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NaviFirm Showing Windows Phone 7.8 For Nokia Lumia 800, Lumia 510

The Windows Phone 7.8 platform has been spotted in NaviFirm for Nokia’s devices powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 OS, suggesting that it should not be too long before users receive it officially.

What Windows Phone 7.8 brings is a new home screen with live tiles available in 3 different sizes, just like in Windows Phone 8. A whole bunch of new interface theme colors have been thrown in, although the background can still be had in either white or black. Also, the lock screen wallpaper can be replaced with the one featured in the Bing application.

If you want to upgrade your Nokia Lumia 900,800,710,610 and Nokia Lumia 510 to Windows Phone 7.8 by flashing method (all data(s) will be loss), you can just download the firmware from navifirm and use flashing tools (e.g Nokia Care Suite). Simply select the device from the list, and then choose to download the latest firmware available for it (it should be the last item in the list in the middle, labeled 1750.823.8858.12460 for Lumia 800, for example).

Please note that you flash your device at your own risk and we cannot take any responsibility for damage caused to your Windows Phone.

December 14, 2012
Android Winning Mobile War With Apple : Google Chairman Eric Schmidt

Google is winning the smartphone war against Apple, says Eric Schmidt, the company’s Executive Chairman. In an interview with Bloomberg over the weekend, the outspoken executive said that, based on market share, Google doesn’t have to worry about the mobile game. It is clearly winning. With 75% worldwide market share as of Q3 2012, Android has infiltrated most developing markets to become the de facto entry-level smartphone OS. It has taken millions of users away from Symbian, BlackBerry, and is certainly the most affordable path to entry for users upgrading from “dumbphones.”

[quote]“This is a huge platform change; this is of the scale of 20 years ago — Microsoft versus Apple,” he said. “We’re winning that war pretty clearly now.”[/quote]

Schmidt’s remarks reflect Google’s growing confidence in its ability to attract users and advertisers as more customers rely on handheld devices and shun traditional computers. By giving away Android, Google cedes revenue to hardware partners, such as Samsung Electronics Co. Schmidt is willing to make that sacrifice because it drives demand for ads and other Internet- based services that benefit Google over time.

[quote]“The core strategy is to make a bigger pie,” he said. “We will end up with a not perfectly controlled and not perfectly managed bigger pie by virtue of open systems.”[/quote]

With high-quality core apps on both Android and iOS, it’s possible to stay within the Google ecosystem on either platform these days. Even though Android is its baby, Schmidt seems satisfied with the company’s iOS strategy.

“The core strategy is to make a bigger pie,” he said. And what a tasty pie it is.

December 14, 2012
Airtel Introduces ‘Call-me-Back’ Service In Case Of Low Prepaid Balance

No talktime to even give a missed call? We are here to help you with Airtel ‘Call-me-Back ‘ service. The Call-me-back SMS service will allow a prepaid user to get a call-back from another airtel number (prepaid or postpaid) in case of insufficient balance. This unique service will ensure that airtel customers are always connected.

Just SMS writing CALL <space> <airtel mobile number you want to speak to .>, send to 121 , and expect a call from your dear ones. For e.g. ‘Person A’ having balance less than Re.1 can send a toll-free SMS to 121 writing CALL < Person B airtel number >, and the ‘Person B’ will get an SMS from number of ‘Person A’ saying : “Please call me back. Thank You.” .This service will ensure that are airtel customers are never out of touch with their family and friends.

There is no charge to ‘Person A’ for this service, and the call-back by ‘Person B’ is as per the person’s B plan rate. The customer who is calling back can be a prepaid or a postpaid user. Also, both the customers can be a local , STD number , or be in national roaming.

This service can be availed when the balance in customer’s prepaid account is below Re1 , and can be used upto 3 times in a day.

December 13, 2012
Blackberry 10 L-Series Video Surfaces

Yesterday we saw some new photos of RIM’s first full touchscreen BlackBerry 10 smartphone, the BlackBerry L-Series and now we have a video of the device in action which you can see below.

