. Both of which are designed to ensure minimal battery drain when using these services.

The new Moto X has a 4.7-inch AMOLED display running at 720p, a 10-megapixel “ClearPixel” camera with 1080p video recording and will run Android 4.2.2. With the online app called Moto Maker, you choose the colors, and decide on the details: front, back, accents, memory, wallpapers, even add a name or a short message, a wooden case is also in the works and Motorola claims there are more than 2000 options with more to come soon.

The Moto X is powered by a 2,200mAh battery offering up to 24 hours of “mixed” usage and the handset is 4G LTE enabled. There’s a 10-megapixel Clear Pixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which shoot 1080p video.

Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, GPS and GLONASS, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, Miracast Wireless Display, NFC and a nano-SIM.

Sales Begin at the end of August, the 16GB model will retail for $199 with a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon, the 32GB is an AT&T exclusive which will ship for $249. For now only AT&T customers will have access to additional color options via the online app those on other carriers can choose from black and white.

[toggle title=”Motorola X8″]IBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Aug. 1, 2013 – People want choice. The choice to design their own phones. The choice to control their phones by voice when their hands are occupied. The choice to have their phones assembled in America.

Moto X offers you that choice. It’s designed by you, responds to you and is made for you by Motorola, a Google company. Once you turn it on, it’s all yours. And every Moto X sold in the USA is assembled right here in the USA.

With the best of Google services baked in, Moto X helps you get everyday tasks done quickly and with less fuss. But it’s also designed to sip battery, not chug it, so it will go all day and into the night.

Responds to You

Moto X is ready when you are. It responds to your voice – no touching necessary. With Touchless Control you can check the weather, get directions, or do just about anything without lifting a finger. Moto X doesn’t guess like other phones do. It knows.

With Active Display, Moto X keeps the information you need to know at your fingertips. Instead of a constantly blinking light, important information quietly appears on the screen. It doesn’t interrupt. You don’t have to wake it up to look at the time or see your messages. Before you know it, that constant itch to check your phone will be gone forever.

Need to capture that perfect moment before it’s gone? All it takes is two quick twists of your wrist and Moto X’s Quick Capture camera is ready to shoot. Touch anywhere on the screen and you’ll get just the shot you want. Its high-quality sensor can capture the darkest scenes or stop motion blur in bright light. You’ll see the difference in every shot.

And all of this is battery-friendly, so Moto X is ready to respond all day long.

Designed by You

Your Moto X is truly yours, because you design it. Through our online studio, Moto Maker, you choose the colors, and decide on the details: front, back, accents, memory, wallpapers, even add a name or a short message. When you’re done, we assemble your Moto X right here in the USA and ship it to you for free in 4 days or less*.

Choose from more than 2,000 possible combinations, with more to come. We’ll be constantly exploring new offerings, such as real wood backs, starting later in the year. Still love the classics? You can choose an eye-catching woven black or woven white model right in the store (see below for more info on availability).

We’re pretty sure you’ll love your Moto X, but if for some reason you don’t, you can redesign or return it within 14 days**, no problem.

Made for You

Moto X has a unique curved back, designed to fit your hand comfortably, along with a 4.7-inch screen that makes it easy to operate with only one hand — when you want to use your hands that is.

Plus, no one has ever assembled a smartphone in the US before. We think it’s about time. Each Moto X sold in the US is individually assembled in Ft. Worth, Texas. Doing this in the US means you can design a custom phone online and have it delivered right to your doorstep in just a few days.

You Are What You Wear

We’ve partnered with the most innovative brands in the world including SOL REPUBLIC to create an ecosystem of accessories for your Moto X. We call it M4DE Motorola™. These include headphones, speakers, cases, docks and more.

You can even match your headphones to your Moto X. They come in all the same custom colors of the phone, in two different styles. On your ears: SOL Tracks HD headset with a V8 sound engine that has deep base and high quality. In your ears: SOL JAX earbuds with controls for calls and music, plus free ear tips for life.

Where to Get It

Moto X will be available in the US, Canada and Latin America starting in late August/early September.

In the US, woven black and woven white models will be available at AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless and at national retailers including Best Buy stores with a suggested retail price of $199 with a new two-year agreement. Additionally, it will be available on all carriers, including T-Mobile, at Motorola.com.

Visit motorola.com to sign-up for more details about Moto Maker, which will first be available for AT&T users. And, coming soon to Best Buy.

