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Logitech launches washable keyboard K310, will come to India Next Month Rs 2499/-

Logitech in the US yesterday launched the washable keyboard K310, but failed to give information on the global counterparts. Logitech India has confirmed that the product will be launched in the coming Month or two and will be priced slightly upwards from the US $ 39.99 price , at Rs. 2499.

The keyboard can be submerged in 11 inches of water, and also since this is a wired keyboard, the wire and USB and not water resistant.

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Logitech Unveils Washable, Ultra-Durable Keyboard
Spills and Dust Are No Match for New Logitech Washable Keyboard K310

NEWARK, Calif. – Aug. 22, 2012 – Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) unveiled the latest in its line of PC keyboards, the Logitech® Washable Keyboard K310. From a light dusting to a rinse in the kitchen sink, this keyboard is easy to clean and easy to dry. It’s also designed for a comfortable typing experience with a familiar layout and sleek, thin profile.

The Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 can be hand washed time and time again, and can be submerged (with the exception of the USB cable) in up to 11 inches of water. Convenient drainage holes at the back of the keyboard allow for easy drying while key characters are laser printed and UV coated to help ensure the letters don’t fade in the wash. Plus, the keys can last up to five million keystrokes, meaning this keyboard can take a washing, as well as a pounding.

“We’ve all experienced that moment of distraction – followed by panic, when a cup of coffee or a soda spills all over your keyboard,” says Sophie Le Guen, senior director of mice and keyboards at Logitech. “Because life and its messes will happen, regardless of how careful you are, Logitech designed the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 to look and function like new, even over time.”

Durable, yet still comfortable, this full-size keyboard’s contemporary design complements both your computer and your work space. It comes complete with F-keys and a number pad, and is compatible with Windows® XP, Windows Vista® and Windows® 7. With twelve hot keys for instant access to Internet, e-mail, play, volume and more, you can readily open your most-used applications with a single keystroke. To make life even easier, this keyboard requires no software for setup, simply pull the device straight out of the box, plug it in and type away.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning in August and Europe beginning in October 2012, for a suggested retail price of $39.99. For more information please visit www.logitech.com or our blog.

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August 23, 2012
Amazon launches India Kindle Store, Kindle e-reader

Amazon has launched the Kindle e-reader as well as the Kindle e-book store in India. The device – earlier generation non-touch e-reader – will be available at the Chroma retail outlets across the country at a price of Rs 6,999.

That Kindle model is the entry-level, non-touch-screen Kindle, which sells for $79 in the U.S. in a “Special Offers” ad-supported version. The Kindle sold in India will not be ad-supported.

Amazon says the India Kindle Store offers over one million books — now available for India customers priced in Indian Rupees (INR) — including 70 of 100 Nielsen Bestsellers, and has the “lowest prices of any e-bookstore in India.”

Along with those Nielsen Bestsellers, Amazon is serving up range of Indian authors, including Chetan Bhagat, Ashwin Sanghi, Ravinder Singh and Amish Tripathi. Additionally, Amazon has also launched Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for independent authors and publishers in India. With the country having an estimated population of 1.2 billion people, the store should fill up quickly with self-published titles and Amazon is already offering such Kindle exclusives as “Love, Life and a Beer Can” by Prashant Sharma, and “Reality Bites; a not so innocent Love Story” by Anurag Anand (as well as over one million free classics).

August 22, 2012
Twitter maps track which cities are friendly and which ones are impolite

Buffalo, New York, is one of the rudest places in America and residents of New York City are far friendlier than folks in the Midwest and the South, according to a series of maps compiled using Twitter comments.

The head-scratching revelations are the result of studying the prevalence of two simple phrases — ‘good morning’ and ‘f*** you’ — over the course of several days in June and early July.

Vertaline, a company that tracks works and phrases on Twitter for paying clients, conducted the study across 462 cities.

Naughty: Buffalo, New York, is bright red, showing an explosion of the use of ‘f*** you’ among tweeters in the city

Nice: Lubbock, Texas, and Philadelphia wants to wish the world a good morning, as shown on this map

The maps are patterned in the form of heat intensity images, with lighter colors meaning the term is less frequent and darker colors inferring a greater use of the term.

The results vary hour-to-hour and day-to-day as the maps unfold, though some conclusions are clear.

Lubbock seems an awfully friendly place. Without fail, ‘good morning’ blooms around the north Texas city every day of the study.