The device looks remarkably similar to the Dev Alpha device that has been floating around for the past few months, which lends credence to the idea that it contains final hardware wrapped in a “shell,” much like what Samsung did when seeding out tester devices for the Galaxy S III.

With a soft textured backing, iconic BlackBerry logo and a subtle, cropped camera lens/flash combo, the device appears to be every bit a “miniature PlayBook,” which in our eyes is a good thing. From the front it looks like RIM has completely done away with its previous design ethic, opting for a clean, distinct top and bottom bezel and what looks like an AMOLED screen.

Like recent BlackBerry devices, the L-Series features a prominent notification light and a volume rocker with a third middle button for playback pause and resume.

December 13, 2012
Google Maps for iPhone released on Apple iTunes App store : Updated

As it was awaited and predicted the dedicated app for Google Maps for iPhone running iOS 6 and up, has been released on the iTunes Store and it also brings turn by turn voice guided navigation. Apple had decided to remove all Google related apps from its OS in iOS 6 and onward and specifically replace the maps app with their own iOS Maps application. The Apple Maps were not very detailed and caused a lot of problems for owners and Apple alike.

Here are the detailed options available in the Google Maps for iPhone app:

Search
* Find addresses, places and businesses around the world with Google local search.
* Discover places to eat, drink, shop and play, with ratings and local reviews.
* Sign in to sync your searches, directions, and favorite places between your computer and your phone.

Directions
* Get voice guided, turn-by-turn driving directions.
* Find your way by train, bus, subway or walking directions.
* Access live traffic information in cities across the world.

Street View and imagery
* View 360-degree panoramas of places around the globe with Street View.
* See inside more than 100,000 businesses worldwide.
* View high resolution satellite imagery of locations around the world.

Simple and easy to use
* An entirely new Google Maps experience on your iPhone.
* Newly designed and streamlined interface for even easier navigation of your world.
* Use gestures to explore the map and browse results.

Update: Apparently the app works cross platform. : Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Download Link

December 13, 2012
Panasonic strengthens foothold in India : Inaugurates new manufacturing unit – Panasonic ‘Eco Ideas’ Factory

Panasonic India, today announced the expansion of its presence in India with the opening of its first model ‘eco ideas’ Factory in India. This is the company’s latest initiative to showcase best practices in sustainable manufacturing and raise level of eco consciousness in the community through outreach activities. With the opening of this manufacturing unit in India, Panasonic reiterated how localization is key for the company’s growth and its commitment in India. This factory promises not just state-of-the-art manufacturing of high-tech products, but also brings much-needed employment, economic growth, and social benefits to the region. In addition to creating hundreds of jobs, vocational trainings will be offered to improve the technical skills of the people working in and around the Jhajjar facility, helping them increase their employment opportunities.

The factory was inaugurated in the presence of dignitaries like Honorable Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda; Shri. Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya, Minister for Rural Development, Government of India; Shri Naresh Kumar Sharma, MLA, Badli; Mr. Randeep Singh Surjewala, Industries and Commerce Minister, Haryana; Shri Deepinder Hooda, Member of Parliament; Shri Ram Kishan Gujjar, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Industries and Commerce Department, Mr. Pradeep Puri, CEO of Model Economic Township Company Limited; Mr. Rajeev Arora, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Mr. Tarun Bajaj, Managing Director of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC). Senior representatives from Panasonic also graced the occasion.

The new Panasonic India Group facility, located at Dadri Toi in Jhajjar Haryana, will implement a wide range of eco initiatives, including development of technologies to support a zero-carbon lifestyle and the adoption of sustainable business practices across the entire company. Panasonic Technopark is designed with various green features, which include a 28.29 KWp solar modules installation at the rooftop of the office, entrance canopy and car park to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and a 100% water recycling system for a sustainable water provision. As part of the factory’s sustainable manufacturing, the company will implement initiatives that focus on three key areas, which include CO2emissions reduction, waste management and recycling, and chemical substance usage.

