May
18
HTC to ramp up production capacity for the One by the end of May: Report
Ever since HTC unveiled the One, it has failed to keep up with the massive demand due to supply issues for its unique camera and the manufacturing process to build the chassis. The Taiwanese company though seems to have solved its supply chain issues and is ramping up its production and will double its capacity from this month onwards, reports FocusTaiwan. HTC’s North Asian president Jack Tong recently let slip about the company’s productions plans saying, “Our capacity is expected to rise significantly starting from mid-May. We are optimistic about our high-end sales during April and June,” he added. The timing is quite interesting, when sales of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 have gone through the roof having sold six million in (continue reading…)
May
18
Yahoo board to meet on Sunday to decide on an all cash $1 billion to acquire Tumblr: Report
Yesterday, we reported that Yahoo was considering acquiring Tumblr, the social blogging website for $1 billion. Now, AllThingsD is reporting that, the Yahoo board is going to meet on Sunday to decide on an all cash deal to acquire Tumblr for $1 billion. According to ATD sources, Marissa Mayer has decided that buying Tumblr going to be “the stake in the ground for what her strategy going forward for Yahoo.” She clearly, wants youngsters to view Yahoo as a cool company, something that has clearly gone out of fashion. Tumblr is viewed as an incredibly cool and hip platform, and perhaps it’s going to be used to infuse some cool in to the entire Yahoo identity. Obviously, like all big (continue reading…)
May
18
Intel’s new CEO Brian Krzanich aims at the mobile device segment: Report
Intel’s new CEO Brian Krzanich, the successor of the Paul Otellini, has admitted that Intel has lagged behind in the smartphone and tablet race, and has also assured that the chipset maker will now be more focused towards this segment by advancing their chipsets technologies. According to a Reuters report, at the annual shareholder meeting held a day back, Krzanich said that under Otellini the company continued to concentrate in the PC processors and totally ignored the proliferating mobile device segment. Krzanich revealed that he, who served Intel as chief operating officer and vice president for many years, along with Renee James, who took over as Intel president, have already started working on this segment and are meeting manufacturing vendors (continue reading…)
May
17
LG Optimus G Pro Review (AT&T) – Big, blue, and blazingly fast
Smartphones routinely have 5-inch screens and larger bodies, and the LG Optimus G Pro is a grand device that makes quite an impression. Is this yet another trailing device, or has LG managed to make this new phone for AT&T standout for more than its size?
Read the full story here. (continue reading…)
May
17
ZTE enters Indian mobile market, will launch five phones and tablet by October this year
ZTE has announced that it will be entering the Indian market and release smartphones and tablet across major states by the end of October this year. For this, the company has tied up with Calyx Telecommunications as their distribution, sales and marketing partner. ZTE will take care of the products and post-sales service parts itself. Though ZTE has earlier been in the Indian market but not as an open market player, it had been associated with some CDMA players but now will be selling its GSM compatible devices as well. According to Xu Dejun, CEO, ZTE India the company is strengthening its hold in the Indian market which is contributing to 10 percent of their overall revenues. The company has (continue reading…)
May
17
Nokia EOS reportedly looks like a mashup of the Lumia 920 and the PureView 808
For some time we have been hearing whispers about the Nokia EOS which is expected to be the first Windows Phone smartphone to come with the magical 41-megapixel PureView camera seen in the Symbian powered PureView 808. A report by WMPowerUser claims that it received a tip from a person claiming that the device was actually a mashup of the Lumia 920 and PureView 808. Reportedly, the device is approximately the same size as the Lumia 920 and has a similar polycarbonate shell but is much lighter; however it has a similar camera hump as the PureView 808, which flattens out at the edges. There is also an automatic lens cover that opens to reveal a round lens, but this (continue reading…)
May
17
Sony Xperia UL Gaga leaked online, features a 1080p display and quad-core processor
With devices like the Xperia ZR, Xperia A and another Xperia codenamed S39h leaking online recently, we can add another device to that list called the Xperia UL codenamed Gaga, as reported by Chinese tech blog CNMO.com. Design-wise, the Xperia UL follows the same design language as the recent Xperia devices with the power button on the side. Rubber linings around the battery also indicate that the device may be water and dust-proof. The leaked information further points at a device that is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 600 chipset, same as the one at the heart of the American-variant Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. The device is also said to flaunt a 1080p display and will feature (continue reading…)