About 350 miles southeast in Dallas, Twitter users are significantly less polite and are shown piling on the ‘f*** yous’ more days than not.

Angels and Demons: Southern California was home to a host of both friendly and furious tweeters

Los Angles seems to be both the city of angels and of demons. Users in southern California offer plenty of polite greetings, but also dish out a tremendous amount of curses.

It still doesn’t compare to Buffalo. The city in western New York state is surprisingly upset.

It’s more vulgar than Philadelphia. Angrier than New York City. More miserable than Detroit and less content than Chicago.

That is, if the output of the town’s Twitter users is to be believed.

New York City, on the other hand, for all its hard reputation, seems to have a higher prevalence of ‘good mornings’ than any part of the South or the Midwest — both regions known for their hospitality.

[Daily Mail]

August 22, 2012
Acer Liquid Gallant and Liquid Gallant Duo officially announced, coming in September

Acer has spilled the beans on two phones it will be showcasing at IFA later this month. The Acer Liquid Gallant and Acer Liquid Gallant Duo are exactly the same beast apart from the fact that the latter has dual-Sim capability.

The following specs apply to both devices: 4.3-inch qHD (540×960) touchscreen, 1 GHz processor, 5 MP camera, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of built-in storage space, all the usual connectivity options, and a 1,500 mAh battery. The OS running the show is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

August 22, 2012
Sony Xperia J previewed, official unveiling to come soon

The upcoming Sony Xperia J was given the hands-on treatment for an extensive preview ahead its supposed announcement later this month.

The Xperia J is one more model in Sony’s onslaught of new devices that it brought forth until now and will continue to until the end of this year. The Xperia J is a lower-midrange offering, with a 4-inch 480×854 touchscreen, 1 GHz single-core processor.

The battery is said to be a 1700mAh unit, which should provide a decent level of battery life given the reduced screen size and the same entry-level processor as the Xperia Tipo. RAM is set at 512MB. There is also a microSD card slot hiding away under the battery on the Xperia J.

The rear camera is a 5MP shooter with an LED flash, but apparently only shoots video at a pretty dreary 640×480. There is also a front facing camera, but nothing is said of it’s specs. Given the rear camera, we’re not expecting a lot from it.

The Xperia J is at least running Android 4.0 out of the box.

August 22, 2012
Apple Reaches Record U.S. Market Value on IPhone Expectation

Apple Inc. surpassed Microsoft Corp. Monday as the largest U.S. company ever, measured by stock-market value.

Apple hit the new milestone — $623.52 billion — at a time when its influence on the economy, on the stock market and on popular culture rivals that of some of the most powerful companies in U.S. history: General Motors Co., whose Corvette and Impala typified a confident postwar manufacturing giant; Microsoft, whose technology heralded the arrival of the personal computer and the early Internet age; and International Business Machines Corp., whose buttoned-down rigor inspired rivals to reach for greatness.

The shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple rose 2.6 percent to $665.15 at the close in New York yesterday, for a market value of $623.5 billion. That overtook Microsoft’s $616.3 billion closing market capitalization on Dec. 27, 1999, according to data compiled by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. Apple extended the gains today, advancing as much as 1.5 percent.

Apple is preparing to introduce the next version of the iPhone on Sept. 12 in what will be a design overhaul of its top- selling product, two people with knowledge of the company’s plans said last month. The next iPhone “could be the most impactful product upgrade in Apple’s history” and the company will probably sell as many as 250 million units over the life of the device, according to analysts at FBR Capital Markets.

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“With the iPhone they have successfully created a strong customer following in an absolutely enormous marketplace,” Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said yesterday. “They have captured the hearts and minds of consumers.”

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August 21, 2012
Google, Facebook Working on India Request to Remove Content

According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook and Google are working on requests from India to remove from their web sites “inflammatory and hateful content” that New Delhi blames for sparking a mass exodus of people from several cities.

Tens of thousands of panic-stricken students and workers from northeast left for home last week, spurred by rumors they would be attacked in retaliation for communal violence in Assam that left at least 78 people dead.

India on Monday blocked as many as 245 Web pages for hosting video clips and other content that the authorities said were distorted and were used for spreading the rumors.

The government is wary of social networks being misused for inciting violence and has asked companies including Google, Facebook, Twiter Inc. and Microsoft Corp. to remove such content from their websites.

Facebook, which has about 50 million users in India, acknowledged receiving the requests and said it is working through those requests and responding to the agencies.

