The Evergreen Journal

AT&T announces HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket LTE phones, coming on November 6

2011-11-02T18:18:00.000+05:30

AT&T has announced their first LTE phone lineup with HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket that would be available from November 6. These smartphones uses both the LTE and HSPA+ 4G for a consistently fast connection in and out of LTE areas. The HTC Vivid has dual core 1.2 GHz processor 4.5-inch qHD display and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is powered by 1.5 GHz dual core processor and has 4.5-inch SuperAMOLED Plus display. Both these phones run on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The HTC Vivid has an 8MP camera with f2.2 28mm wide angle lens for low light photos and 1080p HD video recording at 60 FPS, 16 GB internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB with MicroSD.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket comes with an 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video recording and a 2MP front-facing camera, 16 GB internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB with MicroSD.

There are LTE plans include, DataPlus that provides 200 MB of data for just $15 per month with extra 200 MB of data usage at another $15. The DataPro provides 2 GB of data for $25 per month with an additional 1 GB of data at $10.

The HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket would available from AT&T company-owned retail stores and online Nov. 6 for $199.99 and $249.99 respectively with a 2 year commitment.

Opera Mini 6.5 now available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian S60 and Java Phones

2011-11-02T18:12:00.000+05:30

Opera has launched their latest Opera Mini 6.5 with Data Usage view and bookmark import is now available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian S60 and Java Phones. The Opera Mobile 11.5 browser is now also available on Symbian S60. The Data Usage view keeps count of how much data you are spending and saving in total, or for a specific time frame. It is said to save 90% of data cost. The Opera Mini and Mobile for Android was launched last month.

The data tracker is located under the “Help” menu that gets you total usage and also temporary usage. You also add bookmarks or new Speed Dial shortcuts for easy access to your most used website in the new version. The cost-saving compression is always turned on in the Opera Mini and you can turn off this feature in the Opera Mobile.

Download Opera Mini 6.5 for iPhone from the Apple iTunes Store. Download the app for BlackBerry, Symbian S60 and Java Phones just by heading to m.opera.com from your device.

Limited Edition Porsche Design P’9981 BlackBerry Unveiled

2011-10-28T20:20:00.003+05:30

RIM and Porsche took off the wraps from the P’9981 today. The phone is a limited edition Blackberry OS7 based smartphone to be sold only at select Porsche dealerships.

What sets apart the phone ? The forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and “crystal clear touch display.” It will ship with an exclusive Porsche Design UI and a bespoke Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience and also premium Blackberry PINs. The spec sheet includes a 1.2Ghz processor , NFC capabilities , microSD card , 8GB of onboard space and HD video recording. The phone is expected to sell for around $2000.

Motorola Droid 4 spotted in the wild

2011-10-28T20:19:00.001+05:30

Droid-Life have got their hands on a photograph of a handset said to be the Motorola Droid 4. The Android based smartphone comes with a slide out 5 row QWERTY keyboard. The design is highly inspired by the recently launched Droid RAZR.

The phone is running Android Gingerbread 2.3.5 but should hopefully get an update to Ice Cream Sandwich soon after launch. Tentative specs include 4″ screen , HD 1080p video recording. A front facing camera is present but the Droid has lost its removable battery. The phone is said to support LTE connectivity alongside Webtop functionality. The phone should be announced in time for Christmas.

[Via - Droid Life]

Nokia Kinetic concept phone with flexible display hands-on

2011-10-28T20:06:00.003+05:30

Nokia is demoing a concept phone with flexible display at Nokia World 2011 in London. The Nokia Kinetic by Nokia Research division works by bending and twisting the device in each corner in order to register input.

The Nokia Kinetic is a landscape device with two working applications, Music and Pictures, no doubt created as proof of concepts. For example bending in the device towards you will open the application.

Below is a video demo of the Nokia Kinetic and how it works. There are currently no plans to bring this screen technology to the market but this is merely a sneak into what Nokia has in store for us.

iOS developers noted to make more profit from app sales than Google makes from its mobile business

2011-10-28T20:03:00.000+05:30

Adhering to Google’s third-quarter earnings report in the previous week, David Barnard, founder of App Cubby, established an intriguing observation on his company’s blog, Google declared a run rate of $2.5 billion for its cellular ad revenue based on third-quarter earnings, up from $1 billion a year previously.