You’ll hear from our carrier partners around the globe regarding exact pricing and availability.

*Subject to parts availability
**California residents will have 30 days to return

IMAGES & B-ROLL: Click this link (also in the footer) for images and b-roll (you agree to our license terms when downloading images or video)

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, owned by Google, creates smartphones, tablets and wireless accessories that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. For more information visit motorola.com/mobility.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation. Contact your service provider for details.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Google is a trademark of Google, Inc. All other trademarks the property of their respective owners. © 2013 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.
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[VIA] [Source]

August 2, 2013
HTC Desire 600 Dual Sim Unboxing and Hands On
HTC is ready to bring its flagship features to the masses with the new HTC Desire 600 Dual Sim. The Smartphone running Android 4.1 Jelly bean also features the Latest HTC Sense and Blinkfeed UI. Laid out with a 4.5 inch 540 x 960 px Super LCD2 capacitive touchscreen display, it has a nimble 242 ppi pixel density. Cameras are borrowed from the HTC 8X with a 8 MP snapper 1/3.2” sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size. The front facing camera is a 1.7 MP shooter both will do 720p video.

The HTC Desire 600 dual sim is based on a Qualcomm MSM8625Q Snapdragon 200 with a Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A5 and an Adreno 203, all of which according to the company can tak on any Mediatek based handset offering similar features. The Build quality and feel of the HTC Desire 600 Dual Sim is definitely great. With its rubberized grippy back panel and slim brushed steel bezel the dual sim smartphone is really worth of the brand.

The box we got is not a retail box , but the usual in-box items should include :
HTC has not left out on the usual Sense features bundling 25 GB Dropbox storage. Check out the unbxoing video (uploading) and stay tuned for Gaming Benchmarks and full review shortly.
August 1, 2013
iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 Unboxing

We get you an exclusive unboxing today for the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1, a smartphone that has basically given Micromax a run for their money when the Canvas 4 was announced. The handset takes away a lot of things but adds a few that will be might appreciated by the phone buyers.

For starters the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 has a 5 inch 1080p display, and dual BSI cameras a 13 MP rear and a 8 MP front camera sensor, both capable of 1080p video at 30fps. The chipset that powers this device is a Mediatek 6589t clocked at 1.5 GHz on all four cores. RAM and storage can be the only downsides to this handset with only 4 GB of inbuilt storage and 1 GB of RAM, you may not be able to fully exploit the additional power on the chipset.

Everything on the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1is backed by a 2800mAh battery that ensures a better battery backup, vs the competition. The iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1also runs Android 4.2.1 Jelly out of the box with little or no custom UI modifications and almost zero bloatware, which also improves on performance and stability (we hope) .

Another thing worth appreciating is that rooting will not void your warranty, well you wont have to root the device anyway, because its pre rooted.

iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1

HTC Butterfly S

The Build and design are actually quite like the HTC Butterfly, with the paint finish matching the newer HTC Butterfly S. the build quality seems robust at first, no indication as to what the display glass is , but the phone does have an 5 inch 1920 x 1080p Active matrix display and an OGS panel, which means the display and the touchscreen are fused together, which also means that the likely maker of the LCD panel is LG.

The Power and volume rocker buttons appear to have been made from steel, and are very tactile. The replaceable panels included in the box are a great boon, and will reduce the need of a back cover, the handset also comes with an antiglare screen protector, which may be replaced with a more suitable one which cover the ful screen as the one included does not.

The feel and finish of the iBerry Auxus Nuclea N1 are premium, although, some may not appreciate the overly large Logos at the back of the device. Now lets see how the handset performs, stay tuned for benchmarks and gaming.

August 1, 2013
Facebook Planning 15-Second Ads For Your News Feed

Facebook plans to introduce 15-second television-style ads to its Newsfeed, opening the door to a potentially crazy-lucrative new advertising option. Bloomberg reports that Facebook will sell the ad space for up to $2.5 million a commercial, and that commercial spots will initially run for a full day. The commercials will be targeted, so advertisers will run ads specific to age and gender.

The social network currently allows advertisers to upload videos to their Facebook page and then broadcast them to a user’s news feed. The new service would let marketers buy their way directly into a person’s feed with a 15-second pitch, according to Bloomberg.

As TheNextWeb reports, assuming the $2.5 million per day price is accurate, the new ads would create an immediate boost for Facebook’s bottom line. Considering that the company brought in $1.81 billion in revenue during the second quarter of 2013, a quarter worth of commercials at the highest price could hypothetically drive over 12 percent growth by adding as much as $225 million in revenue.

