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Galaxy S5 Dual Sim Edition unveiled

2014-04-07T03:27:00.002-07:00

Samsung Galaxy S5 line up just got bigger with the addition of S5 Dual sim variant. It is going to launch on China Telecom along side other siblings in 2nd week of April.

The model no is G9009D and it is going to be priced at CNY 5,299($850). Weighing just 1.5g extra this Dual Sim version is just like the International release. But the question is, how long the same 2800mah battery can sustain the load of an extra radio.

At this time there is no official confirmation of the availability of this model in other Markets, but we would be delighted to see this one stepping up Globally.

Discover a Google Play Edition HTC One M8 from your regular One M8

2014-04-07T02:54:00.002-07:00

Do you own a HTC One M8 ? But regret the decision for you could have waited for the Google Play Edition of HTC One M8; well now you can taste the GE right from your regular One M8. Yes, And I'm not kidding.

The developers at XDA have showed us the hope and that too without paying the extra $700 for GE. They have discussed step by step guide on how to convert your One M8 into a Google Play Edition. So you better get ready to put your hands on to the GE One 8. Simply follow the below links to reach the specific thread of XDA-developers and don't forget to say thanks. Enjoy !

Rumor: Apple busy on affordable iPhone !

2013-06-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Are you obsessed with the Apple gadgets but running short on budget ? Well, here is some good news for you. Some purported images of the low cost iPhone with a curvy plastic body has surfaced recently; thanks to the Weibo user, who leaked the images claims to have got its hands on the device. Have a look at the leaked-image of the device.

The design seems to be somewhat similar to that of the iPhone 3G. Now its matter of time whether all this is real or just rumor.

Ref : Source

Budget Smartphones are becoming too good to resist !

2013-05-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

The phrase 'Budget Smartphone', to some extent, may be thought of an example of an oxymoron. How come a device can be 'Smart' if the budget for the under-hood hardware is under a budget ! Despite all, the budget-segment brands are building quite a hype if you talk about specification on paper. Especially, the way these brands like Micromax, LAVA, Karbonn are launching their own flagship models, it feels very confusing to choose even between the budget mobiles and devices belonging to premium fraternity.

Today I'll discuss about a few recently launched budget segment handsets. The specification under the hood is quite overwhelming if you consider the price-point of these Budget Smartphones.

#1
This device tore apart all the spec-pages of other budget segment mobiles. Not only that, it's very competitively priced too. It's a flagship device from a Chinese company UMI, the UMI X2. According to the company, the device is set to be released in India for Rs. 14,000 in mid-march this year.Here is a quick brief of the specifications of the UMI X2.

UMI X2

General: Optional 2G/3G connectivity, Dual SIM
Dimensions: 135 x 68 x 8.9 mm, 155 g
Display: 5.0 Inch, IPS Retina Screen, Gorilla Glass 2 Display, PPI 441, 1080p full HD screen
CPU: MTK6589 Quad Core 1.2GHz
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)Upgradable to 4.2 in April
Memory: 32GB internal storage, 32 GB microSD card slot
Camera: 13 megapixel auto-focus camera with flashlight; 3MP front facing camera
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS built in, FM support
Battery: 2500 mAh
Color: White/Grey
Miscellaneous: Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Magnetic sensor

#2
Powered by a quad core 1.2 GHz processor , 4.5 inch qHD IPS display panel and packed with latest Android Jelly Bean OS, LAVA Xolo Q800 is next in the budget device race. This beauty with a promising hardware is Priced at around Rs. 12k. Let's have a sneak peak into the under-hood hardware.

XOLO Q800

General: Optional 2G/3G connectivity, Dual SIM
Dimensions: 67x135.5x9.6 mm
Display: 4.5 Inch, IPS Display, 5 Finger Touch Display, 540 x 960 Pixels Resolution
CPU: 1.2 GHz, Quad Core
GPU: PowerVR SGX544
RAM: 1GB
OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Memory: 4 GB ROM, up to 32 GB microSD card slot
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with flashlight; 1MP front facing camera, BSI Sensor, CMOS Sensor
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.0, 21 Mbps HSDPA; 5.7 Mbps HSUPA
Battery: 2100 mAh
Miscellaneous: 3-Axis Accelerometer or G-Sensor, Gyroscope, 3-Axis Magnetometer or compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Despite having the option of XOLO q800, we have XOLO B700, a dual core smartphone packed with 3450 mah battery; which will quite surely give you 2 days of moderate usage with a single recharge.