While that feat is extraordinary, Barnard stated that Apple paid developers about $500 million between July 7th and October 4th for a run rate of $2 billion. Adding to that the money third-party ad networks like Milennial Media and Admob pay out to iOS developers over the course of a year, and “the iOS developer run rate is likely higher, maybe even significantly higher, than Google’s mobile run rate.” This means that developers who figure and retail their apps for Apple’s iOS platform will, on a whole, make lots more money over the next year than Google will earn from its complete mobile business.

Source: BGR

Co-founder of SIRI, Kittlaus departs from Apple

2011-10-28T20:00:00.001+05:30

As per a new report that has come in, claims have been made that Dag Kittlaus (co-founder of Siri), who was in charge of overseeing Apple’s augmentation of the service, has departed from the Cupertino, Calif.-based company as the iPhone 4S is in the market and ready for sale.

Siri – is a personal assistant application for iOS, was founded in 2007 by Dag Kittlaus (CEO), Adam Cheyer (VP Engineering), and Tom Gruber (CTO/VP Design), mutually with Norman Winarsky from SRI International‘s venture group. It has been insinuated that Apple amassed Siri for a whopping $121 million. Albeit the Siri team at Apple has departed with a talented leader, other executives that played a vital role in the progress of the app will still be at Apple.

As per All Things Digital, Kittlaus departed from Apple, right after the iPhone 4S was released previously this month. The reason that is given is that Kittlaus wants to spend more time with his family in Chicago and to set up newer ideas, reported by AllThingsDigital.

The crux of the Apple’s iPhone 4S, Siri aids users in sending e-mails, placing calls; search the Web, to give out voice instructions to the iPhone, which are then processed by the service.

Source: AllthingsD

Nokia Lumia 710 hands-on

2011-10-28T19:55:00.000+05:30

It’s Nokia World 2011 and all eyes seems to be on Nokia’s new Windows Phone 7.5 flagship, the Lumia 800. But based on my conversations with other tech journalists here, many believe the real show stealer is the understated Nokia Lumia 710. Read on to find out why.

The Lumia 710 is Nokia’s promise on making Windows Phone cheaper and accessible to the market. At a retail price of EUR270 before taxes and subsidies, the Lumia 710 is currently the cheapest new Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones with a faster than 1 GHz processor.

Like the Nokia Lumia 800, the Lumia 710 runs on the same 1.4 GHz processor and graphic accelerator. In essence the key differentiators that set the two apart are the design, screen technology used and camera. While the Lumia 800 shares the same body as the Meego-powered Nokia N9, the Lumia 710 is a Nokia 603 after undergoing a Windows Phone transplant.

While the 710 is larger than the 800, it is also a bit lighter. Despite the liberal use of plastic, the 710 feels great in hand. My only complaint was, despite the use of hardware front buttons, the buttons do look and feel cheap. It does get the job done, even if the tactile feedback was almost none-existent.

The screen is 3.7″ in size, the same as the Lumia 800. Unlike the 800 however, the Lumia 710′s screen is LCD TFT variety. Even then the Lumia 710′s screen looks awesome and has great colour saturation and contrast level. It is easily one of the best LCD displays on a mobile phone I have ever seen. I honestly thought it was an OLED display I was looking at.

The 5MP camera will not set the world alight, but at least it comes with an Autofocus lens. The camera is quick and easy to use, as are on all Windows Phone 7 devices.

Despite the differences in hardware, the Lumia 710 works the same as the Lumia 800, or indeed all Windows Phone 7.5 Mango devices. Nokia does differentiate a little by providing some key exclusive applications, such as Nokia Drive – the only voice navigation application on WP7 that works offline as well.

Alongside with Nokia Drive, Nokia has also announced their Spotify competitor – Nokia Music, a music discovery app that allows you to download playlists, basically pre-packed radio directly onto their phone. It is well integrated with the OS and takes advantages of Windows Phone 7 features such as Live Tiles.