May
17
HTC One finally available in India for Rs 42,900
HTC had invited the Indian tech press to unveil the HTC One back in March, but it said that it would launch the product in early April, but that was never to happen. Its chief rival, Samsung swooped in and on April 26 orchestrated the largest smartphone launch in India when it launched the Galaxy S4, but still the HTC One was no where to be seen. But finally, today the device is now available online on e-commerce site Saholic for Rs 42,900. While this may be little to late, as Samsung is bombarding the Indian consumer with its flagship, the Galaxy S4, the general consensus in the tech media is that the HTC One is a slightly better smartphone (continue reading…)
May
17
Sonic The Hedgehog available for Android and iOS
Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog is a gaming icon and now the game is available for iOS and Android. The game is considered to be a classic and was originally released in the mid 90′s. The game used to be staple for Sega’s consoles and the new iOS and Android versions of the app feature new playable characters and a new graphics engine. The game has seven zones which will require players to race across to collect rings and defeat enemies. The most interesting part of the game is that you can play as the Hedgehog or can even chose to play as Tails and Knuckles, both of whom have been introduced as playable characters for the first time. Also, the (continue reading…)
May
17
Yahoo in talks to take over Tumblr, deal could reach $1 billion
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer seems to be continuing on her acquisition spree with AdWeek reporting that the California-based company is in advanced talks to take over Tumblr. According to the report, the deal to acquire the social blogging site could reach nearly $1 billion. Yahoo has been in recent times described as a big company, but some believe it is becoming stale with a need to tempt a younger audience to the site. Ever since Mayer took over as the CEO, she has been pushing the company’s mobile platform, which is considered as a platform largely used by the youth, by acquiring smaller companies like Summly, Snip.it and Astrid among others. By acquiring Tumblr, Yahoo will get a huge boost (continue reading…)
May
17
Google engineers show developers how Glass can be hacked and rooted
Google Glass can be hacked up to the level that one can even void its warranty. Google confirmed this at Google I/O . Inspite of this, two of Google’s software engineers, Hyunyoung Song and P.Y. Laligand led the “Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Glass,” session to show how Glass users could root their devices to run Android apps and do more with the software. This process also meant that the user would void the warranty of Glass. The engineers started with demonstrating how to run Android apps on Glass, which is not supported by the Glass API by default. This could be done by connecting the Glass to a computer via Bluetooth connection. Then the developers were shown a process that (continue reading…)
May
17
White Nexus 4, Android 4.3 release date looks set for June
The lack of new hardware and software at Google I/O could have been due to delays, with a revised Nexus handset and new Androic version incoming (continue reading…)
May
17
Xolo X910 spotted online, features a 4.3-inch display, Intel Atom processor and runs on Android ICS
Following the release of the Q700 earlier this week, another device from Lava’s sub-brand Xolo has been spotted online. The folks at FoneArena are reporting the Xolo X910 has been listed on e-commerce sites under a ‘Coming Soon’ badge. In terms of specifications, the dual-SIM X910 sports a 4.3-inches qHD (540×960 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of RAM. Probably, it uses the same Medfield processor as the original Xolo X900. Other features included on the phone are a 5-megapixel rear camera, VGA camera at the front, 4GB on internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card and a 2,000mAH battery. On the software front, the X910 runs (continue reading…)
May
17
Google announces Facebook and Twitter apps for Google Glass: Reuters
Google’s Glasses were the topic of discussion on Thursday at Google I/O as the search giant announced as many as six new apps for its wearable device, Reuters reports. These apps or ‘Glassware’, as Google calls them, include the likes of CNN, Elle, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Evernote. These apps aren’t simply mobile apps ported to the Glasses, but completely built from ground up keeping in mind the smaller sized display and the way the device is used as compared to smartphones. For instance, the CNN app allows users to choose what kind of news alerts they want to receive and at what time of the day. They can then read or listen to an audio clip or even choose (continue reading…)
