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LG Optimus G Nexus Hands-On Report Surfaces Online!

We are getting further into October and in the last couple of days rumours surrounding the Google Nexus program have been heating up. Only recently there was no leaked news about any upcoming Nexus device, but in the last couple of days things are changing. now, a LG Optimus G Nexus hands on report has surfaced online.

Android and Me has been given access to the first LG Optimus G Nexus hands on, albeit it can’t provide any images or videos of the device. Apparently the handset has been tested by a source that has access to it, without being a Google employee. Here’s what he told the publication :

[quote]

“I can confirm the next nexus is LG Optimus based. The phone looks surprisingly like the Galaxy Nexus and does not have sharp corners like the LG Optimus we already know. It has a silver’ring like the iPhone 3G around the outer edge of the screen which seemed to be similar to the Galaxy Nexus in size but was much better in brightness.

I couldn’t have said if it was larger in the few minutes that I had the phone. Also, it has Nexus written on the back like the Nexus 7 except there is a color element to it. The ‘X’ is in four colors. There was also the LG logo on the back.

Android 4.2 in its current state looked exactly like the 4.1.1 we love. There were no tabs on that build version for home-screens as you suggested from your other tipster. What I was amazed by is how fluid everything seemed to be from exiting apps, switching, etc. It seems like they’ve increased the number of transitions and their types. It still had the hodge-podge mess of multiple communication tools: Messenger, GTalk, Voice and SMS.”

[/quote]

If the information described above is correct, it’s describing a very iterative Nexus, one with a 8MP camera (not the 13MP module found in the Optimus G), running a new-but-familiar version of Android.

This is getting interesting!

October 5, 2012
Mercedes-Benz Launches C-Class Sport and E-Class Sport

Mercedes-Benz India today launched a Sport Edition of its flagship sedans the C-Class and the E-Class. The Sport Edition of the C-Class 220 CDI and the E-Class 220 CDI Sport Edition was launched by Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India and Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India.

The C-Class and the E-Class flagships sedans have been Mercedes-Benz India’s highest selling luxury cars in India. The C-Class sedan known for its performance and driving dynamics has sold close to 16,000 units in the Indian market since its introduction. The E-Class sedan that sets benchmark in luxury segment has sold more than 21,000 units till date. The average age of customer in India today is getting more younger & the Sport Edition of the C-Class and E-Class is a tribute to these young, aggressive and trendy emerging new age consumers. The Sport Edition of the C-Class and the E-Class stands distinctively different from any other car in its segment in India, since the dynamic interplay of lines and colors and trims reflect the aggressive driving dynamics of these vehicles.

The Sports editions of the C-Class and the E-Class are priced at Rs 29.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and Rs 39.9 lakh respectively. Both the sedans are powered by the 220CDI four-cylinder diesel engine developing 170bhp and 400Nm of torque; mated to 7G TRONIC automatic transmission.

The C220 CDI Sports edition gets loads of additional features inside, along with the AMG body kit. The interiors get Artico upholstery with Black piano lacquer trim, electric seats, THERMATIC automatic climate control, an Audio 20 with single CD player with USB, Aux in and Bluetooth connectivity. The C 220 CDI also features a Mirror Package.

The AMG styling kit of C220 CDI includes front and rear bumper aprons and side skirts, 17-inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels, black painted roof with a SPORT badge, halogen lamp and is available in Polar White colour.

The basic body kit remains the same on the E220 CDi as well, but the alloy-wheels are bigger – five-spoke 18-inch rims. The E-Class Sport also gets LED Day time lights and Direct Control Suspension; it is also available in the Polar White colour.

The features on the E220 are similar to that of the C220; however it gets burr walnut wood trim. Both cars have host of safety features including PRE – SAFE, NECK Pro, Attention Assist, tire pressure loss warning system, 6 Airbags, Antilock Braking System, Brake Assist, and Electronic Stability Programme with Acceleration Skid Control (ASR).

October 5, 2012
Xperia S Tablet Sales Put On Hold Due To Water Resistance Defect

Sony Corp said it has halted sales of its Xperia tablet PCs, a month after its launch, after discovering gaps between the screen and the case that make some of the machines susceptible to water damage.