Of all the phones I played with today, the Lumia 710 is the most exciting one. It is not only affordable, the design is fresh (even if it isn’t too exciting like the 800). This is Nokia’s answer to pushing Windows Phone smartphones onto a larger market and will help them at getting into that all important mid-range market. It also plays well with their next one billion strategy.

The Lumia 800 is no doubt the phone to get, if you can afford one. It is EUR150 more after all, and it won’t get you much more than you can get with the 710. Expect to see these in stores from Q1 2012.

Nokia Asha 200 : Dual SIM , QWERTY enabled S40 device announced

2011-10-28T19:53:00.001+05:30

The Nokia Asha 200 is a dual SIM enabled device which allows for Easy Swap ie it is possible to change the SIM card without turning off the device. You also get shortcuts for social networking , email , IM , Orkut and Flickr amongst others.

The phone can support upto 32GB microSD cards allowing users to store thousands of tracks. The phone is rated for 52hours of audio playback. A 2MP camera is also present at the back of the phone.

Nokia Asha 300 hands-on

2011-10-28T19:48:00.000+05:30

The Nokia Asha 300 is one of four new Nokia Asha series featurephones announced today at Nokia World 2011 in London. The Asha 300 is almost identical in featureset to the Asha 303, except apart for a QWERTY keyboard, the Asha 300 comes with a traditional 12-key numerical pad and a portrait touchscreen.

The Asha 300 will feature a 1GHz processor of unknown type and a 240×320 resistive touchscreen. It’s design is that of a classic monoblock device. It is stylish and yet powerful enough for a none-smartphone class device. The built quality is solid, but feels a tad cheap – which is exactly what it is. A 5 Megapixel camera can be found on the back.

Nokia Browser and a host of other social networking, including Orkut and Flickr, and messaging apps can be found installed, as is Angry Birds. I was sceptical on how Angry Birds would work on a 2.4″ screen device but it works surprisingly well. The resistive touchscreen technology used meant that pressure has to be applied at all times. Multi touch isn’t supported, but that is due to disadvantages of using a cheaper resistive touchscreen.

The Asha 300 is a 3G device, but it lacks the WLAN radio found in its more advance sibling the 303. It does ship with Bluetooth connectivity, FM radio and will support microSD cards up to 32GB in capacity.

No announcement has been made regarding availability but it is due to retail for EUR75 before taxes and subsidies. It is expected to be released in Q4 of this year.

Nokia Lumia 800 Announced at Nokia World

2011-10-28T19:44:00.000+05:30

Nokia has just revealed one of its first Windows Phone devices ie the Nokia 800 Lumia. The phone runs on Windows Phone 7.5 and is powered by a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with 512MB of RAM.

The camera is an 8MP Carl Zeiss unit. Capacitive buttons are present on the front alongside Volume and Camera keys located on the right side of the device.

Nokia Asha 303 hands-on

2011-10-28T19:40:00.002+05:30

Nokia today announced the Nokia Asha 303, part of the new Asha portfolio of S40 touch and type featurephones designed for emerging markets and part of Nokia’s strategy of getting the next billion people online.

Of all the Asha devices announced today, the 303 is the most interesting one. The Nokia Asha 303 is a monoblock device with a front facing QWERTY keyboard and 2.6″ QVGA capacitive touchscreen. Powering the device is a 1GHz processor of unknown type (likely to be some kind of ARM CPU).

The Asha 303 is a stylish device borrowing elements from the Nokia 700 and the low cost C3 QWERTY featurephone. It feels solid in hand and the build quality is good. The keys are well spaced, though they do not provide the nice ‘clicky’ tactile feel I was looking for. Four hardware keys resides above the QWERTY keyboard providing shortcuts to the messaging app and music player.

Because the 303 is built around social networking and mobile internet, it comes with a wealth of built-in applications and the wireless hardware necessary for it to do so. 3G and WLAN comes as built in standard. The 3.2 Megapixel camera doesn’t impress, but you can’t complain much for a device in this price range.