With Facebook’s incredible dominance of global social networking and the sheer influence of the site on many users’ daily lives, it begs the question – where could unhappy users even migrate to, without losing so many digital connections, photos, and the ability to instantly keep in touch with just about everyone they know?

[Via]

July 31, 2013
Nintendo Only Shipped 160,000 Wii U Consoles Worldwide in Q2

Nintendo has released its latest financial results, and revealed quarterly Wii U hardware sales of just 160,000. Software sales for the system were just 1.3 million units.

During the period Nintendo sold 90,000 Wii U consoles in Japan, 60,000 in the US and only 10,000 in Europe and Australia.

In the previous three months Wii U sales were 390,000 hardware units and 13.42 million games, which left the company short of it’s projected 4 million sales in the financial year.

For the three months ended June 30 net sales were up 3.8 per cent to ¥81.5 billion ($832.6m / £547.5m) with net profit at ¥8.6 billion ($88m / £57.9m), compared to a loss of ¥17.2 billion for the same period last year.

Nintendo suffered an operating loss during the period of ¥4.9 billion ($50.2m / £33m) due to research and development for the Wii U and increased marketing costs overseas for the 3DS.

A lack of software support – both from Nintendo’s own in-house development teams and third-party publishers – combined with a high initial price tag and a slow user interface did little to accelerate sales over the Christmas period.

Almost nine months on and little has changed. Nintendo has slashed the price of the Wii U, but the games drought continues. Considerable mismanagement over the functionality of the console and its innovative GamePad tablet controller has also done little to persuade consumers.

July 31, 2013
Moto X To Support Nano SIM Card

When it comes to Motorola’s upcoming Moto X smartphone, it might not be a flagship device, but this does not mean that there is not much buzz surrounding the smartphone. After all, we do know that it will be proudly “made in the USA”, and we have also seen its “final” press shots posted online already, in addition to rumors of a so-called Magic Glass bandied about, not to mention alleged images of the said Magic Glass spotted, too. Well, this time around, the Moto X comes under the spotlight once again, with an alleged Nano-SIM belonging to the Moto X leaked out in Hong Kong.

GSM Insider picked up a photo from a Hong Kong phone blog, which shows a nano-SIM card and tray placed next to an empty slot on the side of the phone.

If this proves to be true, that will make the Moto X one of the first phones to adopt the nano-SIM since the iPhone 5. Of course, whether the Moto X will actually come with the nano-SIM remains to be seen — neither Google nor Motorola has indicated what the device will offer. We’ll find out Thursday, though, when Google holds a press event showcasing the Moto X.

July 31, 2013
Microsoft Releases Office Mobile For Office 365 Android App

Last month Microsoft unveiled the Office Mobile for Office 365 for iOS and now the Redmond company is following up with an Android version.

Office Mobile 365 enables Word, Excel, and PowerPoint document creation straight from the source. The app works by linking with a SkyDrive or SharePoint account and keeping documents stored online in a cloud locker that regularly synchronizes across devices. Someone can start a document on a desktop computer and then edit on their smartphone, or vice versa. A list of recent documents appears on the phone or desktop, and changes saved to documents are universal.

“The release of this app shows that we’re committed to keep providing additional value for Office 365 subscribers,” Microsoft senior product manager Guy Gilbert wrote in a blog post.

Microsoft has tried to leverage the widely used Office, which is preinstalled on mobile phones running its Windows Phone operating system, to eke out market share in the smartphone business that’s dominated by devices running Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems.

Initially, Office 365 is rolling out in the U.S., but will eventually be available in 33 languages and 117 markets. That expansion should begin in the coming weeks. You need an Android 4.0+ phone, not tablet which is an annoying limitation as people are more likely to edit a doc on a tablet than a phone.

July 31, 2013
Microsoft To Rename SkyDrive After Losing Trademark Case

Microsoft has to come up with a new name for Skydrive, its cloud based data storage service.

Skydrive is used by Microsoft users to upload and share content. Unfortunately Microsoft did not give enough consideration to the fact that British Sky Broadcasting might have had a trademark on the word “sky”.

A UK court has ruled that Microsoft has infringed on a trademark owned by British Sky Broadcasting Group with the name “SkyDrive.” Microsoft has reportedly agreed to change the name, and they will not appeal the court’s decision.

