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Polaroid Confirms Mirrorless Android-Powered Camera For CES

Polaroid will debut an Android-powered camera with interchangeable lenses at CES, according to the company’s CEO, Scott Hardy. “Additional information and specs will be released during the show.”, he said.

Days after an image of said camera popped up on a Russian social network, it appears that we don’t have to wait long to take shots with the snapper.

It looks to be called the Polaroid IM1836, and Sakar will likely build it for Polaroid. The mirrorless camera should come with an 18.1 million pixel sensor. Physically, it resembles Nikon’s J1/J2.

The baked-in Android gives the camera access to downloadable apps, including email, Facebook and Twitter.

We should also see pop-up flash, built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI output, microSD memory and a 3.5-inch touchscreen, while the Russian photo looks to show a 10mm – 30mm optic.

We’ll know more in the coming weeks, but until then you can always buy the Samsung Galaxy Camera and Nikon S800c.

December 21, 2012
Hurry! WhatsApp Free In App Store For Limited Period Of Time!

The wildly popular message client known as WhatsApp is now free for all to download on iOS. This mobile application usually goes for 99 cent, but for a limited time, users will get it free of charge. WhatsApp is a cool way for users to avoid SMS fees in mobile phone plans, as it lets users send messages to other members of the service over the internet.

Although the app is free for now to those rocking an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, folks on Android will continue to get it free, with a $0.99 yearly fee kicking in after the first 12 months.

A few things to note before handing you the download link. On iOS, WhatsApp is compatible only with the iPhone because it’s a telephony application that uses your phone number to let other people reach you. In other words, iPad and iPod touch devices are out.

It requires iOS 4.3 or later and has been recently optimized for the iPhone 5. It works with pretty much all carriers and networks but some carrier limitations may apply in certain territories.

WhatsApp supports English, Arabic, Bokmål, Norwegian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

December 21, 2012
RIM Reports Fiscal Q3 2013 Results: Revenue of $2.7 Billion And Lower Subscriber Numbers

BlackBerry maker RIM has announced its third quarter results for the three months ended December 1, 2012. The company reported the revenue of $2.7 billion with GAAP net income was of $14 million, or $0.03 per share diluted, including a $166 million favourable tax settlement. The cash increase was of approximately $600 million to $2.9 billion while the cash flow from operations was approximately $950 million.

The company plans to invest heavily in marketing in the coming quarter, with high expectations for its BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30th. The first handsets are planned for sometime in February, though specific dates are not yet known.

RIM subscriber base now sits at 79 million, down over a million from the previous quarter. Though specific numbers have not been provided, the net loss is likely due to continued purging of the BlackBerry platform in North America, with significant gains in Africa and the Middle East. The company sold 6.9 million smartphones and 255,000 PlayBooks this quarter; that’s 500,000 fewer smartphones and 125,000 more tablets compared to last quarter.

RIM cash balance has increased to $2.9 billion this quarter as it continues to iterate on its Cost Optimization and Resource Efficiency (“CORE”) program. Although the company expects another net loss in Q4, CEO Thorsten Heins is bullish on the BlackBerry 10 launch. “More than 150 carriers are currently completing technical acceptance programs for the first BlackBerry 10 products,” he said in a statement.

December 21, 2012
Nokia And RIM Agree To New Patent Licenses

Finnish mobile giant Nokia said on Friday it was withdrawing all its lawsuits against Blackberry-maker Research In Motion after reaching an agreement on patent licencing.

Last month Nokia filed lawsuits in the United States, Britain and Canada against RIM claiming it had breached an agreement on using Nokia patents on WLAN local area network technology.

[quote]”We are very pleased to have resolved our patent licensing issues with RIM and reached this new agreement, while maintaining Nokia’s ability to protect our unique product differentiation,” said Paul Melin, chief intellectual property officer at Nokia, in a statement.[/quote]

The terms were not disclosed, but Nokia will receive an unknown one-time payment plus on-going payments from RIM.

Nokia may have lost the title as the top-selling mobile phone maker, but the Finnish company holds patents to over 10,000 types of technology after having invested approximately €45bn in research and development over the past two decades.

Now RIM can focus on bringing BlackBerry 10 to market, plus the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones – which was potentially revealed yesterday as the BlackBerry Z10.

December 21, 2012
Samsung Promises Software Update As Quickly As Possible For Exynos Vulnerability

Samsung has confirmed recent reports of a security vulnerability that affects Exynos-equipped handsets, such as the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. In a statement issued to AndroidCentral, the company acknowledged the “potential security issue” relating to the Exynos processor and promises to release a software patch, however a release timeframe has yet to be announced.