[quote]”Facebook will remove content which breaches our terms,” as defined in its agreement with its users, it said in a statement.[/quote]

The U.S.-based company said it is encouraging its users to flag such content through its website “so that we can investigate and take action fast.”

[quote]Search-engine giant Google, which provides services such as YouTube and Orkut said: “We understand the gravity of the situation… and continue to work closely with relevant authorities.”[/quote]

Content intended to incite violence is prohibited on all Google products, the company said in a statement.

August 21, 2012
Sony Launches Xperia ion in India,Bundled with Airtel Data pack, Rs 36,999 (PR)
Sony has finally officially launched the Xperia ion in India, priced at Rs. 36999. It is bundled with Airtel for data packages. Airtel mobile customers who buy the new ion will enjoy 500MB of free 3G data per month for 3 months; and 200 minutes of Mobile TV for a period of 2 months.

[quote]With XperiaTM ion, we’re bringing together a seamless experience across the multiple screens that we use to play, watch, listen, and share. XperiaTM ion is the gateway to HD entertainment when and – most importantly – where you want it. We are glad to see overwhelming customer response for our XperiaTM range and we thank them for supporting us unconditionally on this successful journey in India. We strongly believe that the consumer will like the XperiaTM ion’s HD entertainment experience which has exclusive Airtel data offer to enhance the smartphone experience. – said Prasun Kumar, Marketing Head, Sony Mobile Communications [/quote]

Quick Specs of the Xperia ion:
- MRP: Rs. 36,999
- 4.6 inch HD Reality Display resolution of 1280 x 720px
- Sony’s MOBILE BRAVIA Engine
- 16GB internal storage
- 1GB RAM, MicroSD card support up to 32GB
- HSPA, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth v3.0, microUSB v2.0
- 12 MP AF rear camera with 1080p video recording at 30fps
- VGA front facing camera
Details on the Airtel Offer :

Offer applicable on the first active airtel SIM inserted in the Sony Xperia Ion handset, for prepaid and non 3G pack postpaid retail customers. Post 500MB usage or offer period, charges at 3p/10KB (10p/10KB in 2G circles) will apply. Offer on 2G data in 2G circles. Offer valid till 30- Nov-12. Text 3G to 121 to start 3G. 200 min of mobile TV or 2 month subscription (accessed through appXtra application), whichever is earlier.

Head on to our Coverage here : Sony Xperia ion
August 21, 2012
Sony launches Xperia SL , 1.7 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S3, with dedicated ICS buttons

Looks like sony finally changed the Xperia S to SL, the company has launched a similar device with dedicated ICS style buttons and a paster processor, overclocked perhaps. The Xperia SL is a slight refresh of the S, it has an additional duo of color choices (silver and pink), a faster dual-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU and Android Ice Cream Sandwich (up from a 1.5Ghz processor and Gingerbread).

Apart from the above changes you have the same HD 720p display, 12.1 MP camera and 1080p video with anti shake. No details on pricing or availability in India. You can look at our Xperia S Review or the Xperia S ICS update for an idea.

[Sony]

August 21, 2012
Sony announces NEX-EA50EH pro camcorder in India
Sony has announced that the NEX-EA50EH will be coming to India, It has a APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor seen in the NEX lineup of cameras. The biggest difference in this camera has to be the powered zoom lens with a rocker style zoom, the SEL18-200PZ 11x is an E mount so should be easily compatible with most NEX cameras. The lens packs variable isis, auto focus and “Optical Steady Shot” active image stabilization. The camera has the ability to shoot 16mp RAW images, thanks to a mechanical shutter with its own release button and a flash hot-shoe which is all pre-equipped on the camcorder. Video capture up to 60fps at 1080P in AVCHD 2.0, 28 or 17 Mbps, to SD/SDHC/SDXCcards, Sony Memory Sticks or Sony’s dedicated external SSD unit, which attaches to the camera.

Although no price has been announced for the Indian counterpart, the US version ships in October for US $ 4500 (IN Rs. 2,50,000 approx) , and should reach India by November boasting a similar price.
- Includes 18-200mm Servo Zoom Lens
- Records Full HD 1080p up to 60 fps
- Exmor APS-C CMOS Sensor
- Lossless Digital Zoom Effect
- Accepts E-mount Lenses
- Two XLR Audio Inputs
- SD/MS Memory Card Slot
- FMU Slot for Flash Memory Unit
- Still Photographs at 16 Megapixels
- Hot Shoe for Traditional Flash Units
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Sony expands NXCAM range with an affordable and versatile interchangeable lens camcorder

The new NEX-EA50EH offers creative, high quality images for a range of applications, featuring a large format sensor, E-mount lens system and a new form factor

Basingstoke, UK, August 17th, 2012: Sony is pleased to unveil the latest addition to the professional NXCAM range of camcorders, the NEX-EA50EH. This versatile new camcorder offers the ultimate flexibility in lens selection thanks to its interchangeable E-mount lens system.

