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Tech: Microsoft vs Google trial raises issues over secrecy

2012-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Tech: Microsoft vs Google trial raises issues over secrecy

Google and Microsoft, like rivals embroiled in smartphone patent wars, are eager to keep sensitive business information under wraps - in this case, the royalty deals they cut with other companies on patented technology. Microsoft asked for similar protections in a court filing late on Thursday.

Such royalty rates, though, are the central issue in this trial, which begins November 13 in Seattle.

U.S. District Judge James Robart has granted requests to block many pre-trial legal briefs from public view. Though he warned he may get tougher on the issue, the nature of the case raises the possibility that even his final decision might include redacted, or blacked-out, sections.

Legal experts are increasingly troubled by the level of secrecy that has become commonplace in intellectual property cases where overburdened judges often pay scant attention to the issue.

Widespread sealing of documents infringes on the basic American legal principle that court should be public, says law professor, Dennis Crouch, and encourages companies to use a costly, tax-payer funded resource to resolve their disputes.

"There are plenty of cases that have settled because one party didn't want their information public," said Crouch, an intellectual property professor at University of Missouri School of Law.

Tech companies counter that they should not be forced to reveal private business information as the price for having their day in court.

The law does permit confidential information to be kept from public view in some circumstances, though companies must show the disclosure would be harmful.

Google argues that revelations about licensing negotiations would give competitors "additional leverage and bargaining power and would lead to an unfair advantage."

Robart has not yet ruled on Google and Microsoft's requests, which, in the case of Google includes not only keeping documents under seal, but also clearing the courtroom during crucial testimony.

It is also unclear whether Robart will redact any discussion of royalty rates in his final opinion. The judge, who will decide this part of the case without a jury, did not respond to requests for comment.

NOT PAYING ATTENTION

Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp have been litigating in courts around the world against Google Inc and partners like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, which use the Android operating system on their mobile devices.

Apple contends that Android is basically a copy of its iOS smartphone software, and Microsoft holds patents that it contends cover a number of Android features.

Google bought Motorola for $12.5 billion, partly to use its large portfolio of communications patents as a bargaining chip against its competitors.

Robart will decide how big a royalty Motorola deserves from Microsoft for a license on some Motorola wireless and video patents.

Apple, for its part, is set to square off against Motorola on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin, in a case that involves many of the same issues.

In Wisconsin, Apple and Motorola have filed most court documents entirely under seal. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb did not require them to seek advance permission to file them secretly, nor did she mandate that the companies make redacted copies available for the public.

Judges have broad discretion in granting requests to seal documents. The legal standard for such requests can be high, but in cases where both sides want the proceedings to be secret, judges have little incentive to thoroughly review secrecy requests.

In Apple's Northern California litigation against Samsung, both parties also sought to keep many documents under seal. After Reuters challenged those secrecy requests, on grounds it wanted to report financial details, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh ordered both companies to disclose a range of information they considered secret - including profit margins on individual products - but not licensing deals. Apple and Samsung are appealing the disclosure order.

In response to questions from Reuters last week, Judge Crabb in Wisconsin, who will also decide the case without a jury, acknowledged she had not been paying attention to how many documents were being filed under seal. Federal judges in Madison will now require that parties file redacted briefs, she said, though as of Wednesday, Apple and Motorola were still filing key briefs entirely under seal.

"Just because there is a seed or kernel of confidential information doesn't mean an entire 25-page brief should be sealed," said Bernard Chao, an intellectual property professor at University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Crabb promised that the upcoming trial would be open.

"Whatever opinion I make is not going to be redacted," she told Reuters in an interview.

CHECKING THE COMPS

Microsoft sued Motorola two years ago, saying Motorola had promised to license its so-called "standards essential" patents at a fair rate, in exchange for the technology being adopted as a norm industrywide. But by demanding roughly $4 billion a year in revenue, Microsoft says Motorola broke its promise.

Robart will sort out what a reasonable royalty for those standards patents should be, partly by reviewing deals Motorola struck with other companies such as IBM and Research in Motion - much like an appraiser checking comparable properties to figure out whether a home is priced right.

In this case, though, the public may not be able to understand exactly what figures Robart is comparing. Representatives for Microsoft and Google declined to comment.

In its brief, Microsoft said licensing terms could be sealed without the need to clear the courtroom.

"Permitting redaction of this information will minimize the harm to Microsoft and third parties while also giving due consideration to the public policies favoring disclosure," the company argued.

IBM and RIM have also asked Robart to keep licensing information secret.

Chao doesn't think Robart will ultimately redact his own ruling, even though it may include discussion of the specific royalty rates. "I can't imagine that," he said.

Most judges cite lack of resources and overflowing dockets as the reason why they don't scrutinize secrecy requests more closely, especially when both parties support them.

In Wisconsin, Crabb said that even though she will now require litigants to ask permission to file secret documents, it is highly unlikely that she will actually read those arguments - unless someone else flags a problem.

"We're paddling madly to stay afloat," Crabb said.

The Wisconsin case in U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin is Apple Inc. vs. Motorola Mobility Inc., 11-cv-178. The Seattle case in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington is Microsoft Corp. vs. Motorola Inc., 10-cv-1823.

Tech: HTC One X+ launched in India for Rs forty,190, comes with jelly egg and a quicker processor

2012-11-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

Tech: HTC One X+ launched in India for Rs forty,190, comes with jelly egg and a quicker processor

HTC has launched the One X+ in India for Rs 40,190. The One X+ is essentially an upgraded version of the One X which was the company’s flagship smartphone for the first half of the year.

The One X+ features a faster Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz, which HTC claims is 27 percent faster than the one on the One X. It retains the same beautiful 4.7-inch S-LCD 2 display, which has a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and has 1GB of RAM. HTC has upgraded the internal memory to 64GB and has added a larger 2,100-mAh battery that improves the battery life by up to 37 percent over the One X. Additionally, users will also get 25 GB of free Dropbox cloud storage.

Photography wise it retains the same 8-megapixel camera with the image sense chip but adds an upgraded 1.6-megapixel front facing camera. Notably, it even has NFC and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC’s Sense 4 overlay laden on top. It will be available in two colors – Polar White and Stealth Black.

Tech: Micromax Launches mechanical man four.0 Superfone pel A90S For Rs thirteen,000

2012-11-02T11:17:00.004-07:00

Tech: Micromax Launches mechanical man four.0 Superfone pel A90S For Rs thirteen,000

ICS French telephone sports a four.3" Super AMOLED screen, eight mp camera, and one gigahertz dual-core electronic equipment.
Micromax has added the Superfone Pixel A90S to its ever-growing Android lineup. The new entrant is a successor of the Pixel A90, and comes with Android 4.0 (Ice cream Sandwich) out of the box. Like its predecessor, it offers dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality. In terms of specs, the A90S comes with a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and a 4.3" Super AMOLED screen that renders 480x800 pixels with 262K colours.