[quote]Samsung is aware of the potential security issue related to the Exynos processor and plans to provide a software update to address it as quickly as possible. The issue may arise only when a malicious application is operated on the affected devices; however, this does not affect most devices operating credible and authenticated applications. Samsung will continue to closely monitor the situation until the software fix has been made available to all affected mobile devices.[/quote]

The flaw, discovered by developers on the XDA Developers forum, left certain Exynos-powered devices vulnerable to malicious apps that could steal personal data, wipe data, and even brick handsets. It affected a number of Samsung’s own devices — including the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S III, and the Samsung Galaxy Note II — plus some third-party handsets as well.

One of the developers at XDA forum, named Chainfire has already released an app based on the kernel exploit. “ExynosAbuse,” the newly released 1-click APK, uses the exploit in question to root a device with just a single click of a button.

On the flip side, alephzain pointed out that RAM dump, kernel code injection and other possible harms could be possible via app installation from the Play Store. Although there are many ways to inflict harm, Samsung has just provided yet another easy way to exploit, making the security hole more dangerous and exposing the phone to malicious apps

We will be looking out for more news on Samsung’s fix for its top Galaxy handsets – stay with us.

December 20, 2012
Millennial : Samsung Android 2012 Market Share Doubled Last Year

For the second day, Samsung has been named the new leader. After Tuesday unseating Nokia as the top cellphone maker in 2012, the Galaxy vendor today topped HTC as the Android maker which gets most used to access mobile ads. According to ad firm Millennial, Samsung had 46 percent of Android app use, double the 26 percent of 2011.

Meanwhile, HTC plummeted from 32% to 16%, while Moto dropped from 22% to 11%. This is a massive change.

Samsung has been producing hit after hit with its Galaxy line of handsets, with the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II at the forefront. Not only is it making great devices, the company has also marketed its products like there’s no tomorrow.

With virtually a phone of every size and price available, Samsung has saturated the smartphone market with multiple choices, which has certainly helped the company in the past year.

Can competitors like HTC rally and make a comeback in the new year? Samsung is likely to introduce strong successors to all of its current top-performers, including a Galaxy S IV and Galaxy Note III, but we’ll have to wait and see if an upset is in the cards.

December 20, 2012
Samsung to Showcase Flexible Screens 1280×720 Resolutions At CES

Samsung Display’s spokespeople have confirmed that they will be unveiling two flexible screens at CES 2013, one of which will be a 5.5″ display (same size as the Galaxy Note 2), the other 55″, which sounds just about right for a TV.

During previous Consumer Electronic Shows (CES) Samsung demoed flexible displays and their capabilities. Two years later Samsung Mobile Display has teased the masses once again and stated they’ll be showcasing a 5.5-inch flexible display with a resolution of 1280×720, and a 267ppi (pixels per inch) at CES 2013.

Some of the previous reports on Samsung’s plans for the smartphone market suggested that Samsung was planning on including a flexible touchscreen in its next flagship Android smartphone, dubbed Galaxy S IV and expected to become official before the end of the first quarter of 2013.

It’ll be interesting to see the progress 2-years has brought.

December 20, 2012
LG Optimus L9 Hands On

LG has recently upped their game in the Android Mobile Phone market, with the 4x HD, the Optimus VU and various other devices aimed at the commercial market. LG has also tried to tap into all segments of the market with the L Series of smartphones. The LG Optimus L9 is one such example.

The LG Optimus L9 follows along the design of the 4X HD with a patterned side and back. The phone also sports a 5 MP camera with full HD 1080p video capabilities at the back and a VGA camera out front.

The LG Optimus L9 is packed with a decent set of hardware, including a Dual Core 1 GHz TI OMAP 4430 (which seems more capable than the numbering), PowerVR SGX540 for GPU and 4Gb storage along with 1 GB of RAM. The LG Optimus L9 also houses a 2150 mAh battery pack.

The display is a qHD 540 x 960 px 4.7 inch IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen with a 234 pixels per inch density. And you have the standard set of connectivity options including HSDPA, 3G, EDGE, GPRS, WIFI, Bluetooth.

Left Side

Right Side

Bottom

Top

The phone does not really have a premium appeal, or maybe its just a personal opinion, the device seems a little overpowered by plastic. However the LG Optimus L9 overall feels pretty robust in construction, no squeaks or noises from the chassis either.