Nokia made a big deal of Nokia Browser, a cloud based proxy web browser that compresses the web by up to 90%. This is essentially the same thing that excellent Opera Mini does. Other apps installed includes Facebook Chat and WhatsApp, a sign that Nokia is serious in taking the instant messaging market into RIM’s territory, and Angry Birds Lite.

The retail price of the Asha 303 is EUR 115 excluding subsidies and taxes. It is expected in the first quarter of 2012.

Kik Messenger Introduces New Symbian, Windows Phone Apps At Nokia World

2011-10-28T19:28:00.003+05:30

The cross platform messenger service Kik today launched its Symbian and updated Windows Phone apps at the Nokia World conference in London. The messenger competes with the likes of WhatsApp and is also available on iOS , Android and Blackberry platforms. With the new Symbian app Kik Messenger users should be able to communicate regardless of platform of choice.

The Symbian app which has been in private beta for a while boasts support for sent, delivered and read notifications, group chat with any kik user across all supported platform, and photo sharing. The newly updated Windows Phone app supports the fast app switching features introduced in Mango while adding list scrolling, address book contact matching and other improvements.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus officially announced : Android 4.0 , 4.65″ Super AMOLED HD display

2011-10-19T12:55:00.000+05:30

Ahead of the Android 4.0 ie Ice Cream Sandwich launch event , details of the next Nexus phone ie the Samsung Galaxy Nexus have been given out by Samsung. What we have here is an absolute monster in terms of specs. The phone is powered by a 1.2Ghz dual core processor , 1GB of RAM. The display as expected is a 4.65″ SAMOLED HD panel which pump out an absolutely staggering 1280x720 resolution. Click through to get the lowdown on the entire spec sheet !

Network HSPA+ 21 850/900/1900/1700/2100; EDGE/GPRS (LTE will be available depending on region)
Processor 1.2GHz dual-core processor
Display: 4.65-inch 1280 x 720 HD Super AMOLED
OS:Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Cameras:Rear cam: 5-megapixel, Front cam: 1.3-megapixel for video call
Video: Playback and recording at 1080p (30fps, MPEG-4/h.263/h.264)
Connectivity:Bluetooth 3.0, USB, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, NFC
Sensors: Accelerometer, compass, gyro, light, proximity, barometer
Memory: 1GB ram + 16/32GB storage
Battery: 1750 mAh standard battery
Size: 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94; 135g

The GALAXY Nexus will be available in the U.S., Europe, and Asia beginning in November and gradually rolled out to other global markets.

Motorola RAZR price revealed for UK, Coming on November 1st

2011-10-19T12:50:00.002+05:30

Motorola announced the the Motorola RAZR, world’s thinnest 4G LTE smartphone yesterday. The Clove UK, online retail site has confirmed that the first stock of the Motorola RAZR would be available on November 1st.

The Motorola RAZR is just 7.1 mm thin and it is made with KEVLAR fiber. It features 4.3-inch (960 x 540 pixels) Super AMOLED hyper-vibrant display and it is powered by 1.2 GHz dual core processor. It runs on Android Gingerbread 2.3.5. Other features include 8MP rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization and front-facing HD camera, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 1GB RAM, 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD card pre-installed and a powerful 1780 mAh battery.

The first stocks of the UK variant of the Motorola RAZR would arrive at Clove UK on November 1st. It is priced at £379 (US$ 595), (454.80 inc. VAT) and it is now available for pre-order from the Clove UK website for the same price. It would available with Verizon in U.S for $299.99 with 2 year contract in early November.

Motorola announces the MOTOACTV

2011-10-19T12:49:00.000+05:30

Alongside the Motorola Droid RAZR , the company also showed off a new Android based MP3 player cum Fitness tracker. The MOTOACTV is powered by a 600MHz processor and is capable of tracking your fitness regime including but not limited to calories burnt.