Here's the complete list of features:

4.3" Super AMOLED multi-touch screen with 480x800 pixels, 262K colours.
8 mp auto-focus camera with flash.
Camera Features: Panoramic Image Capture, Multi-shot, Night Vision.
0.3 mp front camera.
1 GHz dual-core CPU, 512 MB of RAM.
512 MB of internal storage, MicroSD card slot (up to 32 GB).
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS.
Micro-USB port, Orientation sensor.
Android 4.0 (ICS).
Dual-SIM, dual-GSM (900, 1800 MHz); 3G (2100 MHz).
SAR Value: At the head - 1.556 W/Kg, At the body - 0.923 W/Kg.
5" (l) x 2.6 (w) x 0.4" (9.8 mm) (d), 118 grams.
1600 mAh battery; 5 hours of talk time (4 hours on 3G).

From the specs sheet, the only difference between the Pixel A90 and the A90S is the upgraded dual-core CPU in the latter. The A90S is priced at Rs 13,000, and is currently available at ManiacStore.com.

Tech: Microsoft Tests Smartphone With Asia Suppliers

2012-11-02T11:13:00.002-07:00

Tech: Microsoft Tests Smartphone With Asia Suppliers

TAIPEI—Microsoft house. is functioning with element suppliers in Asia to check its own smartphone style, folks at home with the case aforesaid, suggesting the computer-software large is more and more adopting a variation of a business model favored by rival Apple INC., that styles computers and phones along side the computer code that powers them.

Officials at some of Microsoft's parts suppliers, who declined to be named, said the Redmond, Wash.-based company is testing a smartphone design but isn't sure if a product will go into mass production.

One person said that the screen of Microsoft's smartphone currently being tested measures between four and five inches. Apple's newest smartphone, the iPhone 5, has a four-inch screen, while Samsung's Galaxy S III phone has a 4.8-inch screen.

Speculation has swirled for months that Microsoft would make its own smartphone, after Microsoft unveiled in June its first homegrown computing device, the Surface tablet. The Surface went on sale last week, and it remains controversial among longtime Microsoft allies, some of whom believe the company is unfairly competing with their personal-computer models running Microsoft's Windows software.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer declined to comment on whether Microsoft would make its own smartphone.

"We're quite happy this holiday [season] going to market hard with Nokia, Samsung and HTC," said Mr. Ballmer, referring to companies making smartphones powered by Microsoft software. "Whether we had a plan to do something different or we didn't have a plan I wouldn't comment in any dimension."

A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment.

If Microsoft pushes ahead with its mobile phone, it would underscore how far Microsoft has moved away from its long-standing practice of making software and leaving decisions about design, features and marketing of the computing hardware to partners such as Hewlett-Packard Co. or Samsung Electronics Co.

In addition to the Surface, Microsoft produces the Xbox videogame consoles and it increasingly has dictated how Windows-powered PCs and smartphones made by its partners look, perform and are pitched to consumers.

As it does so, Microsoft pulls from a modified playbook of Apple—whose hardware-plus-software approach Microsoft officials long have scorned. Google Inc., whose Android smartphone software is the market-share leader, owns cellphone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. even as outside companies such as Samsung also power their smartphones with Android.

Smartphones running Microsoft's two-year-old Windows Phone operating software for cellphones haven't sold well, and Microsoft may want to leave itself an option to test whether its own phone would spur sales.

Stephen Elop, the chief executive of Nokia Corp., two weeks ago on a conference call said he would welcome a Microsoft-made phone because he believed it would be a "stimulant" to sales for all companies making Windows Phone devices. In the conference call with analysts, Mr. Elop said he wasn't informed about Microsoft's plans.

The market for smartphones is rapidly expanding with demand particularly strong in China and other emerging markets. Research firm IDC expects global smartphone shipments to grow 38.8% this year to 686 million units.

In 2010, Microsoft launched and then quickly killed a line of youth-oriented smartphones called the Kin. The phones carried Microsoft's brand, but were manufactured by Japanese electronics company Sharp Corp.

News about Microsoft working on its own smartphone was reported earlier by several technology blogs.

Tech: Karbonn launches its A21 and A9+ mechanical man smartphones in Republic of India

2012-11-02T11:04:00.001-07:00

Tech: Karbonn launches its A21 and A9+ mechanical man smartphones in Republic of India

Karbonn has currently launched 2 of its new devices within the Indian market these embody the Karbonn A21 and also the Karbonn A9+ each of that square measure mechanical man four.0 ICS based mostly smartphones. the previous is priced at Rs. 11,990 whereas the latter is offered for Rs. 9,990.
Both the smartphones are powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz and features dual-SIM connectivity. The A21 sports a 4.5-inch qHD display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels while on the other hand the A9+ sports a 4-inch display with a resolution of 800×480 pixels.

Other features are common across both the devices. The feature a 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, 512MB of RAM, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity. They also support expandable memory via a microSD card.

The Karbonn A21 is equipped with a 1,800 mAh battery and the Karbonn A9+ is equipped with a 1,420 mAh battery.

Tech: Apple’s iPhone five dials in Asian nation

2012-11-02T10:54:00.001-07:00

Tech: Apple’s iPhone five dials in Asian nation

Airtel on Fri launched the iPhone five in Asian nation creating the sixteen GB, thirty two GB and sixty four GB models out there. The sixteen GB has been priced at Rs forty five,500, the thirty two GB at Rs fifty two,500 and therefore the sixty four GB version at Rs fifty nine,500.

Airtel announced special data packages for the latest iPhone version and has described the phone as being "in high demand” in India.

“We’re launching it at a time when more youngsters use smartphones to access data. The concept of phone has transformed from voice to a data device. iPhone 5 will offer customers an unparalleled experience which will make them use it for data access,” said Airtel CEO for Karnataka circle Rohit Malhotra, while talking to the media on the sidelines of the launch event in Bangalore on Friday evening.

According to reports, customers who have made pre-bookings will receive the phone in five to seven days. Only the 'Black & Slate' model of the phone will be available for now and not the 'White & Silver' version. Asked if the data experience would be the same, given that iPhone 5 is tailormade for LTE (Long-Term Evolution or 4G) networks, Malhotra claimed that speeds on the existing 3G networks of the carrier would give customers a “wow” experience.

“We’re yet to have LTE in India, but the existing 3G networks can give users an equally good experience,” he said.