While we go 3rd degree on the phone, check out the initial hands on video along with a benchmarks video coming up and stay tuned for gaming and the full review.

December 20, 2012
Apple Releases iOS 6.0.2 To Fix Wi-Fi Issues

Apple has released a small bug fix update for iPhone and iPad users. iOS 6.0.2 is rolling out now to phones and tablets, promising only one minor change: “Fixes a bug that could impact Wi-Fi.”

There have been a number of complaints related to malfunctioning Wi-Fi connections on the iPhone 5, so this could be a welcome update for many users.

Apple’s failure to provide more specifics on just what the Wi-Fi fix addresses means we can only guess at what issues the update really aims to correct. Some iOS 6 users have reported issues with cellular data getting used even when their iOS devices are connected to Wi-Fi networks.

Apple has also been making strides in bringing iOS 6.1 to market and it should be available in early 2013.

Apple encourages all users to download and apply the update, which can be accessed immediately by syncing your device with iTunes.

December 19, 2012
Twitter 4.0 Now Available for BlackBerry Smartphones

Twitter v4.0 for BlackBerry smartphones is now available on the BlackBerry App World storefront. This is good news for the 80+ million users out there as it includes the “Connect” and “Discover” features that is present on iOS and Android.

Changes Include :

– Enhanced navigation bar – With Twitter v4.0, you will enjoy an enhanced navigation experience, keeping you connected to your friends and content that matter.

– New tabs with a familiar feel – Twitter v4.0 showcases the ‘Connect’ and ‘Discover’ tabs, which active Twitter users will recognize from Twitter’s website.

– Connect tab – Helping to keep those engaged conversations going, the ‘Connect’ tab shares who has retweeted, favorited and followed you, and gives you the option to filter ‘mentions’ and ‘replies’.

– Discover tab – Twitter v4.0 makes finding the latest news and trends easier and quicker. Discover new friends and favorite things to follow through ‘Who to follow’ or by browsing via ‘Categories’. Catch up on the latest buzz through viewing ‘Trends’.

– Me tab – Access messages and lists under the ‘Me’ tab.

Twitter 4.0 for BlackBerry is a free download from BlackBerry World.

December 19, 2012
Rumour : Nokia Windows RT Tablet Release Date Set For February

Rumours of Nokia coming to market with a tablet has surfaced today. The source is overseas from DigiTimes who states Nokia is in talks with Microsoft and Qualcomm to launch a a 10-inch Windows RT tablet. The unnamed tablet will reportedly be showcased at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February, known specs are minimal.

Apparently the Windows 8 tablet was supposed to be available in Q1 2013 with a test market of 200,000 units, but Microsoft released the Surface and Nokia wanted to see how consumers responded to it.

Sources say that Nokia was waiting for the Windows tablet market, “To be proven.” It obviously now feels that it has and is preparing to restart development of its 10-inch tablet, with a view to announcing it during Mobile World Congress. Nokia has again teamed up with Qualcomm and Compal Electronics to manufacture it.

As Nokia makes one of the most popular Windows Phone handsets, and has a reputation for producing durable, well-designed mobile products, a Windows RT tablet from the company is an interesting proposition.

December 19, 2012
Samsung Launches Galaxy Grand 5 inch WVGA Single / Dual Sim Jelly Bean Smartphone

Samsung has just announced that it will unveil the new Samsung Galaxy Grand at CES 2013 in Las Vegas. The Galaxy Grand will be available in Single and Dual Sim variants and boasts of a 5 inch WVGA display with a native 800 x480 px display (read: pixellated). The Galaxy Grand will also run Jelly Bean 4.1.2 out of the Box and will also feature a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. The new Phablet style phone will also have a host of the premium suite apps from Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, including Multi Window and Pop Up Play.

The Galaxy Grand has a 8 Megapixel Main camera and a 2 MP front faces with 720p video calling. On the inside you will find a 2,100mAh battery, 8GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot for expansion up to 64GB. Famous for various connectivity options Samsung includes HSPA+, Bluetooth, DLNA and WiFi.

The Galaxy Grand is expected to hit Asian markets including India early 2013.

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Samsung GALAXY Grand runs Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), Google’s latest operating system. Its vivid 5.0’’ display provides an expansive viewing experience, presenting messaging, multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity. Even with the large screen, the phone is still slim, ergonomic and comfortable to hold. You can also enjoy true multitasking running multiple apps simultaneously and without switching screens using Multi Window feature.

GALAXY Grand with an impressive 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor supports seamless multitasking, faster web browsing, lightning-fast screen transitions and superior graphics for some of the most demanding apps and games.