The problem with the tablet, which is supposed to be water resistant, is the result of a manufacturing flaw at the Chinese plant where it is fabricated, said Sony spokeswoman Noriko Shoji. Sony has not yet decided when it will resume sales, she added.

Sony began selling its latest Android tablet on September 7 in the United States followed by launches in Japan, Europe and elsewhere. So far it has shipped around 100,000 of the devices. The company said it will fix any of the tablets sold and expects the cost of the recall to have no significant impact on earnings.

The tablet joins a crowded market for tablets that is still dominated by Apple Inc’s iPad. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, with its rival Android machine, leads the pack of Apple challengers.

October 5, 2012
Samsung expects a operating profit of US $ 7.28 Billion this Quarter

Samsung has let the details out ahead of its earnings call for Q3 results. It’s expecting a fourth straight record quarter with overall operating profits of 8.1 trillion won ($7.28 billion), Almost double of what the company made at the same time last year.

Earnings at the mobile-phone business surged 93 percent in the quarter with the May debut of the Galaxy S III and the Note, according to a Bloomberg News survey of six analysts, helping mask a slump in profit from selling computer-memory chips. TV sales also helped Asia’s biggest consumer-electronicscompany, which lost a California patent trial in August to rival and key customer Apple.

[quote]“Smartphone sales were very solid,” Kim Young Chan, a Seoul-based analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., said by phone today. “Smartphone shipments have increased significantly, easing concerns about marketing spending eating into profit.”[/quote]

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Samsung Electronics Announces Earnings Guidance for Third Quarter 2012
Consolidated revenues estimated at 52 trillion Korean won
Operating profit at 8.1 trillion won

SEOUL, Korea – October 5, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its earnings guidance for the third quarter, 2012.

Consolidated Sales : Approximately 52 trillion Korean won
(Range: 51 – 53 trillion Korean won)

Consolidated Operating Profit : Approximately 8.1 trillion Won
(Range: 7.9 – 8.3 trillion Korean won)

The above figures are consolidated earnings estimates based on K-IFRS

? ’12 2Q and ’11 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

(in trillion won)
’12 .2Q
‘11.3Q
Sales
47.60
41.27
Operating profit
6.72
4.25

Disclosure regulations in South Korea do not allow earnings guidance to be provided as a range, therefore the official disclosure was made based on the median value as stated above.

The guidance is provided ahead of the full announcement of quarterly earnings results for the convenience of investors and media, before our external audit on the financial results of our headquarters, subsidiaries and affiliates is completed. Therefore, the above estimate may differ from the actual results.

The full earnings for the third quarter will be disclosed following the Board of Directors’ approval of the financial statements and quarterly reports.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

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October 5, 2012
Asus PadFone 2 Specs leak again, hinting massive overhaul, Launch on 16th Oct

The Asus Padfone came and went faster than we could say hello, but its successor may stay on. The revision includes a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch display with a 1280 x 720 resolution, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 2,140mAh battery.The Padfone will operate GSM 1900/850 MHz, WCDMA 2100 MHz and comes with NFC. But, these specs are no different from the box specs that leaked out in the past. Image below.

The company will announce the Hybrid on 16th October in Milan.

October 5, 2012
Windows 8 Tablets will reach the US in December

While India awaits, The US will get two Windows 8 tablets from ASUS and Samsung, namely the VivoTab RT and ATIV Smart PC, this holiday season.

The VivoTab RT from ASUS is equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor,Windows RT, 4G LTE connectivity, 32GB of internal storage and features a 10.1-inch Super IPS display with ASUS TruVivid technology for a better viewing experience.

Samsung’s 11.6-inch HD ATIV Smart PC includes a dual-core Intel Clover Trail processor clocked at 1.5GHz, Windows 8, 64GB of internal storage and can be connected to a detachable keyboard dock. As an added bonus, the VivoTab RT comes preloaded with Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview Edition, while the ATIV Smart PC includes a trial of Office 2013.

The two tablets will be launched on the At&t network in the US during the holiday season. India is expected to play host to all Windows 8 Tablets early next year.