May
17
Google to release White Nexus 4 along with Android 4.3 update on June 10: Report
Google made some major announcements during Google I/O a couple of days ago, but notably it chose not to announce a new version of Android, nor did it announce a Nexus branded device. In the lead up to Google I/O a number of white Nexus 4s were leaked, but even this was not announced. The device however has been spotted at Google I/O according to AndroidAndMe, who also claim that the phone will be up on the Play Store on June 10 and will be exactly like its black variant. However, the interesting point is that the phone is likely to feature the all new Android 4.3 version, which is reported to get a parallel release. The White variant of (continue reading…)
May
17
EA reportedly shuns game development for the Nintendo Wii U
The Wii U is perhaps the first of the trifecta of next generation consoles, but many consider it be a relic from the age of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 as only in 2012, Nintendo managed to cram in support for 1080p Full HD gaming. Earlier in the month EA DICE revealed that it would not port its next generation Frost Bite 3 engine for the console, which meant that the console would not receive graphically intensive titles like Battlefield 4 or a Mass Effect spin off. Today, Kotaku is reporting that EA’s Jeff Brown says that EA is currently developing no games for the Wii U. Back at E3 2011, Nintendo had paraded EA on the stage (continue reading…)
May
17
Intel’s outgoing CEO Paul Otellini says that an Intel chip could have been in the first iPhone
Today, is Paul Otellini’s last day as CEO of Intel, a company he has helmed since 2005 and in an extensive profile by TheAtlantic he revealed that an Intel chip could have been in original iPhone. It was revealed that Otellini personally decided against a deal that would have ensured an Intel chip inside the iPhone. The iPhone was the device that really kickstarted the modern mobile revolution and Intel’s travails in the mobile space have been well documented in a post iPhone world. The report says that “We ended up not winning it or passing on it depending how you want to view it. And the world would have been a lot different if we’d done it.” He spoke (continue reading…)
May
16
Samsung sells 6 million units of the Galaxy S4 in two weeks, becomes the fastest selling Samsung smartphone: Report
Samsung has sold more than 6 million units of its flagship Galaxy S4 in the first two weeks of its international release. Korean website ChosunIlbo is claiming that Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy S 4 has been the fastest selling Galaxy smartphone to date. Apparently, the Korean giant had sold four million units in the first five days and then it managed to extend the number of sales to six million by May 10, two weeks after its international launch. Considering this rate of supply, the company is predicting to reach 10 million units by the end of this month. However, it has also cleared that these sales figures are based on wireless operators and does not include unit sold (continue reading…)
May
16
Spice Stellar Horizon Pro Mi 505 launched for Rs 8,499, features a 5-inch display, dual-core processor and runs on Android ICS
After launching the Stellar Pinnacle Pro, Smart Flo Pace 2 Mi-502 and the Smart Ivory Flo Mi 450, Spice Mobile is back with another new device called the Stellar Horizon Pro Mi 505. The successor to the Stellar Horizon Mi 500 which launched last year, this new device is available for Rs 8,499. Specifications-wise, the Stellar Horizon Pro Mi 505 sports a 5-inch WVGA (800×480 pixels) display and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. Other features included on the phone are a 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel camera at the front, 4GB on internal memory that can be expanded using a microSD card and a 2,100mAH battery. On the software front, the device still runs on (continue reading…)
May
16
Windows Phone finally overtakes BlackBerry to take third spot in terms of smartphone shipments
Research firm IDC has posted its quarterly report on the smartphone market which suggests that Windows Phone devices have finally overtaken BlackBerry smartphones in terms of shipments. This also means that devices running Microsoft’s OS take third spot in terms of smartphone shipments during the first quarter of 2013. According to the report, Windows Phone devices accounted for 3.2 percent of total shipments while BlackBerry devices fell to 2.9 percent from 3.2 percent in the previous quarter. It’s also worth noting that Nokia has expanded its Windows Phone portfolio to lower price points with devices like the Lumia 720, Lumia 620 and the Lumia 520. In fact, the Lumia 520 costs less than Rs 10,499, so it makes sense that the (continue reading…)
May
16
Samsung could mitigate Galaxy S4 storage issues with further software optimizations