[quote]Present at the launch, Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “Panasonic has demonstrated its strong commitment in contributing to the country’s efforts in environmental protection. Indeed, the newly established ‘eco ideas’ Factory is a prime example of a manufacturer taking stewardship of its processes and products to mitigate any detrimental environmental impact. We hope such efforts will spur even more manufacturers to do the same and this will lead to the overall development of this area as well as the country especially in terms of providing employment to so many people.”[/quote]

The construction of the manufacturing unit commenced in April 2011 and has an initial manufacturing capacity of over 1,000,000 sets of air conditioners, 400,000 sets of washing machines and 25,000 sets of welding and cutting machines per annum. These environmentally friendly products will cater to the domestic market and the manufacturing unit will be providing employment to approximately 3,500 staff by 2018. Panasonic shall focus on making India a manufacturing hub and will export products from India to other markets like Middle East and Africa region. The percentage of export of products manufactured at Technopark will be 5% by 2013 and 20% by 2015.

At the factory inauguration, Panasonic India announced its commitment of making “environment” central to all business activities in line with the regional ‘eco ideas’. These actions have been divided as 1) ‘eco ideas’ for Lifestyle – achieving green lifestyles to enrich Indian people’s lives through activities promoting energy saving eco products, developing new comprehensive energy and environment solutions business and expanding Eco Learning Programme; 2) ‘eco ideas’ for Business-style – reducing environmental impact through Green manufacturing and CO2emissions reduction.

December 12, 2012
HTC 8X Gets First Windows Phone 8 OTA Update, Brings Always-On WiFi

This is a pretty big moment for Windows Phone and Microsoft, as the first over-the-air (OTA) update is currently being delivered to the international Windows Phone 8X by HTC. Previously, updates to Windows Phone have required the device to be tethered to Zune software on a computer, but one of the new features of Windows Phone 8 allows untethered and far easier OTA updates on the device itself.

The update, currently exclusive to the HTC 8X handset, ups the device’s build number from 9905 to 10211, delivering a range of bug fixes designed to fix reported instances of Windows Phone 8 handsets spontaneously rebooting – a serious flaw that could harm Microsoft’s chances of breaking into the smartphone market, despite Google’s latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system having a few similar issues of its own.

In addition to software tweaks designed to make the handset more reliable, the HTC 8X’s update also brings support for a new setting that forces the phone’s wireless connectivity to remain active at all times – even with the handset’s screen is off. With the setting active, users may find battery life increased in areas where mobile signal is weak but Wi-Fi signal is strong, and will reduce their data usage on metered contracts.

December 12, 2012
Untethered Jailbreak For New iOS 6 Devices To Be Released By Dream JB On Dec. 22

There is some happy news for those who keenly look forward for iOS 6 untethered jailbreaks for iPhone 5. A mysterious and unknown hacker calling himself “Dream JB” is promising to release an untethered iOS 6 jailbreak for the iPad mini, latest iPad and iPhone 5 on December 22. Dream JB is not associated with any known dev team, and the group has posted a message on its website claiming video proof of the one-click solution will arrive tomorrow via an unedited YouTube video.

If true, the new untethered jailbreak will support all current Apple devices running iOS 6.0.1. This includes the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2 and beyond, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 4th generation and beyond.

A jailbreak for iOS 6 has been available for a long time, but it’s a tethered solution that means once you’ve used it, your iOS device has to be plugged into your Mac or PC every time you need to boot it up. Restart your iPhone on the train home from work, then, and it’ll be pretty much useless until you get home.

What’s more, that jailbreak isn’t compatible with Apple’s latest iOS devices, which means if you have an iPhone 5 or a fourth-generation iPad, you’re stuck using the firmware the way Apple intended it to be used.

Most jailbreakers only use jailbreaking tools from proven sources such as the iPhone DevTeam, or Absinthe creator pod2g. And not surprisingly, a large portion of the jailbreaking community is calling Dream JB’s untethered jailbreak a scam.

Let’s see if they’ve really managed to pull off the seemingly impossible, it doesn’t matter to the iPhone 5 owners where the jabilbreak comes from, as long as there is one. Only time will tell if Dream JB has really done it.

Of course, everyone knows that the world ends on December 21st… so there’s speculation this is all a joke. We’ll find out soon enough.