October 5, 2012
The iPad Mini might be the most gorgeous 7 inch form tablet to date

The iPad mini leaks are starting to bomb the circuit. The new anodized Aluminum design is certainly eye-catching. Gizmodo reader Martin Hajek has produced some high-quality renders of the device that show off what its black anodized aluminum casing will look like. The pictures sent to Gizmodo not only show off the tablet’s casing but also showcase the device’s rumored 7.85-inch display that features thinner side bezels when compared to the iPad.

The color options make us drool check them out.

October 5, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III will get Jelly Bean post 20th Oct

Samsung has confirmed that the Jelly bean Update for Galaxy S IIIs in India will start seeding from their servers post 20th october 2012. While the company estimates the process to be smooth, we expect just like last time some units will get the Jelly Bean update before others.

On 6 September 2012, Samsung revealed that sales of the S III had reached 20 million in 100 days, making it three and six times faster-selling than the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy S, respectively. Europe accounted for more than 25 percent of this figure with 6 million units, followed by Asia (4.5 million) and the U.S. (4 million); sales in South Korea, the S III’s home market, numbered 2.5 million.

So if those numbers are to be agreed upon the Europe update which started last week will be followed by updates in Asia including India then US and so on.

October 5, 2012
Did Nokia sell their “Connecting People” Logo to Facebook to fight their multi billion loss?

Connecting Facebook?

Whats this, Is Nokia selling trademarks and logos to keep up with expenses?

This might not actually be the case but the new Facebook campaign cover image is quite similar to the good old Nokia “Connecting People” Trademark image. I Hope Nokia has some sort of legal work in place, so that they can sue their way back into the limelight.

Nokia introduced its”Connecting People” advertising slogan, coined by Ove Strandberg and used since 1992. Nokia was the world’s largest vendor of mobile phones from 1998 to 2011. However, over the past five years it has suffered declining market share as a result of the growing use of smartphones from other vendors, principally the Apple iPhone and devices running on Google’s Android operating system. As a result, its share price has fallen from a high of US$40 in 2007 to under US$3 in 2012. Since February 2011, Nokia has had a strategic partnership with Microsoft, as part of which all Nokia smartphones will incorporate Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system (replacing Symbian).

Nokia unveiled its first Windows Phone handsets, the Lumia 710 and 800, in October 2011 which did not do well in the market as expected. Nokia then went on to release two other Lumia Phones the 710 and the Lumia 900, both of which also did not do well considering the fact that Microsoft launched the new Windows Phone 8 OS which would not be compatible on these phones.

Nokia is now banking on the release of their new 2012 Lineup of phones including the Lumia 920 and 820 which were announced on 5th Sept 2012, and are expected to become available mid November. We did go hands on with these phones and feel that they might be the saving grace Nokia is after.

The company reported a terrible Q2 result showing a Net loss of US$ 2 Billion, and declaring sale and then rental of their HQ at Espoo, Finland.

October 5, 2012
Facebook To Charge Users To “Promote” Content

For all those frequenting Facebook, the social networking website can now turn into a forum for promoting themselves as by paying a few bucks, people can now use the media for highlighting something they want to.

If you want more of your friends to see your funny one liner or personal announcement, pony up little cash and you will get more visibility. Although the price has not yet been fixed but Facebook already soft-launched its latest paid product ‘promoted posts’ yesterday as part of its effort to mop up more revenues, charging users $7 to make their friends more likely to see their personal posts..

[quote]“When you promote a post – whether it’s wedding photos, a garage sale, or big news – you bump it higher in news feed so your friends and subscribers are more likely to notice it,” wrote Facebook’s Abhishek Doshi in a post announcing the test.[/quote]

For now, at least, the test is limited to people with fewer than 5,000 friends and subscribers.

Of course, Facebook controls the algorithm for what shows up in members’ News Feeds, and in theory should already be running it in a way that shows us just the most interesting content. But owning the News Feed also means they can make money off of it from marketers – and now from members.

The service echoes one that Facebook first rolled out in New Zealand right before its IPO.

October 4, 2012
Mahindra to launch Rexton on Oct 17

Mahindra & Mahindra, India’s leading SUV manufacturer, on Wednesday announced it would be launching the Rexton, its first product under Ssangyong stable in India, on October 17.