#3

Next in line would be the Micromax Canvas series smartphones. So far we've seen MMX A100 (Micromax Canvas) and MMX A110(Micromax Canvas 2). Canvas 2 was a huge success in terms of company sales figure. Recently Canvas2 got its successor called Micromax Canvas HD aka MMX A116. Priced at Rs. 13,990, the device is very snappy in terms of specifications. Sources say that Canvas HD was sold-out within hours of its launch on 14 th Feb, midnight. Well, its hard to believe, isn't it? Let's check out the specs-sheet; that might help you to understand the drama.

Micromax Canvas HD

General: Optional 2G/3G connectivity, Dual SIM
Dimensions: 144 x 74 x 10.7 mm, 156 g
Display: 5.0 Inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 1280*720 Resolution, 294 PPI
CPU: MTK MT6589 Quad Core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7
GPU: PowerVR SGX544
RAM: 1GB
OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Memory: 4 GB internal storage (1.77 GB user available), up to 32 GB microSD card slot
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with flashlight; 2MP front facing camera
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS built in, FM support
Battery: 2000 mAh
Miscellaneous: Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor

#4
Karbonn Titanium S1 is the next budget device in the list. Its powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and bestowed by a 4.4 inch display panel having a resolution of 960 pixels. It manages to to render a mere 480*800 pixels with WVGA technology. Despite that, in the budget segment with a price tag of Rs. 10,999 it is difficult to find a device with such a huge display panel. In touch based UI, the bigger screen has always an edge; so does the Karbonn A30. The specifications provided by Karbonn is also remarkable in the price segment. Lets have a quick look.

Karbonn S1 Titanium

General: Optional 2G/3G connectivity, Dual SIM
Dimensions: 91x166x10.7 mm, 280 g
Display: 5.9 Inches, WVGA, 480 x 800 Pixels
CPU: 1 GHz, Dual Core
RAM: 512 MB RAM
OS: Android v4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Memory: 4 GB Internal (2.56 GB User Memory), up to 32 GB microSD card slot
Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash; 1.3MP front facing camera
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.0, FM support
Battery: 2500 mAh
Miscellaneous: Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, 3D G-Sensor, Voice Assisted GPS Navigation

As the days pass, more and more flagship budget gadgets are emerging. So, there remains handful of other budget smartphones which are not being covered in this post, but do have a look into them as well. Few names would be : Karbonn Titanium S5, Karbonn Titanium S2, Micromax Canvas 3D, Micromax Canvas Doodle, Xolo Q700.
My recommendation is that, you should always check the review of a gadget before buying. Trust me, don't just go for a name or brand.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - close competitor to iPad mini or just a upsized Galaxy Note II

2013-02-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

Are you a fan of iPad Mini, then you just got your closest competitor in the 8 inch tablet market - the Galaxy Note 8; regards uncle sammy. After lots of rumors and leaked snaps, the device is finally up in Samsung's gadget portfolio. Although the price of Note 8 is not officially announced, it is quite sure that Samsung will tag a price to draw the attention of iPad Mini lovers. The Mini currently starts at $329, a price that's considered expensive for a tablet of its size

Samsung has given the Galaxy Note 8.0 an S Pen and the slew of Touch Wiz-exclusive software features to help it in its battles. Driving them is the company's Exynos 4 Quad 4412 chipset with four 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 CPUs, Mali 400MP4 GPU and 2GB of RAM.

You might be thinking, wait, that's quite similar to the specs of Note II and as a matter of fact it is. Whether you call it an up-sized Galaxy Note II or a downsized Galaxy Note 10.1, that depends.

Here is a quick brief of the specifications of the Galaxy Note 8.