December 12, 2012
YouTube App For Android Updated, Brings UI Revamp For 10″ Tablets

Google has had a busy few weeks, updating or overhauling many of its mobile apps. Not only did Gmail for Android and iOS get major releases in the month of December, but Google+ received a long-awaited Community feature (which has yet to roll out to the mobile apps) and Google Search for Android was updated with better Now support.

This morning, an update to the official YouTube for Android application was released, bringing a brand new UI for 10″ tablets. Instead of having that revolving wheel type of layout, you now have a more “organized” view of your subscriptions and the content they publish on YouTube.

When viewing videos, there’s now a vertical bar to the right of the windowed video of the YouTube app showing off the description and related videos. Comments seem to have been lowered in importance and prominence, buried under the Related Videos.

You can also easily pair your account with Google’s new YouTube TV application, which lets you control your TV viewing experience from your phone or tablet. This is a relatively new feature, but one that will become more important as Google adds more “lean back” content to the service.

These changes are viewable on the iPad, too, but only through the browser at m.youtube.com. This is a huge update and will make your 10-inch Android tablet much more useful.

December 12, 2012
New Leaked HD Images Show Off RIM’s BlackBerry 10 L-Series

For those that are still firmly in the RIM camp, a slew of new high-resolution pictures of the BlackBerry L-Series smartphone were leaked this evening. When it comes to new product leaks, we’re used to being hit with the “blurry cam” treatment. But surprisingly, these images of this Blackberry are high resolution and capture the L-Series from nearly every angle.

It certainly isn’t too terrible as far as looks are concerned, and there’s plenty to discern from the pictures alone: microSD card slot, 1800mAh battery, 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, micro USB, HDMI and a teenie-tiny microphone under the BlackBerry logo on the front of the device.

Of course, nothing is confirmed until RIM unveils Blackberry 10 devices on January 30th, 2013. Check out all the pics below.

December 12, 2012
Adobe Photoshop And Illustrator CS6 Updated With Retina Display Support

Adobe has released an update to its Premier Pro Creative Suite 6 (CS6) that will enable users to view and edit images and video at the resolution of the Retina Display found in the Apple iPad and the new Macbook Pro.

The Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 6.0.2 update is available now and should not only make images clearer but also any text should appear crisper and cleaner.

[quote]With this update, customers can see more detail in images, text, and in the Illustrator user interface when working on high-resolution displays, including the new Retina display available on MacBook Pro. The HiDPI feature in Illustrator is currently only available on Mac OS. It is expected to be available in the future on additional operating systems.[/quote]

Adobe had announced in late August that it would be bringing Retina display support to a number of its titles over the following months, with Photoshop and Illustrator being two of the highest-profile applications receiving the upgrade. At the time, Adobe noted that the upgrade process for Photoshop alone required the replacement of 2500 icons and cursors, as well as other engineering work to optimize the experience for Retina displays.

The update – which is also available for PCs and will support Windows 8 – promises to iron out any bugs customers have claimed to experience and will also be able to handle fully the GT 650M CPU found in the new MacBook Pro.

However, Adobe has said that Mac owners who use Premier Pro should update their computer to Mac OSX v10.8 Mountain Lion to ensure a better experience.

December 11, 2012
BBM 7 With BBM Voice Now Available In BlackBerry App World

Research In Motion officially released the latest version of its BlackBerry Messenger mobile social networking service, adding new voice calling capabilities as well as expanded notifications and synchronization features.

BBM 7 first went to beta back on the 14th of November last month, with beta testers saying things like “the voice feature is easy to use and the audio quality is excellent”, with the full version now out and presumably featuring sounding even better than during the beta process.

RIM said Monday that the new BlackBerry Messenger 7, issued in beta in mid-November, will be available for download from its BlackBerry World storefront within the next 24 hours. Optimized for devices running BlackBerry 6 and higher, with support expanding to BlackBerry 5 early next year, BBM 7 enables consumers to make free voice calls to other BBM users across the globe over a Wi-Fi connection. A split-screen feature allows toggling between messaging and voice options–users may also talk and text at the same time, enhancing business collaboration possibilities.