The phone is compatible with Airtel’s HSPA and DC-HSPA networks.
Two months after the original launch of the phone, Indian customers will be getting a feel of the iPhone 5, which comes with a four-inch multi-touch retina display, and is 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than the iPhone 4S, shipping with Apple’s own dual-core A6 chipset.

The phone has also been described as the thinnest and the most slick with aluminium design. It is the first Apple smartphone with a 4-inch screen that features the high-speed LTE network.

The IOS 6 operating system has been deeply integrated with Facebook and has its own mapping application, Apple Maps, a source of widespread dissatisfaction for Apple customers that forced a public apology from Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Besides Airtel and Aircel, the carrier partners for the phone, iPhone 5 is also been made available through retailers. According to CMR data, during January-June 2012, total India shipments of mobile handsets was recorded at 102.43 million units and shipments of smartphones were 5.5 million units in the same period.

Tech: iPad mini - review

2012-10-31T20:03:00.001-07:00

Tech: iPad mini - review

Google's Nexus seven and Amazon's Kindle hearth got into the mini-tablet market 1st – therefore will Apple's newest pill with success play catchup?

Remember the iPod mini? When Apple launched that in January 2004, at a time when a huge swathe of the fast-growing digital music player market was still up for grabs, people thought Apple was crazy. Only 4GB of storage – less than in the original 5GB model launched in 2001? A $249 price tag – only $50 less than the base level "iPod". Well, said the critics, Apple had finally messed up after a couple of years of getting it right. It was doomed.

Turned out it wasn't; the iPod mini became the best-selling iPod (until the iPod nano in September 2005).

Why point this out? Because much the same critique has been applied to the iPad mini, Apple's 7.85in device. It's just smaller (though nobody seems to be calling it "a big iPod Touch" – perhaps that wore thin after the first few thousand times following the original iPad's launch). It's too pricey; there are others which are already in the market.

As I've said earlier, there are some key differences between the iPod market of 2004 and today's mini-tablet market. The key one is that in the 2004 market, all the rivals needed to make a profit on their hardware; they couldn't make it up from selling music. This time round, Amazon and Google in particular can sell the hardware at a loss in order to goose their market share, if not immediately their profits. So Apple has a fight on its hands in pricing, not just design.

But let's by dealing with the iPad mini as it is, on its own terms.

Build quality:

Jonathan Ive doesn't like seams. He doesn't like any sort of break in the surface of objects, even manufactured ones. One of the notable things about the first iPod was that there was no obvious way to break it open, and the trend in all of Apple products – including the computers – is the same.

You'll do well to get a scalpel blade between the iPad mini's screen and its bezel. There's no flex in the body; it's really solid. I was using a black model; it isn't obviously metal until you touch it. As with its bigger sibling, the headphone jack is on the top – unlike the iPhone 5, where it has migrated to the bottom.
Dimensions

This is worthy of mention because everyone has been focused on the Amazon Kindle Fire in comparison to the iPad mini (and of course Google Nexus 7). I compared an iPad mini beside a Kindle Fire, and was surprised to find that they're almost exactly the same size in both width and length, though the iPad mini ithinner

iPad mini

.

Similarly, compare it with the Nexus 7. Here are the figures for the iPad mini: 199mm x 133mm; the Nexus 7, 198.5mm x 120mm. You get 1.3cm – that's half an inch - width difference between the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini. This surprised me – I thought that the iPad mini would be substantially wider. But it's not, and at that width you can slip it into an outside jacket pocket or a roomy coat pocket or, of course, a bag.

How though does the iPad mini manage to be so small if it has a 7.85in screen, while the others have just 7in screens? By having a much thinner border along the long edges. It's 20mm wide at the short edges, but just 5mm on the long ones. This isn't just a shrunk-down iPad, where the borders are 20mm and 17mm (short, long). Apple has made a definite effort to create something that can be slipped into generous pockets.
Weight

What will surprise you is the weight. The specs already show that the iPad mini is lighter than the Kindle Fire, 308g v 395g (and 340g for the Nexus 7); even if you add on a Smart Cover, it's still lighter than the uncovered Kindle Fire. It's thinner too. This is a device that will be ideal for holding in one hand for reading on train rides or other commuting; or you might even forget it's in that coat pocket.

What the iPod mini demonstrated, and what the MacBook Air demonstrated, and pretty much every breakthrough in mobility demonstrates, is that lighter is better – and if you can do lighter and bigger, you're really onto a winner. (This is part of how the Samsung Galaxy S3 has done so well: big screen, light phone.)

The iPad mini (308g) feels like it isn't really there. Certainly you'll not get tired of holding it, which could happen with the iPad (652g).
Battery life

As with previous iPads, battery life is easily in the nine-hour-plus mark. Charging is via the new Lightning connector, and as with the iPhone, the iPad now recharges very quickly – half an hour will easily add four or five times as much use. I didn't get a chance to try it out on a 4G/LTE network, so don't know how that affects battery life. (Mobile versions sold in the UK will initially be compatible with EE's 1800MHz network, and Three's next year.)
Screen

It's not a retina screen! It's only 1024x768, so that the resolution is 163ppi. This has been a big complaint (or snark, in some cases) that I've heard from people who haven't laid eyes on this device. If all you read is specifications, then the iPad mini screen is far worse than the Kindle Fire's or Nexus 7's, right?

Well, put them beside each other, and the story changes. Web page rendering on the Kindle Fire is, frankly, awful. It's blocky, and there's a yellowish cast which personally I dislike. The iPad mini is bright, and white, and the text rendering is good – and there's no obvious pixellation. Kindle books look as good on the iPad mini as on the Kindle Fire. (The latter is optimised for reading those, but not for the web; Amazon would rather you bought books than surfed the web.) Icons on the iPad mini look sharp; on the Kindle Fire, not really.
Scrolling

With long lists, it's smooth and untroubled; this is something Apple has prioritised. Again, the comparison with Android, where scrolling has always been a bugbear, is stark; get a long article with lots of comments on a website, and you'll get a smooth scroll. That's not always the case on Android devices, where some will give jerky performance, no matter how many cores their processor has. Specs, eh? They can lead you astray.
Setup experience

If you have an iOS device already – iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad – then you can log into your iCloud account and all the apps and content you've already bought, plus all your settings including alarms can be transferred wirelessly. (If you've got multiple devices backed up, you get to choose which it's restored from. Alternatively, you can just use a wire and an iTunes backup.) Android tries, but doesn't quite get to the granular level that iCloud does, and that's a big difference in user-friendliness.
User accounts

There aren't any. This is the biggest failing in iOS at present. Now that Google has announced that Android will support a form of user accounts on tablets, and Windows Phone 8 offers "Kids Corner" (fenced-off apps you can let the kids use), and Windows RT tablets support multiple signins, iOS is starting to look like the odd one out. One tablet per person is great for Apple, but it's not so great for the squeezed middle. Single-user iPhones yes; multi-user iPads, yes please.
Keyboard

Of course, there isn't an inbuilt keyboard. But the question is, is the onscreen version too small to type on? No – used in landscape or portrait, the keys are large enough even for my hands. Despite the smaller screen, touch targets aren't too small either. In short, you can still type quite accurately (and certainly more accurately than on an iPhone) and manipulate onscreen objects. I don't think that many app developers will be redoing their existing iPad 2 apps.