A couple weeks back when Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 in India, we pointed out that the 16GB version of the smartphone only has 8.82GB of user available storage in our hands-on post. This reminded us of the Microsoft Surface Pro controversy, but Samsung maintained that users could solve the issue by installing a memory card as the OS consumed all that space. Today, it seems like Samsung is backtracking on its stance and according to a CNET report. Apparently, the issue was brought up on the BBC show Watchdogs in the UK, where the device was being featured. Samsung reportedly said that it was reviewing possibilities of freeing up more storage for its users via further software optimizations. Normally, (continue reading…)
May
16
Garmin ties up with Zomato.com for localized navigation content on restaurants and hotels
On the sidelines of the launch of four new personal navigation devices (PND) – nüvi 42LM, nüvi 52LM, nüvi 2460 LM and nüvi 2568 LM – in India, Garmin Corporation today has also announced a content partnership with Zomato.com, a website that offers restaurant and hotels related deals and information. Garmin believes that this tie up with the Zomato will help it utilize the website’s extensive database on local eateries and restaurants and thus help its PND users access related information on the same. This feature will currently be available on the above mentioned devices, but will be introduced on other devices as well. The main idea behind the deal is to integrate Zomato’s database and content on restaurants and (continue reading…)
May
16
Hands On: Panasonic P51
Today, Panasonic unveiled its re-entry to the Indian smartphone market with the launch of the P51 smartphone. The device is big deal for the Japanese company as it has outsourced the manufacturing of the device, in a bid to build a more localized product specific to the market. If this move works in India, then it plans on replicating it in other emerging markets. So that also mean the P51 has all the ingredients that the Indian consumer demands in a smartphone these days. It runs Android, has a large screen and has a quad-core CPU, all in a slim design. We managed to go hands on with the device read on for our first impressions. To begin things with (continue reading…)
May
16
Google Play Books updated, introduces cloud services and syncing across devices
Google has updated its Play Books and introduced a cloud feature which allows you to save the books on the Google Cloud and then access them from any device. Both the iOS and Android versions of the app have been updated and for now and users can store up to 1,000 files on the cloud as long as they are under 50MB. Once a user saves a book on the cloud, it can be accessed on the Internet, mobile devices and tablets. Google also says that the last read page, bookmarks and notes will be synced across all devices, so you will never have to worry about flipping the pages to where you last were when you switch devices. The (continue reading…)
May
16
Rovio and Sony Pictures partner to release an ‘Angry Birds’ 3D movie in July 2016
Rovio seems to be on a roll. Its games are not only doing well, they are attracting big Hollywood studio for movie tie-ins. Back in 2011 we saw Angry Birds Rio and the movie Rio, then earlier in the year we saw the movie tie-in ‘The Croods’ and now it has banked a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to release ‘Angry Birds 3D’ in 2016. After changing the face of mobile games with its iconic Angry Birds game, featuring a set of angry birds with destructive powers in a vendetta against the villainous pigs that stole their eggs, the developer had also announced an animated television series that premiered back in March. Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures (continue reading…)
May
16
Google I/O 2013: what got announced – and what didn’t
Google concentrates on improving Maps, Search, and launching its own Spotify competitor at I/O 2013, with no sign of new Android versions or Nexus devices (continue reading…)
May
16
Samsung Galaxy Mega release date delayed until July
Samsung’s 6.3in phablet gets a two-month delay in the UK while the company concentrates on its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone (continue reading…)
May
16
Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition revealed, HTC One plans denied
Google’s annual I/O conference sees Samsung launch its first flagship smartphone to run a stock version of Android, but rival HTC isn’t going to follow suit (continue reading…)
May
16
LG India officially launches the Nexus 4 in India for Rs 25,990
A day after the device was up on Flipkart for pre-orders; the Nexus 4 has been officially launched in India by LG. The device is available for Rs 25,990 at LG exclusive stores, multi-brand outlets and major retail stores across India. To remind you of the specifications, the Nexus 4 sports a 4.7-inch WXGA HD (1280×768 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 pro processor, Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Other features included on the phone are an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 1.3-megapixel camera at the front, 16GB of internal memory, support for wireless charging and a 2,100mAH battery. On the software front, the Nexus 4 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. (continue reading…)