General: Optional 2G/3G/4G connectivity
Form factor: Tablet
Dimensions: 210.8 x 135.9 x 8 mm, 338 g
Display: 8" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels (189ppi)
Stylus: S Pen, 1024 pressure levels, hover functionality
Chipset: Exynos 4412 Quad
CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor
GPU: Mali-400MP
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)
Memory: 16/32GB storage, microSD card slot
Still camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, face detection and Best faces feature, touch focus and image stabilization; 1.3MP front facing camera, video-calls
Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL features (TV Out, USB host), GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
Battery: 4600 mAh
Miscellaneous: Nature UX, Extremely rich video/audio codec support, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Smart stay and Smart rotation eye-tracking, Reading mode

To be honest, without a price, it's difficult to have a strong, concrete opinion of the Note 8. In 8-inch tablet segment, it'll compete directly with the 7.9-inch iPad Mini. The notable difference in the tablet experience might be the app offerings between the two. Apart from the highly applauding form factor, the iPad Mini has the blessings from the Apple's App Store; while the Note 8 is still reliant on the Google Play store. The Play store continues to improve its offerings every day, it's still nowhere near as compelling as Apple's App Store. But don't forget the S-Pen stylus packed with the Note 8, which offers a level of functionality the iPad can't match, and those looking for a highly functional electronic daily planner will want to give it an edge over the iPad Mini.

HTC Sales figures bouncing back: November sales up 23%

2012-12-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

The Taiwanese company is bouncing back for the first time in 4 months of gloomy sales revenue, Market-Analysts say. Although they predicted earlier, HTC revenue would drop drastically during Q3 and Q4 of 2012; the windows 8 line-ups, HTC 8X and HTC 8S could have helped HTC to see whole 23.3% increase in November sales. According to reports, November revenues were at NT$21.2 billion (US$730 million), where as October revenues were NT$17.2 billion (US$ 592 million).

During April/May HTCs One Android phone portfolio (HTC OneX) was not able to turn things around for them when it launched prior to Samsung's Galaxy S3. It seems 8X and 8S must have played significant role in this scenario. Its quite uncertain though whether newly announced OneX + would incur any help. The only other significant Android launch for HTC was its 5 inch Butterfly J/Droid DNA smartphone. But it’s only available on Verizon and that too since November 21. Its for sure, HTC will need to do lot better because cumulative revenues from January to November 2011 were actually a 39% decline from the same period in 2011 and that’s a pretty huge gap.

Well, Ups and Downs are part of the smart-phone market-war; lets hope the Taiwan born HTC bounces back soon with all their brilliancy.

Microsoft says "Don't get Scroogled !"

2012-11-29T00:38:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's new anti-google ad-campaign says "Don't get Scroogled !" Sounds interesting ? “Scroogled,” a portmanteau of “Google” and “screwed,” seems to be a major focus of Microsoft's search giant Bing's holiday advertising, and frankly, it isn't baseless either. In May of this year, Google Shopping made a new initiative using a search algorithm similar to how other Google searches work to a system where listed merchants pay to be included in the results, either on a pay-per-click or pay-per-transaction basis. Moral is that, regular users are prey to this practice of Google's advertising.

Microsoft says that this practice isn't fair, but Google sees it differently, saying that “ads are just more answers to users’ queries.” As with Microsoft's criticisms, this isn't as easy to write off as it may seem. Those who use Google Shopping are doing so because they are looking to buy something, and companies paying to make sure that they are seen first in search results isn't that different from placing other ads.

Google has been relatively transparent on this matter, but this is where Microsoft is really playing its hand. By suggesting that customers are being “Scroogled,” they are also suggesting that Google is breaking its “Don’t be evil” policy. The most prominent text on Microsoft's Scroogled website reads:

In the beginning, Google preached, “Don't be evil”—but that changed on May 31, 2012. That’s when Google Shopping announced a new initiative. Simply put, all of their shopping results are now paid ads.

In their under-the-radar announcement, Google admits they’ve now built “a purely commercial model” that delivers listings ranked by “bid price.” Google Shopping is nothing more than a list of targeted ads that unsuspecting customers assume are search results. They call these “Product Listing Ads” a “truly great search.”

We say that when you limit choices and rank them by payment, consumers get Scroogled. For an honest search result, try Bing.