In fact, games developers are quite excited by the idea of the iPad mini, because they reckon it will mean more players using the device in landscape mode who will be able to span the bottom of the screen with their thumbs (personally, I could) – something that was impossible with the iPad, which anyway gets too heavy.
Cameras Available front and back – here's an example shot with the camera on the back. There's no Panorama option with the rear camera, which is a strange omission.
Apps

Existing iPad apps work perfectly well. I tried the Brian Cox Wonders app, which includes videos. I criticised the Nexus 7 for the extent of letterboxing on its 16:9 screen, so will I do the same for the iPad mini?

you get some pretty hefty letterboxing here too. Here's the thing, though: because the border around the long edges is so much thinner than at the edges, the overall effect is no worse than the Nexus 7; given that proportionally less of the space is lost to the border, you could argue it's a less compromised experience.
iPhone apps' behaviour can be hit-and-miss: some fit the screen neatly when expanded to the "2x" size, others overlap the edges (I'm looking at you, Tube Deluxe), others just look blocky (hello, Amazon – though there is a proper Amazon iPad app). There isn't the spare room that the larger iPad has around the edges when you expand the size of the iPhone app on the mini's screen. Then again, with the huge number of iPad apps available, this probably won't be a problem.
Price

Yes, let's talk about the price. As mentioned above, Apple isn't looking to race to the bottom on price, because its objective (make a profit on hardware) isn't aligned to that of Google and Amazon (sell hardware near cost, profit on content or from users' web browsing). That said, at £269 for the 16GB model, you're getting an impressively light, small tablet which (if you buy the connectors, or have them) can take your camera pictures, or just take pictures itself. There's AirPlay, the wireless audio and video connection – if you have an AppleTV (£99) then you can run iPlayer on the iPad and "throw" it over to the AppleTV and watch it on a big screen; no wires. And it's not hugely more expensive than the Nexus 7, though the Kindle Fire is much cheaper. If price is your only consideration, though, an iPad probably hasn't been on your shopping list anyway.

Conclusion

Those in favour:

excellent build quality; very light, comparatively large screen, not significantly wider than competition (for putting in coat pockets), excellent text rendering, huge selection of apps, music, books and films, pain-free setup from iCloud backups for existing accounts; 3G/4G LTE option; fast-growing range of accessories.

Those against:

price is higher than rivals – at £229 £269, it's £40 £110 more than the £159 16GB Nexus 7; no expandable storage; letterboxing of films; no HDMI out (though AirPlay is a wireless equivalent).

Lining those pluses and minuses up against those for the Nexus 7 – which garnered four stars – there's no doubt that this is indeed a five-star device. The 20% 70% difference in comparative price is more than made up by the difference in build quality and software selection. (Update: I originally had the relative prices of the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini wrong - the mini too low and the Nexus 7 too high. I apologise for the error, which was significant. Is the difference enough to justify buying the Nexus 7 instead? If budget or OS is the single driver of your decision, then certainly the Nexus 7's price is a substantial saving on the iPad mini.)

Apple is going to sell a lot of these – quite possibly more than the "large" iPad – in this quarter. The only way Apple could improve on this product would be (as some people are already agitating) to give it a retina screen and somehow make it lighter. That might happen at some point. You can wait if you like; other people, in the meantime, will be buying this one.

Apple iPad mini: available in black or white.
16GB Wi-Fi: £269;

32GB Wi-fi: £349;

64 GB Wi-Fi: £429;

With 3G & 4G/LTE (compatible with EE in UK):
16GB & 3G/4G: £369;

32GB & 3G/4G: £449;

63GB & 3G/4G: £529

Tech: Lava launches dual-SIM automaton phone Iris n350 for Rs. 4,399

2012-10-30T19:21:00.003-07:00

Tech: Lava launches dual-SIM automaton phone Iris n350 for Rs. 4,399

Lava Mobile has announced the launch of an entry-level Android smartphone, called Iris n350. The device runs on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread operating system and is powered by a 1GHz processor.

The Lava Iris n350 measures 115x61.5x11.9 mm and weighs 115 grams. The smartphone supports dual-SIM (GSM+GSM), but does not support 3G connectivity. However, it supports Wi-Fi, GPRS/EDGE and Bluetooth. The device sports a 3.5-inch HVGA LCD capacitive multi-touch display, 2MP camera and FM (with recording). The Lava Iris n350 comes with a 1,300 mAh battery.

The device comes preloaded with free messaging app Hi, and a Music Organiser App.

The Lava Iris n350 is priced at Rs. 5,499 but is available for much cheaper at Snapdeal at Rs. 4,399. Lava is planning to launch few more smartphones in the Iris range in the near future.

Tech: HTC Windows Phone 8X coming back with wireless charging to Verizon

2012-10-30T19:18:00.001-07:00

Tech: HTC Windows Phone 8X coming back with wireless charging to Verizon

Verizon Wireless is set to carry HTC's Windows Phone 8X sometime next month, and when the carrier picks up the device, it will throw in a little something extra for its customers.

That added feature is wireless charging, a Verizon representative has confirmed to TechRadar.

"Yes, wireless charging for the 8X on Verizon Wireless is indeed built in," the spokesman said.

As if that wasn't nifty enough, Verizon customers are really in for a treat: the same spokesman confirmed that the feature will be exclusive to the carrier.

An HTC spokesperson also confirmed to TechRadar the wireless charging feature's Verizon exclusivity.
Charge on

Verizon, which can be tight lipped about its features and products (something we saw with its Galaxy Note II plans last week), didn't hold out for long in confirming that wireless charging would land on one of its WP8 handsets.

The 8X is going for $199 on a two-year contract and should arrive by Thanksgiving.

Big Red is also hosting the Nokia Lumia 822, an exclusive take on the Lumia 820 that customers can nab for $99.

U.S. residents should see another Windows Phone 8 handset from Verizon before the end of the year, at least according to Microsoft.

Microsoft sparked some Verizon intrigue when it revealed Big Red will carry a device called the Samsung ATIV Odyssey starting in December, a WP8 handset that hasn't yet been announced.