BBM Voice is included in BBM 7 (version 7.0.0.121) and is now available, or will be within 24-hours, in the BlackBerry App World. Next on the BBM agenda is BBM Video Chat – this will be included in the big BlackBerry 10 launch. In the meantime, RIM made a demo of BBM Voice in action, check it out below.

December 11, 2012
“Office Mobile for iPhone” Shows Up In Microsoft Support Documents

Building upon a series of reports about Microsoft’s apparent efforts to bring its Office productivity suite to iOS, The Verge last month shared a few screenshots and noted that the suite would be offered in early 2013 as a set of free apps with viewing abilities that could be upgraded with basic editing tools through a Microsoft 360 subscription. Microsoft has, however, been rather cryptic in its public comments on the Office for iOS project, leaving a number of questions about just what the company’s plans are.

Today, with special thanks to Microsoft Romania, there’s a slight sign of progress and confirmation. As noted by Mac4ever, references to several Office for iOS applications have begun creeping into Microsoft’s support site, albeit as product tags that appear to have been applied improperly to support articles. In their support documents they reveal “Office Mobile for iPhone” and list “Excel for iPad,” “PowerPoint for iPad.” Unfortunately there’s no other information about specifically when Microsoft will make this available. In addition, Microsoft Office for Android is also expected early 2013.

Like other Microsoft apps, the leaked Office Mobile for iPhone uses Microsoft’s “Metro” Modern UI design language. The app appears to support all files types and syncs them via SkyDrive.

The Software giant will likely limit the mobile apps when they do come to iPhone and iPad. The company will likely require Office 365 for certain aspects of the apps like the ability to edit or create new documents.

December 11, 2012
Samsung Releases New Ad, Promises ‘Something New’ at CES 2013

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of both cellphones and smartphones by volume, is gearing up for CES 2013, which runs January 8-11 in Las Vegas and has put together a nice teaser suggesting “something new is coming”.

Could it be the release of the Samsung Galaxy S IV?

Reuters speculated the Galaxy S IV may come with “a breakthrough unbreakable screen” which can be folded. Other rumors have pointed to a 13-megapixel camera, a quad-core chip and a five-inch display likely sporting full HD 1,920-by-1,080 pixel resolution at 441 pixels per inch, a big improvement in pixel density from both the Galaxy S III’s 306 ppi and the iPhone 5?s 326 ppi screen. But we think Samsung might want to release the S IV at one of it’s own events.

Although the show isn’t traditionally a mobile exhibition, major mobile brands have been a growing presence over the last few years, so a new smartphone isn’t out of the question. The timing seems better for a tablet, however, since its last major release in the category was August’s Galaxy Note 10.1.

But considering Samsung’s long CES heritage, the new product is more likely to be from the audio-visual side of the business. And, considering that CES 2012’s big product launch was centred around the ES8000 TV and its face recognition, motion control and upgradability, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was a new television. A commercially available Samsung ultra high-definition TV, anyone?

What do you think Samsung will bring to CES? Let us know!

December 11, 2012
Google Doodle Celebrates The Birth Of Ada Lovelace, World’s First Computer Programmer

Ada Lovelace, the mathematician known as the world’s first computer programmer, is celebrated today in a Google Doodle on the anniversary of her birth. Augusta Ada King, was the daughter of Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Byron, and was born in London in 1815. Her original name was Augusta Ada Byron and on her marriage to William King she became Ada King and later her husband became an earl, she became the Countess of Lovelace. Ada Lovelace died at the young age of 36 on November 27, 1852 of uterine cancer.

Her work on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine and notes on it are seen as the world’s first algorithm, thus earning her the the distinction of being the world’s first computer programmer.

Today is the 197th anniversary of her birth, and the Google Doodle in her honour portrays the Countess writing equations onto a long sheet of paper with a quill.

The progression from her calculations to the modern day laptop is also detailed in the image, with three interim images of technological breakthroughs in computing since the 19th century.

Charles Babbage called her the ‘Enchantress of Numbers’. Though there has been some disagreements over the extent of Ada Lovelace ‘s contribution to early computing, the computer language Ada is named after her and a medal is awarded in her name by the British Computer Society.

December 10, 2012