Features include :

Ongoing tracking of fitness performance stats, including pace, distance, calories burned, and map of route covered, with automatic wireless syncing of workout data to MOTOACTV.com
8GB or 16GB of storage for endless playlists
Sports a 1.6” full-color touch-screen display that is sweat-proof, rain-resistant and scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass that auto-adjusts for indoor or outdoor lighting
Option to sync with the latest Android-powered smartphone to receive incoming calls and texts
FM radio capabilities for more song variety
Up to five hours of battery life for outdoor workouts, 10 hours indoors, and nearly two weeks on standby
Supports both Bluetooth® 4.0 and ANT+ wireless connectivity for your existing fitness sensors and your future ones
Size: 46mm x 46mm x 9.6 mm
Weight: 35 g

The MOTOACTV most definitely resembles the iPod Nano which also bundles in Nike+ but this one goes a step ahead. The MOTOACTV will be available in 8 and 16GB configurations priced at $249 and $299.

Nimbuzz for iPhone now supports Video Calling

2011-10-18T18:33:00.000+05:30

Nimbuzz for iPhone has been updated to version 2.3.0 that brings iPhone to iPhone and iPhone to PC. This version also brings video chat option and message delivery notifications.

Features in Nimbuzz for iPhone v2.3.0

FREE Video Calls over 3G, 4G and WiFi – iPhone to iPhone and iPhone to PC
VIDEO CHAT - message/text with video, but minus the audio that is supported even if VoIP calling services are restricted
Message Delivery Notifications – See checkmarks when your message gets delivered to the person you are chatting with

Other Nimbuzz users on iPhone and PC must have the latest version of the app to make or receive video calls. Download Nimbuzz for iPhone from the Apple iTunes store for free. The Video calling feature would be available for the Nimbuzz for Android and Symbian platforms soon.

Read

Verizon leaks the new Droid RAZR on teaser page

2011-10-18T18:29:00.002+05:30

While wanting to generate some good publicity, like formulating teaser pages and sending out mystery packages, you do not accidentally want to leak the product, that’s not the case with Motorola, Verizon, and the new Droid RAZR squirreled away on the teaser page (that went up this morning), Droid-Lifediscovered the ultra thin phone, and it was pretty much the same phone that was leaked to us previously this month. It also included 4G LTE and a patterned Kevlar back plate. This not only anguished the Droid Bionic users across the nation, but also raised a number of questions about the Ice Cream Sandwich, particularly since we are told that the ICS will get rid of those physical buttons, but we will still seek confirmation by Verizon and Motorola at tomorrow’s event.

Adobe Reader now available for iPhone and iPad

2011-10-18T18:27:00.000+05:30

Adobe has launched the Adobe reader for iPhone and iPad that lets the users to view any PDF file including PDF Portfolios, password-protected PDF documents and Adobe LiveCycle rights-managed PDF files. You can also view PDF files from email, on the Web or from any application that supports the “Open In” function.

Features of Adobe reader for iPhone and iPad

View PDF files on phone, from email , the Web or any application that supports “Open In” and also PDF Portfolios, PDF Packages, annotations and drawing markups
Open and view password-protected PDF files and also PDF files secured by Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management
Search text, create bookmarks, zoom in on text or images or copy text from a PDF file to the clipboard
Print wirelessly with AirPrint, Share PDF files with other applications or Email PDF documents as attachments

The app also supports multiple languages. Download Adobe Reader from the Apple iTunes store (iOS 4.2.5 or later) for free.

Read

LG DoublePlay with Dual Touch Screen Displays announced for T-Mobile

2011-10-17T22:36:00.000+05:30

LG and T-Mobile has announced an unique phone, LG DoublePlay with dual touch screen displays and split QWERTY keyboard. The phone has 3.5-inch main display and 2.0-inch sub display as well as a full slide-out split QWERTY keyboard and Swype. This would let you multitask easily by working on the 2 screens simultaneously. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and it is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

It comes with a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recorder. It offers multiple messaging options, including Cloud Text and Group Text that would let the users to send and receive texts from a PC or tablet or create group chats on-the-go for faster.

LG DoublePlay comes in Truffle color finish and would be available exclusively from T-Mobilein time for the holiday season. It will also be the featured smartphone in the 5th annual LG U.S. National Texting Championship in New York City on October 26.