How good is Aakash2 for students ?

2012-11-28T22:59:00.001-08:00

Launch of Aakash 2 for student use in India by Datawind seems to be a stirring news; as Aakash 2 promises to be a highly affordable tablet. Apart from failure of the previous releases of Aakash tabs, Aakash 2 seems to be quite promising spec-wise. The big question is however, whether this subsidized $21 tab will be of any practical use for students in India.

Here is a quick-spec of the Aakash 2 which is a commercial variant of Ubislate 7Ci -

single-core 1GHz Cortex A8 processor
512MB of Ram
7-inch capacitive 800 x 480 display
4GB internal storage and micro-sd support, USB 2.0
Wi-Fi
VGA front-facing camera
21000 mAh battery
Android 4.0.4 ICS OS

The tablet will initially only be available to select students, primarily in engineering colleges around India. The goal is to gradually roll the Aakash 2 out to more students across India over the next five years. The Aakash 2 actually costs $40 for the Indian government and is sold at a subsidized price of $21 to students.

Conclusion is Aakash 2 is very much efficient in terms of educational purpose along with light entertainment. It is expected that it would be a good competitor in its class against Micromax funbook series, BSNL penta, HCL tabs, Milagrow tabs and many others.

Now enjoy Playstation Mobile for certified Android Smartphones !

2012-10-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

A good news for the gamers! Sony’s new cross-platform gaming service–Playstation Mobile will be available for the Playstation Vita and a list of PS certified Android smartphones, mostly consisting of Sony’s Xperia devices. With Playstation Mobile,users will be able to play games across PS certified devices and all game purchases will be linked to the user’s PSN ID.

Other supported Android devices include the HTC One X,One S and One V while Fujitsu and Sharp are expected to release PS certified smartphones shortly.

Here is the list of certified devices:

Sony

Sony Tablet P

Sony Tablet S

Xperia Tablet S

Sony Mobile Communications

Xperia acro HD IS12S

Xperia acro HD SO-03D

Xperia acro IS11S

Xperia acro S LT26w

Xperia acro SO-02C

Xperia arc SO-01C

Xperia GX SO-04D

Xperia ion LT28at

Xperia ion LT28i/LT28h

Xperia NX SO-02D

Xperia PLAY R800i/R800a/R800at

Xperia PLAY R800x

Xperia PLAY SO-01D

Xperia S LT26i

Xperia SL LT26ii

Xperia SX SO-05D

Xperia T LT30a/LT30h

Xperia TX LT29i

Xperia V LT25i

HTC

One S * Details to be announced later on

One V * Details to be announced later on

One X * Details to be announced later on

New Colors for Galaxy S3 and Xperia S !

2012-10-10T03:01:00.001-07:00

Those of you, who are tired watching the same old boring colors of smart-phones, can now opt for the cool looks added to Samsung's Galaxy S3 series and Sony's Xperia S.

Xperia S will be available in Dark Silver. It could be possible that the Xperia S might ship with Android 4.0 out of the box instead of Ginger-bread that it now comes with. The Galaxy S3 in it’s new Black color is up for pre-order on UK retailer MobileFun’s website and is expected to start shipping in few weeks.

Stable CyanogenMOD 7.2 compatible Device List

2012-06-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

Those who are tired using the same old Android Gingerbread on your Android Gadgets, might want to have a taste of CyanogenMOD 7.2. It is very stable MOD. Better than the stock ROM and a better feeling of the interface with this custom MOD. As you might know, CyanogenMOD is the best custom MOD other than the official ROMs you'll find. Also, many of you would be running old version of Android Gingerbread. Cyanogenmod 7.2 is based on the latest Gingerbread version 2.3.7.

You can download the Custom MODs using This Link.

Here is the list of devices that will support CyanogenMOD 7.2.