May
16
Panasonic P51 smartphone launched in India for Rs 26,900, its first Android smartphone in India
Back in April, we were the first ones to report that Panasonic was planning to re-enter the smartphone market in India and launch its first smartphone in about a month. Last week, Panasonic started sending out media invites and right on cue, it has launched the P51, a 5-inch Android Jelly Bean running smartphone which will be available for Rs 26,900. In terms of dimensions, the P51 is 144mmx75mm and is quite thin and light in weight at 8.5mm and 135gm respectively. Talking of specifications, the dual-SIM 3G-enabled P51 sports a 5-inch 720p IPS display protected by Asahi Dragon trail glass and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek processor and 1GB of RAM. Other features included on the phone (continue reading…)
May
16
Google CEO Larry Page took the stage at the I/O, shared his philosophies and talked about the negativity in the tech industry
Last night, a day after openly discussing his voice issues, Google’s CEO Larry Page surprisingly took the stage at the I/O to bring the Keynote to a close. Page started out by sharing his philosophies on how the technology industry should ideally function, and towards the end held an extensive Q&A session with the gathered audience. Page was visibly having some difficulties in speaking and his voice was unusually mellow, but that didn’t stop him from speaking continuously for about an hour or so. Page talked about all the negativity prevailing in the industry today and how it is slowing the rate of progress. Giving an example of such negativity, he tore into Microsoft for not reciprocating in adding support (continue reading…)
May
16
Apple celebrates 50 billion downloads on the App Store
Apple was running a countdown with every download to mark the 50 billionth download on the App store, and today the App store has finally recorded 50 billion app. As mentioned on its countdown marker, the company will give away awards including a $10,000 gift card to the user who has downloaded the 50 billionth app, and $500 gift cards to the next 50 app downloaders. It has only been four months since the company had announced to have got over 40 billion downloads. The Cupertino giant was the initiator of the app market concept and took it to a whole new level. It was soon followed by Google whose Play Store is now giving head to head competition to (continue reading…)
May
16
Google asks Microsoft to remove YouTube app from Windows Phone store, Microsoft responds
Only a couple of days ago Microsoft had announced an official YouTube app for Windows Phone, it seems like this app is going to be short lived. TheVerge is reporting that Google has asked Microsoft to take down the app and halt all installs immediately, because of the lack of ads. Google terms this as a violation of API use. Apparently, Microsoft made the app without Google’s permission with features that specifically prevent ads from playing. This would obviously hurt Google where is hurts the most as its main source of making revenue is advertising. And this way it is also unable to deliver revenue to content creators. Microsoft for its part has responded and claims that it will be (continue reading…)
May
16
Google announces a new version of Maps with an updated UI, the Offers and many more new features
Google has announced a lot of new products at Google I/O and as expected it has also unveiled an update to its Maps. Google maps team has worked from the scratch to give a completely new look to the Maps, which also happens to be the first major design overhaul for the web interface ever since its launch almost eight years back. To begin with, for desktops Google has changed the whole look of the service with more crisp and clearer visuals of vector maps and has eliminated the search bar on the side so the map now runs edge to edge on the screen. The search box has been placed on the top left side of the screen, and (continue reading…)
May
15
Google updates Google+ Photos, adds photo editing tools, HDR and panorama effects among others
Google today announced a major update for Photos at the I/O today, which introduces new tools to make selecting, editing and uploading photos easier and more streamlined. Some of the new tools allow users to enhance, select the best pictures among a big stack of photos and also add animations. If you are dreading the job of selecting the best 20 photos to upload on from among 100s of pictures, Google will now automatically select the best photos by discarding duplicates, out of focus pictures and also blurry photos. Users will still be able to add more photos if Google misses out on one that you liked. On the editing front, Google has introduced a number of filters (continue reading…)