After Tuesday's charging announcement, it will be interesting to see what choice offerings Big Red has in store for these handsets.

Tech: Google unveils 1st 10-inch Nexus pill

2012-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tech: Google unveils 1st 10-inch Nexus pill

Google Iraqi National Congress disclosed a bigger version of its Nexus-branded pill pc on Mon, and updated its mobile convenience and on-line content offerings as competition with Apple Iraqi National Congress, Amazon.com Iraqi National Congress and Microsoft business firm heats up prior to the vacation sales season.

The device follows a spate of new product launches by the technology leaders in recent weeks, including Apple's iPad Mini last week and software-maker Microsoft's first-ever home-built tablet, the Surface.

Google, the world's No.1 Internet search engine, has pushed deeper into the hardware business at a time when consumers are increasingly accessing the Web on mobile devices.

Google's new Nexus 10, made in partnership with consumer electronics company Samsung Electronics Co, is the first 10-inch tablet to come to market under Google's Nexus brand. The device, with prices starting at $299, will be available on November 13 in the United States and seven other countries, Google said in its official blog on Monday.

Google was scheduled to introduce the device at a media event in New York on Monday, but was forced to cancel because of Tech: Google unveils first 10-inch Nexus tablet
Google Inc unveiled a larger version of its Nexus-branded tablet computer on Monday, and updated its mobile gadget and online content offerings as competition with Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp heats up ahead of the holiday sales season.
The device follows a spate of new product launches by the technology leaders in recent weeks, including Apple's iPad Mini last week and software-maker Microsoft's first-ever home-built tablet, the Surface.

Tech:iPhone five coming back to Bharat this Friday: The four Cities which is able to Get Apple’s New Smartphone 1st

2012-10-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Tech:iPhone five coming back to Bharat this Friday: The four Cities which is able to Get Apple’s New Smartphone 1st

Apple will officially release the iPhone 5 – its sixth generation smartphone in India on November 2. Already, several online retailers and service providers including Airtel have listed the handset for pre-order prior to its release starting from Rs 45,500 for the 16GB variant.

Apple fanboys who like to watch the launch event of the highly anticipated handset have an exciting news, as Apple is planning for a public launch, wherein spectators and tech enthusiasts can have a look at the device, its demo and also purchase one between 7 PM to 11 PM this Friday.

It seems like Apple is trying to bring the same feel of iPhone to the Indian consumer base this time with the public release of iPhone 5 in the country in 4 cities simultaneously.

Check out the locations of launch below

New Delhi – DLF Place, Saket District Centre, Pushp Vihar

Gurgaon – Galleria DLF Phase 2

Mumbai – Inorbit Mall and Phoenix

Banglore – UB City, Vittal Mallya Road

Coming to the specs, iPhone 5 houses a 4 inch display with a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels, a new Apple A6 chipset, 1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB/64GB internal memory, 8MP rear camera with iSight technology and 1.2MP front camera.

Powered by the iOS 6 platform with new features, iPhone 5 comes packed with connectivity features such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, 4G LTE, 3G and micro USB 2.0 support. As per Apple, the battery in the smartphone offers 8 hours talk time and 225 hours standby.

Tech: Sony launches three Xperia Android smartphones in India

2012-10-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Tech: Sony launches three Xperia Android smartphones in India

Sony India on Thursday launched its new Xperia smartphone range in India. The trio Xperia Miro, Xperia J and Xperia SL. The devices are now available at all the retail counters across India.

All the three devices run on Android 4.0 ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) version. The Xperia SL is priced at Rs. 32,549 Xperia Miro at Rs. 15,249 and Xperia J at Rs. 18,399.

The Xperia SL is a high end smartphone, powered by a dual core 1.7 GHz processor. With a 12 megapixel fast capture camera, Exmor R for mobile camera sensor to lighten up, users can get sharper pictures even in lowlight The all out HD smartphone, Xperia SL has the highest PPI pixels per inch of any Sony smartphone, and is certified as the sharpest HD smartphone display.

The Xperia Miro smartphone is available in a range of funky colours with deep integration of Facebook throughout contacts, photo gallery and the music player. It also comes equipped with Sony’s xLOUD audio technology for crisp and loud sound. Its design is Slim.

Sony has also announced the Xperia J, an affordable smartphone, with eye-catching design and a stand-out screen size of 4 inches. It has a 5 megapixels auto focus camera and a front camera too. It is available in Black and White colours.

“Given the ever growing demand for entertainment on the go, we are launching the new range of Xperia Smartphones today, to offer seamless visual HD experience, social networking on the go, finest looks and the smarter music experience” said, Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director Sony India. “Sony is also driving itself across price segments to keep up with the expectation of every Indian consumer who aspires to own a smartphone” he further added.

Android budget tablets, Zync, Zync Android tablets, Zync Z1000

Tech: Micromax A110 Canvas 2 Starts Selling in India! Here’s the Complete Specifications

2012-10-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

Tech: Micromax A110 Canvas 2 Starts Selling in India! Here’s the Complete Specifications

Few weeks earlier, Micromax India officially announced to launch the sequel of its 5″ phone Micromax A100 Canvas named as A110 canvas 2 with better specifications and features as compared to its previous counterpart. Though the phone was just available for pre-booking until recently, it has now hit the stores and is also available across various online stores including Saholic (both Black & White colors) & SnapDeal (Black only) among others.

micromax a110 canvas 2 specifications

Specifications of Micromax A110 Canvas 2:

Dual SIM supported Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS based smartphone
Dimensions (in MM) – 147 x 76.5 x 9.7
5″ full touch, IPS LCD, Capacitive touch, 196 PPI, screen
8 MP rear camera with dual LED flash and 0.3 MP front facing camera
Dual Core 1GHz processor
512 MB RAM (undisclosed on official website)
2 GB internal storage (undisclosed on official site)
Internal storage upgradable upto 32GB via micro SD card
Connectivity options – 2G, 3G, Wifi, Bluetooth, Micro USB, GPS
2000 mAh battery
Priced at Rs. 9999/- during launch (You may want to check MySmartPrice for updated and best price of Micromax A110)

Tech: Apple iPad mini Hits and mis

2012-10-29T10:07:00.002-07:00

Tech: Apple iPad mini Hits and mis
Apple last week took the wraps off iPad mini, the smaller version of its popular tablet. Much speculated about before its launch, the iPad mini will take on the likes of 7-inch tablets from rivals like Google Nexus 7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and Kindle Fire HD. Only time can tell if iPad mini has what it takes to beat the competition. Here is a look at the hits and misses in Apple iPad mini

Tech:Zync launches Z1000 Android 4.0 tablet for Rs. 10,990

2012-10-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Tech:Zync launches Z1000 Android 4.0 tablet for Rs. 10,990

Zync has launched a new 9.7-inch tablet in the country for Rs. 10,990. Known as the Zync Z1000, the tablet is already available with online retailers like Snapdeal and HomeShop18.