Barnes&Noble

NOOK Color (encore)

HTC

Hero CDMA
myTouch 4G (glacier)
myTouch 3G Slide (espresso)
Desire (bravo)
Desire HD
Tattoo (click)
Wildfire (buzz)
Incredible (inc)
Incredible 2 (vivow)
Droid Eris (desirec)

LG

myTouch T 4G (e739)
Optimus Sol (e730)
Optimus Hub (e510)
Optimus Pro (c660)

Motorola

Droid 2 (Global)

Samsung

Galaxy S (galaxy smtd/sbmtd)
Galaxy SII (AT&T and international)
Fascinate
Nexus S/4G (Crespo/4G)
Galaxy Ace

Sony Ericsson

Xperia Pro MK16 (iyokan)
Xperia Neo (Hallon)
Live w/ Walkman (coconut)
Xperia Arc (Anzu)
Xperia Ray (urushi)
Xperia Play (zeus)
Xperia Mini/Pro (smultron/mango)

ZTE

Blade

New Temple Run Brave for Androids

2012-06-28T04:43:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting and widely played & enjoyed Android Game is obviously the Temple Run. Now a newer Version of this Game is available for Gamers; its Temple Run Brave.

From Imangi, the makers of Temple Run, and Disney comes a new take on the most exhilarating app. Join Merida from Disney/Pixar Brave as you run, slide, jump, turn and shoot your way across the wilds of Scotland on an endless running adventure!

Some exciting new features of Temple Run Brave are :

Introducing ARCHERY – tap targets to shoot a bullseye and earn extra coins
New, amazing visuals. It looks better than ever!
All new environments inspired by Disney/Pixar Brave and the wilds of Scotland
Play as Merida from Disney/Pixar Brave
Outrun Mordu, the demon bear, to earn running glory

Now you can download Temple Run Brave and start running with $.99 worth of coins for FREE, that’s 2500 coins for power-ups and more!

Here is the download Link for Temple Run Brave from Google Play Stores.

Also this version includes all the great features from Temple Run :

Simple swipe and tilt control that are easy to use and just feel right
Level up your character and use crazy power-ups
Endless play!

Here is the official Trailer of Temple Run Brave.

ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) update for T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2

2012-06-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

If you are using T-mobile Samsung Galaxy S2, you can now have Android Ice Cream Sandwich running on your Gadget easily. Currently you can install the update using the latest version of Kies, installed on your PC. The detailed guide and version information can be found HERE.

There are few improvements on this updated Android version. They are :

CMAS improvement
Wi-Fi Calling enhancements
Voicemail enhancements

Make sure to make a complete Backup of your system before proceeding. Read our guide on How to take a good Back up of all Data on your Phone.

Good-Luck !

Sony's New Xperia Smartphones - Xperia Miro,Xperia Tipo & Tipo Dual,Xperia ION HSPA

2012-06-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Recently Sony has concentrated a lot in its new Xperia series. Be it the quality or the design, the new Xperia smart-phones are outstanding in their respective class. Now to add to this competitive market, Sony has freshly queued 4 smart-phones namely- Xperia Miro, Xperia Tipo & Tipo Dual, Xperia Ion HSPA. It seems they want to take a hand on with the other smart-phone manufacturer, especially Samsung. Samsung is doing a great job recently. They have touched record heights regarding the smart-phone sales. But it's true Sony has always been on the market with quality products. May be now it's time for Sony to take hold what's going on in the market. The new Xperia series is quite powerful, trendy as well as budget friendly. According to News these 4 new smart-phones by Sony will be released approximately on Q3 this year. The Xperia series has a great advantage over other smart-phones in the market; which is of-course its design, form-factor and style. Sony's engineers have always taken care of that. Let's see what are the specifications of these new Xperia breed.

Sony Xperia Miro

Xperia Miro is a slim, stylish smart-phone with Facebook social experiences integrated throughout. Users are alerted to new incoming messages and social updates with colourful illuminations, and can easily video chat with friends using the front facing camera. To provide great music entertainment, it integrates Sony’s xLOUD audio technology, giving crisp and loud sound.