A new name will not be given overnight. BSkyB will continue to let Microsoft use the name for a “reasonable period of time” as they try to rename the service. Microsoft has been using the SkyDrive name for their cloud-storage service for around 5 years now. The name has become synonymous with Windows 8, Windows Phone, and all of Microsoft’s new devices. Hopefully this brand change does not disrupt Microsoft’s vision.

There were also some financial and other terms in the agreement, however the details are confidential.

“We’re glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you,” said Microsoft.

[Via]

July 31, 2013
Samsung caught boosting Benchmark results on Exynos devices

Most people consider the benchmark results of a smartphone before buying the handset. If reports are accurate, it appears Samsung has been boosting Benchmarks and inflating those numbers for quite some time, to enhance the overall outcome of the benchmark scores on Exynos devices. According to the tech explorers at Anandtech, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a software bot by the name of “BenchmarkBooster,” which is responsible for overclocking the processors when certain apps are running. This causes a 13% average increase in the overall outcome of the GPU benchmark and similar enhancements on the CPU side. The apps affected by this so called “BenchmarkBooster,” are GLBench 2.5.1, AnTuTu, Quadrant and Linpack whereas the GFXBench 2.7.0 is able to bypass the incremental patch.

What Samsung is actually doing is unknown, when we reached a Samsung Rep in India we were told that Korea HQ is looking into the matter and “may soon release an official statement”. Samsung could however be boosting Benchmark scores to impress upcoming customers and even reviewers in believing that the Exynos Based Smartphones perform better than they actually do. This could indeed inflate sales a bucket load more. Let’s see what Samsung has to say. For a detailed account and geeky numbers hit the source link below.

[Anandtech]

July 31, 2013
Indian Grand Prix Dropped From 2014 Formula One Calendar

Formula One Chief, Bernie Ecclestone and organisers of the Indian Grand Prix, Jaypee Group have confirmed that the Indian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2014 Formula One calendar, and will be held in the first half of 2015.

There has been intense speculation about the future of the event for the past few weeks, amid major tax issues with Indian authorities. Ecclestone said from that he and his Formula 1 management always wanted the India round early in the season, but the organisers preferred October.

When we signed the five-year deal with Jaypee, we were keen on going to India in the first half and Jaypee wanted it to be in October. We gave in at that time, but now it looks we will have the race early 2015.

– Bernie Ecclestone, Chairman & CEO, Formula One

The 2014 round will not take place as it is not possible for Jaypee to host two races within six months. The organisers shell out $40 million (Rs 237.7 crore) for every Formula One race at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) as licensing fee. During the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, Ecclestone said that the Indian Grand Prix was unlikely to happen next year due to political reasons. Widespread interpretations took it as the unhappiness of Formula One teams regarding the heavy taxation policy of India and its rigid structure, which is largely inflexible towards Formula One teams.

The ditching of the Indian GP clears the way for Ecclestone to slot in the Russian Grand Prix in October next year. A race at the start of the 2015 season means India will have to be clubbed with Australia, and the Asian nations Malaysia, Bahrain and China.

July 31, 2013
Acura Teases NSX Prototype before 4th August Reveal

Honda’s luxury sub-brand Acura will reveal the prototype NSX on the 4th of August, when it shows up at Mid-Ohio Raceway for the Honda 200 IndyCar race, but the genuine production car isn’t scheduled to arrive until 2015. But just to keep fanboys (like myself) enthusiastic about the return of the sports car, Acura has released Vine and Instagram videos with very exciting snippets of the mid-engined coupe lapping a test track in both the dry and the wet.

The concept version for the new NSX was first unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show last year, with a slightly revised version making an appearance in January of this year. Honda has confirmed that the production car has retained the concept’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, while the styling and themes and proportions of the concept will also carry on to the final product.

The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system features a mid-mounted V6 petrol unit coupled to an electric motor to drive the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Twin electric motors will drive the front wheels at the same time, making the NSX an all-wheel drive car. A total power of around 400 brake horsepower is expected from the system, but the torque from the three electric motors and engine will probably be the factor which really sets it apart. Great suspension and sharp handling is promised, with the twin motors up front permitting very responsive torque vectoring.

The videos made available by Acura can be found at the links below.

https://vine.co/v/hAYqxjnjlJq

http://instagram.com/p/cWxTxnoRt8/#

July 31, 2013