The Zync Z1000 ships with Android 4.0 (upgradeable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) and features a 9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch IPS display with a 1024x768 pixel resolution. The tablet comes with two cameras on-board; a 2MP rear and a VGA front camera.

On the inside, the tablet is powered by a 1.5GHz single-core Cortex A8 processor with 1GB RAM. Other specs include 8GB internal storage with external expansion upto 32GB via microSD card. Ports and slots on the tablet include a mini HDMI port, two Micro-USB ports, a SIM card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack.

On the connectivity front, the device supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth v2.0, The Z1000 comes with stereo speakers, a built-in microphone, and a 7,000mAh battery. The company is also offering one month free subscription for Bigflix.

The tablet also comes with a host of pre-installed applications including an Office Suite, Ibibo, BigFlix, Hungama and other social networking websites like Facebook. Zync is also offering a free Lycra sleeve pouch with every purchase.

The company's current offerings in the 7-inch Android-based tablet category include: Zync Z999 Plus that was announced in July, Zync Z-990, Zync Z990 Plus, Zync Z909 Plus and Zync Z-930 launched earlier this month.

Zync Z1000 key specification:

Android 4.0 (upgradable to Jelly Bean v4.1)
9.7-inch capacitive multi-touch IPS display with a 1024x768 pixel resolution
2MP rear camera, VGA front camera
1.5GHz single-core processor
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
Wi-Fi/3G/Bluetooth 2.0/Mini HDMI/Micro-USB
7,000 mAh

Tech:iPhone 5 price war starts, iPad mini 'debuts'

2012-10-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

Tech:iPhone 5 price war starts, iPad mini 'debuts'

Apple iPhone 5 is yet to be launched in India and retailers have started taking pre-orders, but at least one seller has tried to one-up the competition by slashing the prices.

TOI had reported on Friday that the change in Apple's retail strategy could result in differential pricing and a possible price war in iPhone 5 prices in the weeks to come.

The 16GB version of iPhone 5 will be available for Rs 45,500 in India, according to Apple master distributors Redington and Ingram Micro and companies like Airtel, Infibeam and Saholic are taking advance bookings at the same price.

However, a listing at online retailer Tradus shows that a seller is offering the device at a price of Rs 44,900, a discount of Rs 600. This listing is in the name of HS Distributors, a Jaipur-based firm, which is offering delivery for the device within eight to 10 days.

Though the difference is not much, it signals that resellers are already getting aggressive about Apple products as well. Apple iPhones and iPads usually sell at a premium in India and the country has a very small, niche market for the company's products due to high pricing. The year-old iPhone 4S still costs more than Samsung and HTC's flagship smartphones in India.

The price war can be attributed to Apple's change in retail strategy. The company has shifted away from its carrier partners to master distributors for iPhone 5. It has appointed Ingram Micro and Redington as the two master distributors for the smartphone. They will supply the device to small and large retailers respectively.

With retailers across the country now having access to iPhones, it is likely that they will undercut the prices in order to boost volumes, exactly what HS Distributors has done. By sacrificing their margins in order to gain volumes, such retailers will push down the selling price of the device and make it slightly more accessible to the buyers.

However, until a well-known volume retailer does not start such a price war, it will have no bearing on overall sales and Apple's market share in the country.

Meanwhile, Apple iPad mini, which was unveiled globally just last week, has also made its debut in India, albeit unofficially! Though Apple India's distributors are yet to launch iPad Mini in India, online retailer eBay India has said that the Wi-Fi-only 16GB variant of Apple's mini-tablet is now up for sale on its website, in white as well as black colours.

The company has said "iPad Mini, which is being marketed as a great e-reader and a product for first-time tablet shoppers, can be bought at unbeatable prices."

FirangiBhai, another online retailer, is also taking pre-orders for the device. The website is selling the 16, 32 and 64GB Wi-Fi-only versions of iPad mini in India at Rs 26,900, Rs 34,290 and Rs 41,790, respectively. The site claims that the device will be delivered within a week of the product's official launch in the USA.

As reported by TOI three days ago, the iPhone 5, Apple's latest smartphone, will be officially launched in the country on November 2, 2012. The 16, 32 and 64GB variants of the device are officially priced at Rs 45,500, Rs 52,500 and Rs 59,500, respectively.

Tech: Apple nets record $8.2 billion profit on iPhone sales

2012-10-27T04:01:00.002-07:00

Tech: Apple nets record $8.2 billion profit on iPhone sales

The Cupertino-based maker of iPhone smartphones, iPad tablets, Macbook notebooks and iMac desktop computers posted revenue of $36 billion and net profit of $8.2 billion, or $8.67 per diluted share for its last quarter.

In comparison, the company had recorded a revenue of $28.3 billion and net profit of $6.6 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. However, it saw its gross margin decline by a fraction to 40 per cent compared with 40.3 per cent in the year-ago quarter.

Higher international sales accounted for 60 percent of the quarter's revenue. Apple ended the quarter with $121.3 billion in cash and securities, of which $83 billion was offshore.

Apple sold 26.9 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 58 per cent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.

But the reported iPad sales by Apple fell short of Wall Street's expectations, marring the company's record of consistently exceeding investors' expectations. It sold 14.0 million iPads during the quarter, a modest 26 percent unit increase in the same period. It was well below the forecasts as the economy remained weak and consumers also awaited the iPad mini, for which pre-orders started on Thursday night.

Apple's computer sales seem to have virtually frozen as it sold 4.9 million Macs during the quarter, a mere1 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple also saw a 19 per cent unit sales decline at 5.3 million iPods.

As a result, shares in the world's most valuable technology company briefly dipped to levels not seen since the start of August, after it delivered a 27 percent rise in revenue. The share later bounced back after the CEO Tim Cook's conference call with analysts.

Apple's board of directors declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the company's common stock. The dividend - same as the previous quarter ending July - will be payable on November 15, to shareholders as per records on close of day on November 12.

"We're very proud to end a fantastic fiscal year with record September quarter results," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, in a statement. "We're entering this holiday season with the best iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod products ever, and we remain very confident in our new product pipeline."

Together with the iPad 2, these two new iPads (iPad 3 and Mini) run more than 275,000 apps in the App Store. Recognised revenue from sales of iPad and iPad accessories during the quarter was up by 9% at $7.5 billion compared to $6.9 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple ended the quarter with about 3.4 million iPads in channel inventory, a sequential increase of about 200,000, pointed out Cook.