The GALAXY Grand sports a powerful camera with zero shutter-lag and ultra-quick camera start-up. It includes a backside illumination sensor to ensure clear shots even in dark conditions, as well as Full HD video recording.

Samsung GALAXY Grand also includes intuitive features that make the phone easy to use. For example, Direct Callenables users to automatically dial a call by raising the device up to the ear; while users can also shake the phone to trigger status updates, or pan it to zoom into a screen. Smart Alert shows missed events such as missed calls and new messages just by picking up the phone. Popup Video, for example, lets users watch video in a pop-up window anywhere on the screen while running other tasks; S Voice lets you control the phone using your voice; and AllShare Play lets you share content across Samsung devices using a single account.

The phone is pre-loaded with the latest versions of Samsung Hubs to deliver the most popular games, movies and music direct to the user on demand.

The GALAXY Grand will be available in two versions – The Dual SIM version (GT-I9082) will launch first and the single SIM version (GT-I9080) will follow. For the dual SIM version, its innovative dual SIM feature provides total communication flexibility, allowing users to manage two phone numbers from a single phone. It is possible to receive calls on one SIM number while taking a call from the other, ensuring efficient management of personal and work commitments without ever missing a call. Dual SIM also offers the flexibility of selecting different billing plans for either SIM, switching between them to make the most of cheaper call and data plans.

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December 18, 2012
Google Maps For iOS Download Hits 10 Million In First 2 Days

More than 10 million iOS users sprinted back into the arms of Google Maps the weekend after the new third-party app was released, according to a Google+ post from Jeff Huber, a senior vice president at the company. With its vector graphics and exclusive features like Street View, the app is obviously a hit.

There’s no doubt that millions of consumers were waiting for the Google Maps release, as Apple’s software, which replaced Google back in September, has been plagued withinaccurate location data and other bugs since its debut.

Considering the app has not been optimized yet for the iPad, that number will balloon once again when it is made into a universal app.

Now, for some context, here are some other app launch stats: OS X Mountain Lion, Apple’s latest Mac OS, was downloaded 3 million times during its first 4 days. And thejailbreak utility Absinthe saw about 1 million in its first day.

December 18, 2012
RIM CMO: We Will Have More Than 70,000 Apps At The Time Of BlackBerry 10 Launch

RIM CMO Frank Boulben recently sat down for an interview, explaining that he joined RIM for “what could be the greatest comeback in tech history.”, with the Blackberry 10. Some investors bolted a long time ago and declared the company cannot return the glory they once had. However, amidst all this turmoil, RIM and their 80 million subscribers are poised to embark on what will possibly be the most talked about mobile story of 2013.

Boulben also noted that part of the road to success for BlackBerry 10 is to educate the public on “what the device is capable of, that is a fundamental aspect.” In addition, an area of concern is the number of apps that will be available at launch. RIM has already shown off Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Foursquare, but has never communicated a solid number of how many we can expect, only that there’ll be thousands available. In the interview, Boulben stated that the Blackberry 10 will have a best in class browser, a fantastic multimedia experience and “at launch we will have more than 70,000 apps available.” That is promising.

All set for 30th January!

December 18, 2012
Retina Display Coming To Next Gen iPad Mini?

Apple is rumored to be focusing on upgrading the resolution of its recently released iPad mini to Retina display specifications, with the changes said to be arriving in the next generation of the small form factor tablet’s next generation.

Retina seems like a logical update for Apple’s second generation iPad mini, and a report from Digitimes today says that Apple is indeed planning to increase the resolution of its next iPad mini.

[quote]Apple’s next-generation iPad mini will focus mostly on enhancing the device’s display resolution, according to Taiwan-based backlighting industry sources. The sources have yet to specify whether the device will use Apple’s Retina Display technology to enhanced resolution, but market observers said it is highly likely based on the development of past Apple products such as the iPhone and 9.7-inch iPad series.[/quote]

Adding a Retina display to a device as thin as the iPad mini could be a tricky prospect, possibly requiring a large battery and a more robust processor, as it did when Apple introduced the Retina display to the full-sized iPad.

If Apple did a Retina version of the Mini it would be approximately 300 pixels per inch. That’s really hard to manufacture and hasn’t been done yet for the 7.9-inch class display that Apple uses. That said, Amazon has come close. The larger Amazon Kindle Fire HD has an 8.9-inch display boasting 254 pixels per inch. By Apple’s own definition of pixel density, that’s Retina resolution.

[CNET]

December 14, 2012