Color Availability :

black, black/pink, white and white/gold

Xperia Miro Specification :

800 MHz Qualcomm MSM7225A processor
UMTS HSPA 900 (Band VIII), 2100 (Band I), and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3.5” display, anti-reflection coating on mineral glass
Display Resolution 320×480 pixels
4 GB (up to 2.2 GB user-accessible memory) internal phone storage
512 MB RAM
Memory card slot: microSD, up to 32GB
1500 maH battery.
113 x 59.4 x 9.9 mm, 110 grams
5 MP camera resolution, 4x digital zoom, LED photo flash
VGA video recording
Front facing VGA camera
Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Magnetometer, Bluetooth, aGPS
DLNA Certified xLOUD sound experience
Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
PlayNow service, TrackID music recognition
Facebook integration with contacts, gallery and the music player
Sony Entertainment Network

Sony Xperia Tipo / Tipo Dual

Xperia Tipo offers a simple and easy to use smart-phone experience targeting consumers who may be purchasing their first smartphone. With a built-in application enabling users to monitor their data usage, excellent battery life and the latest Android platform – Ice Cream Sandwich – consumers can make the most of their smartphone experience. And if you have several phone subscriptions and need to use two sim cards at the same time, Xperia Tipo Dual will be your obvious choice!

Color Availability :

red, white, blue and black

Xperia Tipo Specification :

800 MHz Qualcomm MSM7225A processor
UMTS HSPA 900 (Band VIII), 2100 (Band I), and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3.2” display (measured diagonally), shatter proof sheet on acrylic glass
Display resolution 320×480 pixels
2.9 GB (up to 2.5 GB user-accessible memory) internal phone storage
512 MB RAM
Memory card slot: microSD™, up to 32GB
Dual SIM (on Xperia Tipo Dual)
1500 maH battery
103x 57×13 mm, 99.4 grams
3.2 MP camera resolution, 4x digital zoom.
VGA video recording
Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Bluetooth, aGPS, xLOUD sound experience
Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
PlayNow service, TrackID™ music recognition, Sony Entertainment Network
Facebook integration with contacts, gallery and the music player

Sony Xperia Ion HSPA

The Xperia Ion HSPA is the 3G version of the original LTE Xperia Ion headed to AT&T in the US.The phone has been introduced for countries which do not have 4G networks. The Xperia Ion will come with a 4.6 inch screen and a resolution of 1280 x 720. It will also feature a 1.5GHz dual core processor and Gingerbread. Sony promised that they will update the phone to Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming months.

Xperia Tipo Specification :

4.6″ display (Resolution:1280 x 720)
Android 2.3,planned upgrade to ICS
1.5GHz dual-core CPU
12MP rear camera with 1080p video
1.3MP Front facing camera
1900 mAh battery

For More information:

Download the Xperia Miro white paper
Download the Xperia Tipo white paper
Download the Xperia Tipo Dual white paper

Quick Voice - LG's New Voice Assistant Technology

2012-06-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Recently LG has launched its own voice Assistant Technology, which is quite an intelligent voice recognition service similar to Apple's Siri and Samsung's S-voice, featured in Galaxy S3. It is of no-doubt that each and every smartphone manufacturer is trying not to give their competitor an edge regarding technological improvement.

Using Quick Voice users will be able to compose messages, call numbers, schedule appointments and launch apps. Even, the Korean version of Quick Voice will be able to check lunar calender dates.

It is expected that by July, the Optimus series of LG smart-phones will get the taste of Quick Voice.

WinZip now available for Android Devices on Google Play Store

2012-06-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Now you can download the Android compatible WinZip from Google Play Stores. It works same as it does on our PC. With Winzip, you can extract .zip or .rar files easily on your Android Gadget. You no longer need a PC to rely on while you download a mail attachment which is either on .zip or .rar format.

The WinZip app is compatible on Android v2.1 and higher versions. Here are the list of files that WinZip currently supports:

Photos and images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif)
Text files (.rtf, .csv, .txt, .ini, .inf, .bat, .js, .log, .xml, .css, .java, .cs, .h, .m, .cpp, .c, .sql, .properties)
Web files (.htm, .html, .jsp, .asp)
Apk files (.apk)
WinZip for Android works with 3rd-party apps to open:

Word documents (.doc, .docx)
Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx)
PowerPoint presentations (.ppt, .pptx)
PDF files (.pdf)

Here is the Download Link for WinZip App from the Google Play Stores.

Latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 Update for Sony Tablet S

2012-06-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

Finally Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 update is available to Sony Tablet S. The next time you connect to Wi-Fi, your Sony Tablet S should prompt you to do a system update – just click OK to download, and in a few minutes you should be ready to go on Android 4.0.

There is a bunch of cool new features added to this ICS firmware upgrade, such as:

Enhanced lock screen
Direct access to Notifications
Unlock direct to camera
New panoramic camera mode
Enhanced Gallery media viewer
Direct SD card access + photo editing tools
Exclusive “Small Apps’ for multi-tasking
Calculator, Browser, Remote Control
Move to screen edge for reduced clutter
New Home Screen actions
Drag icons together to create folders
Add names to folders
Enhanced web browser
Switch from mobile to desktop web sites
Save pages for offline viewing
Access files directly from SD card
Native screenshot capture
Press “power” and “Volume –“

Checkout the video below to see the Sony Tablet S running Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.

Latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 Update for Sony XPeria S

2012-06-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Good News for all those who are using Sony Xperia S ! As Sony has officially started rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 update for Xperia S along with unique media apps like, Walkman, Album and Movies.

Checkout the video below to see what is new in this ICS 4.0 upgrade.

The ICS 4.0 update has brought a lot of cool features that promises to deliver improved User Experience. Some of the enhancements are listed below:

Lock screen with improved functionality
Re-sizable widgets (improved personalization)
Improved control of your mobile data consumption
Recent Apps button for clear overview of your applications

The update will be directly accessible from the phone over mobile networks and WiFi; and also there is an option of upgrading using a computer – either with web-based Xperia Update, PC Companion or Bridge for Mac.

Checkout the video below which shows a step by step procedure for installing the update.

HTC to halt all phone sales in Brazil

2012-06-24T08:33:00.001-07:00

Recently a HTC executive from Brazil told AndroidPIT that "after analyzing the sales numbers, we have decided to pull out of the Brazilian market". Even-though they will be providing customer support to existing customers.

It seems that HTC's market share in the country is dropping gradually. Also, HTC is facing tough competition with Samsung, Motorola and Nokia. Brazil is 7th largest economy in the world and Brazil has over 27 million phone subscribers. So it seems very unfortunate for HTC to have to cancel their planned One series launch for the country.

Brazilian Government policy towards this Cell-Phone manufacturer company was not soothing too in terms of taxes. The price of HTC products therefore never was quite market-friendly.

It's time for HTC to innovate some new features, which might be quite a big deal for their Market Share globally.

Send SMS from your Computer/Tablet and still use your own Phone Number- Mighty Text

2012-06-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in such a situation when you forget your phone at work or home and can't get your phone right-away ? Well, don't worry, I do have a solution for you by which you will be easily able to use your computer or tablet to send and receive text messages, that are normally handled by your phone; not only that, you'll also be able to screen incoming calls by seeing the caller information on the computer. Is n't that cool !

Requirements

A Google account
Mighty Text App for your Android Phone
Depending upon the browser you use on your computer, you need to download the browser extensions from below links :

Chrome Extension
Firefox Extension

In case you need a separate app other than browser extension, you can try This Web Interface
For MAC users, install the Growl Notifications

Step by Step Instructions

Firstly, install Mighty Text App on your Android Device.
Now run the App and select the Google Account you want to associate. The Google Account is used for syncing access from the phone to the computer.
You have to grant permission for the App.
Depending upon the browser you use, install the Browser Extension. Get the download links from Requirements area of this post.
In case, you are using MAC, you need to install the Growl Notifications.

That's it ! Enjoy the pleasure of messaging right from you PC. If you are using the Separate App of Might Text i.e. the Web Interface other than your browser, you would get the taste of a few additional features. You will be able to to sync your Google contacts so the names will pop up automatically and also you can send MMS.

Install CyanogenMod 9 nightly builds on Galaxy S3

2012-06-21T05:11:00.001-07:00

World is still in fever with the amazingly cool and powerful Samsung Galaxy S3 and we have already the CyanogenMod 9 nightly builds for S3 to try out. Cyanogenmod 9 adds extra features such as an audio equalizer theme support and most importantly Cyanogen Mod is a free, community built, aftermarket firmware distribution of Android 4.0 (ICS), which is designed to increase performance and reliability over stock Android for your device.