"We're pleased to have generated over $41 billion in net income and over $50 billion in operating cash flow in fiscal 2012," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's chief financial officer (CFO).

Oppenheimer mostly attributed the lower margin and conservative guidance to a combination of a stronger dollar, higher costs associated with new products, and the fact that Apple's next fiscal quarter has one less week than the same period a year ago.

Apple's stock was holding steady at $609.40 in extended trade after flirting with the $600 level. The shares had ended regular trade at $609.54.

Supply constraints holding up sales of the iPad and iPhone dominated discussions between analysts and Apple executives during the post-results conference call. Apple has struggled to deliver large quantities of the iPhone 5 since its launch in late September, with the wait list for the device at one point stretching to three weeks in some regions.

"Our supply output is significantly higher than it was in early October," Cook said, referring to the iPhone 5. "And I'm confident that we'll be able to supply quite a few during the quarter."

Tech: Apple nets record $8.2 billion profit on iPhone sales

Tech: Samsung Galaxy S Advance price and availability details let out

2012-10-27T03:44:00.003-07:00

Tech: Samsung Galaxy S Advance price and availability details let out

The Samsung Galaxy S Advance price and availability details have been disclosed as it gears up to toddle into the UK with Gingerbread onboard. It will begin shipping in the country starting April 30 via carriers like Vodafone and Phones 4u among others.

The device features a 4-inch screen, dual core 1GHz processor and HSPA 14.4Mbps connectivity as its main highlights. As mentioned above, the Gingerbread OS mingled with the company’s TouchWiz interface should provide prospective users with noticeably intuitive navigation.

Simon Stanford, Vice President, UK & IRE Telecommunications & Networks Division, Samsung UK and Ireland, cited, “We’ve been pleased with the response we’ve had from customers, partners and media since announcing the Galaxy S Advance in January. As with many of our smartphones before it, the Galaxy S Advance features a screen which uses our Super AMOLED technology so anyone that buys one will experience unparalleled color and vivid clarity when viewing any content on the device.”
Needless to say, the Samsung Hubs are right in place to offer access to a range of content like games, books and music. The communication service ChatOn is ready at hand for group conversations and instant messaging. Another attribute dubbed FindMyMobile enables tracking of lost handsets via the web and provides security by remotely deleting the data housed by the phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S Advance price and availability details were not mentioned in the official press release. But it can be picked up via Clove UK for £322.80, and for £329.99 through Expansys. As stated above, the device will hit store shelves on April 30.

Tech:iBall Slide 3G 7334 price pegged at Rs. 10,999

2012-10-27T03:25:00.001-07:00

Tech:iBall Slide 3G 7334 price pegged at Rs. 10,999

The iBall Slide 3G 7334 price is out, and while the company is claiming it to be the first tablet in the country to come

with dual SIM capabilities, we have already seen the Swipe Tab All in One which was released last week.. That’s not all;

this slate also brings in 3G support, allowing users to access data with uploading and downloading speeds of up to 5.76Mbps and 7.2Mbps, respectively.

As per the company’s claims, the Slide 3G 7334 is the first in the nation to ship with an FM transmitter. It offers a sweet

ride on the Ice Cream Sandwich platform, and is powered by a Cortex A9 processor with clock speeds of up to 1.5GHz.

Belonging to the 7-inch category, this slab has a multi-touch HD WSVGA capacitive display that renders visuals in

resolutions of 1024 x 600 pixels. The VGA camera, placed above its screen lets users conduct video calls while on the move.
Furthermore, there’s also a 2MP rear-facing camera that’s capable of delivering panoramic stills, and it even comes with

multi-shot functions. A host of applications including Whatsapp, Facebook, Nimbuzz, Zomato, CricketNext, IBNLive and

Moneycontrol come pre-loaded on the Slide tablet. Besides these, features such as Bluetooth, USB, GPS and AGPS are also thrown into the mix.

The iBall Slide 3G 7334 is now available for purchase at a price of Rs. 10,999.

Specifications at a glance:

- Dual SIM
- FM transmitter function
- Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS
- 1.5GHz Cortex A9 processor
- 7-inch multi-touch HD WSVGA capacitive display (1024 x 600 pixels)
- VGA secondary camera
- 2MP primary snapper
- 3G, Bluetooth, USB, GPS and AGPS

Tech: How to buy a Windows 8 laptop, desktop or tablet

2012-10-27T03:22:00.003-07:00

Tech: How to buy a Windows 8 laptop, desktop or tablet
Windows 8 is now with us. Microsoft says it's the biggest thing since Windows 95 - its new user interface is certainly one

of the biggest gambles Microsoft has made.

Windows has been brought kicking and screaming into the touchscreen era against a competitive backdrop of iPads, Android

devices and even Microsoft's own Windows Phone smartphone OS.

Microsoft made attempts at retro-fitting previous versions of Windows with touch, but - quite frankly - it was a terrible

thing.

Good news though - Windows 8 has been designed from the ground up to work perfectly with a touch screen.

More Read...
    Asus VivoBooks, Zenbooks and AIO primed for Windows 8 announcement
    Dell reveals Windows 8 lineup, pricing, availability
    Windows To Go brings Windows 8 to older PCs via USB

Tech: Apple iPhone 5 prices start at Rs 45,500 in India

2012-10-27T03:21:00.001-07:00

Tech: Apple iPhone 5 prices start at Rs 45,500 in India

Apple iPhone 5, which will be launched in India on November 2, will be priced at Rs 45,500 for the entry-level 16GB model.

The 32 and 64GB models will be sold at 52,500 and 59,500 respectively.

The prices have been shared by Redington, one of the two distribution partners of Apple in India, in the country and are in

line with the unconfirmed price range that TOI had earlier reported.

Redington and Ingram have also confirmed TOI's Friday report that Apple is set to launch the iPhone 5, its latest

smartphone, in India on November 2, 2012. Apple has joined hands with Redington and Ingram Micro to distribute its flagship

device in the country.

This is a departure from Apple's earlier strategy of partnering with telecom operators like Airtel and Aircel to retail the

phone in India. Redington and Ingram Micro already distribute iPad and iPods in the country.

Considering that the device will not be tied to a few telecom operators only, most telcos in India have readied their

stocks of nano-sim cards which can be used only in iPhone 5.

As reported by TOI on Thursday, besides online site Infibeam, another online retailer Saholic has begun taking pre-orders

for the 16GB variant of iPhone 5 at Rs 45,500. Infibeam had started taking advance bookings at Rs 5,000, while the

remaining amount will be collected at the time of launch.