The large format Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor gives the user creative freedom when shooting Full HD movies and high-quality still photos. The new form factor enables users to shoot in a way that suits them best, allowing them to switch quickly between handheld and shoulder configuration without the need for additional accessories.

“This all-in-one camcorder brings a new level of creativity to a wider range of professional users than ever before,” said Bill Drummond, Sony Europe. “It combines affordability and high performance with a range of versatile, professional features for many applications, including event production, budget movie making and corporate production.”
The Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor produces high quality, creative movie images with low noise and high sensitivity in low light conditions. It also enables 1080 progressive and interlace recording with 60/50Hz selection (50p/25p/50i or 60p/30p/24p/60i)*.

By capturing 16.1 megapixel still pictures with higher picture quality and rich post-processing capabilities. In addition, the NEX-EA50EH has a built-in mechanical shutter to realize high-speed shutter while capturing still pictures.

The NEX-EA50EH incorporates the Sony E-mount interchangeable lens system, which enables auto focus, auto exposure and stabilisation during shooting. With its short flange back distance, it is possible to attach both established A-mount lenses via the LA-EA2 lens mount adapter, and an unrivalled choice of other brands lenses using third-party adapters.
The unique design of the NEX-EA50EH further adds to the camcorders versatility. When the shoulder pad is extended, the camcorder can be balanced on the shoulder giving added stability for longer shooting times. Alternatively, when the shoulder pad is returned to the original position, the camcorder becomes compact enough to use in various handheld styles allowing users to capture a wide variety of shots.

The NEX-EA50EH camcorder comes with the newly developed Power Zoom E-mount lens E PZ 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS SELP18200. It features auto focus, continuous variable iris and Optical Steady Shot image stabilisation with Active Mode, making it ideal for shooting moving images. It is electronically controlled by both the zoom rocker lever on the camcorder grip and top handle. Film-makers can achieve a constant zoom speed and smooth, slow zoom, both of which can be difficult to accomplish with manual zoom lenses. In addition, using fixed focal length lenses users can simulate a zoom effect using the smart digital zoom function, ensuring fast-paced shots are never missed.

The NEX-EA50EH features a range of professional functions usually associated with NXCAM camcorders, such as 2-channel XLR audio (the ECM-XM1 Shotgun microphone is included with the NEX-EA50H), Linear PCM audio, time code, user bit and built-in GPS. In addition, Sony’s HXR-FMU128 flash memory unit can dock directly to the camcorder for simultaneous backup recording. The camcorder is compatible with the new Mirroring Memory Stick (MS-PX64/32/16) which is the world’s first memory card featuring a “Mirroring” function. This enables the card to deliver high reliability and data security through a dual recording (mirroring) function. This new professional memory card will be available in 3 different capacities: 16GB; 32GB and 64GB.

The NEX-EA50EH will be available from Sony Professional Solutions Specialists in October 2012.
For more information on the PX Series, please visit:
http://www.sony.net/Products/memorycard/en_eu/px/index.html.

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August 21, 2012
Motorola files biggest complaint against Apple for iOS devices

Motorola’s biggest ever complaint against Apple involves 7 technologies that are now owned by Motorola, such as syncing messages between devices and bookmarking media playback on one device to resume on another. Although Apple has been using these technologies since 2005 in podcasts and Movies from iTunes, Motorola’s complaint only targets the newer iPad, iPhone 4s and other devices in the bottom line of Apple’s retail chain.

The complaint may take 6 months to over a year to resolve. By then Apple’s new lineup of technologies should be out. But, the question on everyone’s mind remains whether Apple, with their billions of dollars of corp warfare funds, will let this go easy.

August 21, 2012
SMS Curb May Lead to 7-8% Revenue Loss To Mobile Companies

Restriction on SMSes to five per day is not only causing problems for millions of mobile phone users but may also lead to loss of 7-8 percent revenue of telecom operators for the month.