Pulse introduces cross-device syncing

2011-10-16T18:44:00.001+05:30

Pulse , the popular news reader app now allows users to sync their current state across devices and platforms (barring Windows Phone). The syncing feature is currently supported on iOS and Android but is expected to make its way to the recently launched Windows Phone app as well.

On starting the application the user will be prompted to sync their device with the web component of the Pulse service which will then sync states across devices. It is possible to continue using the service without activating syncing features by switching it off under the accounts section on the pulse.me website.

[Via - IntoMobile]

Duke Nukem making its way to Android handsets

2011-10-16T18:39:00.001+05:30

Duke Nukem , the ever popular game is making its way to Android smartphones. The game is already available for the iPhone and iPod Touch and will soon be playable on all devices which support Android 2.1 and above.

“Duke Nukem is a legend in his own time, and he’d be the first person to tell you that,” said Rob Carroll, Tapjoy’s Director of Publishing for Tapjoy. “MachineWorks NorthWest has done a great job of bringing the brash, trash-talking character and all his ass-kicking glory to the mobile environment, and we are thrilled to be working with AAA studios like MachineWorks to help bring games of this caliber to Android.”

According to the developer Duke Nukem 3D will be available very soon from any Android smartphone or tablet device running version 2.1 and up through the Android Market, or online at http://www.machineworksnorthwest.com.

[Via - Android Unite]

Nokia 710 spotted over at Nokia Developer

2011-10-16T18:32:00.000+05:30

My Nokia Blog reports that a Nokia 710 was spotted over at Nokia Developer earlier today. The phone sports specifications which are very similar to those suggested for Mango devices. Interestingly the OS is named as Maemo Internet Tablet 2008 but that is obviously meant to cover up the presence of Windows Phone 7 on the hardware.

Specifications include :

1.4GHz Cortex A8
3.7″, 800×480 Clear Black TFT

28mm wide angle 5MP camera
720p, 30FPS
8GB Internal memory
512mb RAM
Browser BL-5B 3.7V 820mAh (820mAh) – 400 hours standby (more than iPhone 4S), 5H 3G browsing, 7H GSM talk time. MicroSIM.

Some possible discrepancies in there as WP7 devices have inherently run on Qualcomm chipsets. With Nokia World right around the corner , we should be hearing more about the same.

[Via - My Nokia Blog]

Samsung ChatON Messaging app now available in the Android Market

2011-10-15T18:18:00.000+05:30

Samsung ChatON, cross platform mobile messaging service is now available for Android. Samsung announced the app this August and it comes pre-installed on the latest bada 2.0 devices. It supports group chat, broadcasts, animation messages, pictures, videos, audio, location info and much more.

Features of Samsung ChatON app for Android

Join group chats and send pictures, videos, audio, location info
Create your own unique animated message by drawing
Interaction rank tells you how often you chat with your buddies
See all sent images and videos in a trunk
Use Buddies say to tell something to buddies

Download the Samsung ChatON Instant Messaging app from the Android Market (Android 2.2 – 2.3.3 ) for free. iOS and Blackberry versions would be available soon.

Via: SammyHub

WhatsApp Messenger: The Next Gen Messaging

2011-10-13T20:37:00.000+05:30

WhatsApp is a cross-platform smartphone messenger which is available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones. Today, WhatsApp Messenger for iPhone went free in the Apple iTunes store. The app lets you send pictures, audio notes and video messages to your friends.

It supports Group chat, push notifications, offline messages, location and contacts sharing, custom wallpaper, custom notification sounds, Landscape mode, Precise message time stamps, Email chat history, Broadcast messages and MMS and lots more.

It certainly is the next generation of messaging service. It not only helps you be in touch with your friends those who are in your own country but also those who live abroad and the normal charges for an International SMS/MMS costs a lot. And, now when the TRAI has announced the 100 sms/day restrictions, this would be a good replacement to go for. All you need is a smartphone and a connection to the internet.

Grab the WhatsApp Messenger for your iPhone from the Apple iTunes store for free.

And also for your Android via the Android Market for free.

Here goes for your BlackBerry

And last but not the least, for your Symbian.