Apple is yet to launch the unlocked version of iPhone 5 in the US, its home country, and only sells the device with carrier

partners like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

Tech: Apple increases App Store prices in Europe

2012-10-26T06:25:00.003-07:00

Tech: Apple increases App Store prices in Europe

App Store users who tried to purchase a new app from the App Store on Thursday night in Europe were notified that the service was temporarily unavailable. An hour or so later the service was back up, with higher prices in euros for all apps in store.

Apple forces developers to put their apps into one of a limited number of price "tiers", with Apple itself deciding what price will be charged for each tier.

The proportion of the price going to developers stayed roughly the same, with Apple taking about 39% of the price and developers 61%.

Only euro pricing changed, said Apple spokesman Alan Hely in an email. "From time to time Apple adjusts prices of products in countries due to changes in exchange rates," he wrote.

Thomas Engel, Creative Director at Amsterdam-based mobile development firm The Saints, thinks value-added taxes may also have played a role.

"I think they compensated for currency and VAT changes," he said.

"App providers are probably glad," he said, as they get a little more money with the new prices.

"It feels like this is the new standard for the coming years," said Engel, who added that it isn't Apples style to update prices frequently. "We will have to accept it."

Besides updating euro app pricing, Apple also allowed buyers in a number of countries to pay in their local currency rather than in U.S. dollars as before. New currencies supported include Russian rubles, Turkish lira, Indian rupees, Indonesian rupiah, Israeli shekels, Saudi Arabian riyals, South African rand, United Arab Emirates dirhams and Danish kroner.

iOS 6: Apple gets Mobile Management
Simplicity is key in iPad and BYOD rollouts
App Management and Mobile Security

How to Get window 8 | how to get windows 8 | How to Get Microsoft's Windows 8

2012-10-26T06:21:00.003-07:00

How to Get window 8

Microsoft's revamped Windows 8 operating system is finally ready for primetime. Redmond started selling digital downloads of the new OS at 12:01 a.m. local time this morning, shortly after it opened up the doors to its holiday pop-up store in New York's Times Square.
But how do you get it? There are a variety of options, from upgrades to entirely new systems. Read on for how to snag Microsoft's latest operating system.

Upgrade your existing PC online:

PC users running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 can upgrade their PCs to Windows 8 Pro via a $39.99 download from now until Jan. 31, 2013. First, Microsoft will run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to make sure your computer can handle Windows 8. If you're in the clear, you will be walked through the upgrade process. Those with Windows 7 will have their files, apps, and settings automatically transferred to Windows 8 Pro (though it's always good to have a backup). If you have a PC with XP or Vista, you will have to reinstall apps.

New buyer upgrade:

If you purchased a Windows 7 PC after June 2, 2012 you can get a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $14.99. Microsoft started accepting upgrade registrations in August, but you can sign up now via windowsupgradeoffer.com. Starting today, Microsoft will send out promo codes via email. When you upgrade via Windows.com, Microsoft will display the $39.99 price for general upgrades; enter the promo code on the confirmation page to get the $14.99 price. Users have until Feb. 28, 2013 to use their promo code. For more, see Microsoft's FAQ.

Buy boxed software:

If you're a little wary of upgrading your PC online, you can still buy a boxed version of Windows 8 Pro for $69.99. It's available from Amazon, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, and the Microsoft Store.

Buy a new PC:

If your PC is ready for an upgrade, why not kill two birds with one stone and get the new OS and a new computer at once? This time around, there are a few more options when it comes to hardware, though. Do you want a traditional Windows-based laptop, a super-fast ultrabook, a Windows RT tablet, or a convertible tablet/laptop combo? Whatever you choose, Windows 8 will come pre-loaded on the device, so you don't have to worry about upgrading or installing the OS on your machine. To help you make up your mind, check out 5 Windows 8 PCs Worth Waiting For.

Incoming Search Tearms:
How to Get window 8 | how to get windows 8 | How to Get Microsoft's Windows 8

Tech : Facebook earnings, commercialism stock sales eyelike

2012-10-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

Tech : Facebook earnings, commercialism stock sales eyelike

Fasten your seat belts, Facebook investors.

Company earnings on Tuesday and millions of employee shares hitting the market for the first time on Thursday could make for a choppy ride this week.

As the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal reports, while the company is expected to post higher revenue in its second quarter as a public company, much attention will be focused on the mobile advertising portion of that number. That's where analysts say the Melon Park social networking giant needs to show progress if it is going to return its stock to its $38 a share IPO price.

Tech: Tablet wars! Google's Nexus ten may break the three hundred PPI barrier

2012-10-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

Tech : Tablet wars! Google's Nexus ten may break the three hundred PPI barrier

Apple's reported to unharness associate iPad mini tomorrow. Microsoft's Surface RT ships on Fri. will Google have associate uber-tablet waiting within the wings which will trump each of them? Rumors purpose to affirmative.

Must Read: 7 reasons not to wait for Apple's iPad mini

Tablet wars! Google's Nexus 10 could break the 300 PPI barrier
Summary: Apple's rumored to release an iPad mini tomorrow. Microsoft's Surface RT ships on Friday. Does Google have an uber-tablet waiting in the wings that will trump both of them? Rumors point to yes.
Jason D. O'Grady

People got pretty fired up last week when a Microsoft engineer implied that the Surface RT has a better display than the iPad 3 and a full-on flame ware erupted when a research scientist specializing in display technology refuted those claims.

But don't count Google out just yet. The Mountain View-based Android creator doesn't make its own hardware, but it may have something up its sleeve that could trump both the iPad and Surface when it comes to display quality.

Originally reported by CNET (and recently substantiated by The Next Web) Google is preparing to launch a new 10-inch tablet to compete with the encumbent iPad and challenger Surface. The new tablet will be manufactured by Samsung and called, you guessed it, the Nexus 10.

Google is hosting an Android event on Monday, October 29th in New York (the same day as Microsoft's Window Phone 8 event, natch) where the Nexus 10 rumored to make its debut. But here's the kicker, the Nexus 10 (codenamed "Manta") will offer a 2560 × 1600 pixel resolution (which is a 16:10 aspect ratio) and north of 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Besting, gasp!, the iPad 3.

At least in theory, anyway.

Here's how a 2560 × 1600 Nexus 10 would stack up against the iPad 3 and Surface tabs:

    Surface RT - 1366 x 768, 148 PPI
    Surface Pro - 1920 x 1080, 208 PPI
    Apple iPad 3 - 2048 x 1536, 264 PPI
    Google Nexus 10 - 2560 × 1600, 10.1-inch 299 PPI

If the Nexus 10 ships with a 10.1-inch panel (like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Note 10.1) that would give it 299 PPI. If it's a 9.7-inch panel (like the iPad) it goes up to a whopping 311 PPI.