The government had banned bulk SMSes and MMSes for 15 days across the country from 18 August to check spread of
rumours which has led to exodus of people from northeastern states from cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune.

There were reports of widespread circulation of SMSes and MMSes containing misleading information about Assam violence, threats to people from northeast states living in other parts of the country and doctored videos.

While pre-paid mobile users, who account for over 90 percent of the 930 million mobile subscriber base, are unable to send more than five messages per day, postpaid users do not seem to be facing any problem.

People across the country wanting to wish their friends and relatives for Eid are feeling the pinch of the government order restricting the text messages.

“A ban of 15 days means they could lose around seven to eight percent of revenue this month from this service alone,” Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

Operators on an average get 15-18 per cent revenue from data services of which SMS is a part, he said.

Mathews, however, added that “all the members will definitely make every effort to abide by the rules, as national security and human lives are at stake.”

Youngsters are the largest users of SMS and many of them are upset by the restriction. “I wanted to SMS my Eid greetings to friends as it is not possible to call everyone. However, after five messages, I am unable to send anymore messages. As a subscriber, I feel cheated,” Pragya Gupta, a student at Delhi University said.

The order, which limits the number of SMS’ a subscriber can send for the next 15 days, was given after bulk messages were circulated that provoked exodus of northeast people from various cities like Bangalore and Pune. “SMS has become a way of life. As a media professional, I need to stay in touch with industry peers and it is generally over messages. However, with this ban, we are finding it difficult and it is impacting our work,” Rakesh Kumar Jha, a PR professional said.

He, however, added that “the situation is very sensitive and I can understand the government’s decision to ban bulk sms in order to prevent any untoward incident”.

Subscribers trying to send their sixth SMS received messages like “As per the government’s order, your limit is 5 SMS a day”.

The order however does not cover transactional messages related to banking, financial institutes and railways.

[FirstPost]

August 20, 2012
Galaxy Note 2 Teaser Out

Samsung has teased its second generation phablet, the Galaxy Note 2 in an online video that pretty much confirms its launch at IFA in Berlin next week. The video doesn’t show the device in full, or name-check it, but we do see the S-Pen in action.

“When magical moments come alive, everything becomes an inspiration,” says the video. Then the S-Pen is drawn out of the device, and we see it clicking and drawing on the Note 2’s screen.

Before the video closes, a statement reads, “On August 29 Berlin, your magic moments will come alive”.

The Samsung Mobile Unpacked Event will be covered live by iGyaan! Stay Tuned!

August 20, 2012
iGyaan Exclusive : Galaxy Note 2 To Feature New S Pen Interface

According to our reliable insider resources from the industry, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which is to be launched at IFA later this month, will feature a new interface for the S Pen. Along with that, the ‘phablet’ will also have almost 20 new features overall.

According to the latest rumors, the device would most likely come with a 5.5″ Super AMOLED Screen with 16/32GB internal memory and 1.5GB of RAM. On the back would be a 13MP Camera with 1080p recording at 30fps. It is said to be powered by a Quad-Core Exynos 5250 processor and be HSPA+, LTE compatible. It is likely to be shipped with Android Jelly Bean outside the box

We Will be covering the event Live from Berlin! Stay tuned!

August 19, 2012
Hacker claims security flaw with iPhone

A French hacker known as pod2g has identified a text-based iOS glitch that allows scammers to spoof their identifies and make it look like text messages are coming from legitimate sources.

The flaw has existed since iPhone was first launched in 2007, and is still not solved in the beta version of iOS 6, the next operating system for iPhone.

Under the protocols handling the exchange of SMS (Short Message Service) text between mobile phones, the sender of a message can technically change the reply-to phone number to something different from the original number, Pod2g explained.

At issue is a section of a text message payload known as User Data Header (UDH), which includes a number of advanced features. One of those features allows the user to change the reply address of the text. You can send a text from your iPhone, for example, but if the person replies, it’ll get sent to your Galaxy S III .

When the option works correctly, pod2g said, the text message recipient will be able to see that they are responding to a different phone number. The recipient phone should either display the secondary number, or “in a good implementation of this feature,” pod2g wrote, the original phone number and the new phone number.

[quote]”On iPhone, when you see the message, it seems to come from the reply-to number, and you [lose] track of the origin,” according to pod2g.[/quote]

This is problematic because it could allow the scammer to send you a text message that appears to be from your bank with a link that asks you to click and verify account information.

August 18, 2012