The Rexton has always had solid underpinnings, borrowed from the Mercedes-Benz M-Class from a few generations ago, but it lost out a lot in the looks department. Unveiled at the Busan Motor Show in Korea in May, the new Rexton is a third-generation model that is based on the W163 M-Class chassis.

The new Rexton, dubbed the Rexton W, gets a completely new front-end, with new headlamps, fog lights and a wider, chrome-lined grille. The entire front bumper assembly also appears to be new. At the rear, new tail-lamps and a new bumper round out the deal. The other details of the car remain the same though, but the wheel-arches of the car are much better integrated this time around and don’t look like after thoughts.

There will also be new powerplants on offer. The old 2.7-litre turbo-diesel engine that currently does duty in the Rexton has been replaced with a 154 bhp, 2.0-litre engine. This one is an in-house creation as opposed to the older engine which was derived from a Mercedes-Benz unit.

Mahindra hopes to offer both a 5-speed automatic as well as a manual version of the Rexton and is likely to be priced in the Rs 17 to 19 lakh bracket.

[BSMotoring]

October 4, 2012
Google Maps Street View Web App Launching Tomorrow, Will Work On iPhone, iPad

Google will add its popular Street View feature to the Google Maps web app, accessible on iOS devices, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said the feature will be rolled out on Thursday, and tech correspondent Walt Mossberg has already tested the new version of the browser-based service.

Google has been apparently working on adding this integration to the HTML5-based app since the launch of iOS 6, and the feature will be compatible on the iPhone and iPad through Mobile Safari. The addition is a precursor to what most pundits believe is a push to add a dedicated Google Maps app to iOS, like Google just did with YouTube.

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said in September that no standalone mapping app has been submitted to Apple’s App Store, and declined to elaborate on the company’s future plans regarding and iOS version of Google Maps. Such an app is believed to be in the works, however, as Google wants to keep a strong presence on Apple’s mobile platform, evidenced in the recent introduction of a standalone YouTube app.

October 4, 2012
Breaking : Micromax Launches new Funbook Talk P350 with Phone Call Ability for Rs 7249

Micromax has just announced plans for a new Funbook Tablet, the P350 Funbook Talk, which features the same specs of the P300 with phone call ability and a dedicated sim card slot for GSM networks.

All other features remain the same, with a 1.0 GHz Cortex A8 Dual Mali 400 chipset, Android 4.0.4 and a 7 inch capacitive screen. You do have a front facing 0.3 MP camera and a microSD card slot, along side a 2800 mAh battery and a 3G dongle support.

The Tablet has been announced for a price of Rs. 7250, expect full video soon.

October 4, 2012
60% Of iPhone Users Running iOS 6

A new study says most iPhone users have updated to iOS 6, Apple’s latest operating system, despite a number of flaws that have plagued its launch.

After only two weeks on the market, iOS 6 is running on over 60% of iPhones, 15% more than on iPads. Chitika, an ad network and analytics firm, put together the study.

Apple is known for having fast adoption rates for its operating systems, but it wouldn’t have been surprising if iOS 6 bucked that trend after suffering from a plethora of problems that have embarrassed the Cupertino tech company since its launched.

iPhone users are adopting iOS 6 faster than iPad or iPod Touch users, likely because most iPhones support the upgrade, whereas the iPad 1 and iPod Touches before the 4th generation won’t be updated past iOS 4 or iOS 5.

In particular, the iPad 1, due to its limited 256MB of RAM, was not able to update past iOS 5.1, leaving many owners angry that their first-generation product is now obsolete. While most apps will still run fine for another generation or so on iOS 5, many developers will begin enforcing iOS 6 in the coming months.

October 4, 2012
Nokia brings the Xpress browser compression to the Lumia Line

Nokia has launched a new Xpress browser of or the Lumia line that is identical to the browser found n the new Asha phones.

Announced today via the company’s Beta Labs site, Nokia Xpress leverages the cloud to compress internet data up to 85 percent, help users keep tabs on their consumption habits and even reformats favorited sites into a magazine-like layout.

The app also allows for simple searches for items across Bing and YouTube from within the browser.

Its not available in the marketplace as of now but can be downloaded from the source below.

[Nokia BetaLabs]

October 4, 2012