Although CyanogenMod 9 nightly builds on Galaxy S3 implies some limitations because this Mod is still to undergo some more stages of development. The known issues are:

FM Radio: currently not supported, try Spirit FM from market.
Camera: using LED flash causes FCs on some phones.
Wakening the device up using volume keys might not work because the device is sleeping to deep and doesn't recognize key presses.

However, CyanogenMod 9 nightly is worth a try because of its bunch of added features & cool looks. Follow the images below.

So, are you convinced so far to try the flash CyanogenMod 9 nightly builds on Galaxy S3 ?

If your answer is "Not yet !", then why don't you follow the detailed instructions on How to flash the CyanogenMod 9 nightly builds on Galaxy S3 from the XDA Developers' Thread.

Good-Luck !

How to Root Sony-Ericsson Xperia Arc S On Official Ice Cream Sandwich Firmware

2012-06-21T01:56:00.001-07:00

Today I'll show how you to root the Xperia Arc S on latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich firmware. Rooting will improve your user experience as you would be the super-user and would be able to overclock the device; not only that, you would be able to uninstall/freeze manufacturer/carrier bloatware, install custom ROM’s like Cyanogen Mod, MIUI etc. Follow the instructions precisely to root your Sony-Ericsson Xperia Arc S.

Things to know First

The instructions provided here are only for Sony-Ericsson Xperia Arc S.
This tutorial will root your Xperia Arc S on official ICS firmware.
We are not at all responsible for any damages caused to you or your Gadget while you follow our instructions.
Rooting will void the warranty of your phone.

Requirements

A computer running windows.
Backup all your Phone Data. Read our guide on how to take a complete backup of Android Gadgets.
Enable USB debugging on your phone by going to "Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging". Make sure the USB Debugging option is ticked.
At-least 70% of Battery juice (charge !) remaining.
Make sure that USB drivers of Xperia Arc S are installed on your PC.

Step by Step Instructions

Firstly, you have to download the Xperia Arc S rooting package from here.
Now, extract the contents of the downloaded package. Make sure you have the following :

A folder labelled files.
A batch file labelled "runme.bat".

Now connect your phone to PC.
Now double click on "runme.bat" and wait for the rooting process to complete.
Reboot your phone after the rooting process completes.

Voila ! You have successfully rooted your Sony-Ericsson Xperia Arc S On Official Ice Cream Sandwich Firmware. Enjoy the rooted ICS firmware with the bunch of cool features.

Good-Luck !

How To Root HTC One V

2012-06-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today, I 'll share how to Root the HTC One V easily. Rooting will improve your user experience as you would be the super-user and would be able to overclock the device; not only that, you would be able to uninstall/freeze manufacturer/carrier bloatware, install custom ROM’s like Cyanogen Mod, MIUI etc. Follow the instructions precisely to root your HTC One V.

Things to know First

The instructions provided here are only for HTC One V.
We are not at all responsible for any damages caused to you or your Gadget while you follow our instructions.
Rooting will void the warranty of your phone.

Requirements

Backup all your Phone Data. Read our guide on how to take a complete backup of Android Gadgets.
Enable USB debugging on your phone by going to "Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging". Make sure the USB Debugging option is ticked.
At-least 70% of Battery juice (charge !) remaining.
You need to unlock your phone’s bootloader from htcdev.com.

Step by Step Instructions

1. First you need to download the HTC One V rooting package from HERE.

2. Now save the zip in a folder in your PC. Extract the downloaded zip files using any decompressing software. After the extraction make sure that you have these following files :

3. Now,download the modded boot.superboot.img file from HERE.

4. Now replace the original boot.superboot.img present in the file you extracted in step 2 with the modded boot.superboot.img file you downloaded in step 3.

5. Switch-off your phone.

6. Now switch on your phone by holding power + volume down buttons.

7. Now select Fastboot with the help of your volume rocker and press the power button.

8. Finally, connect your phone to PC and double click on “install-superboot-windows.bat“. This should take some time.

Voila ! You have successfully rooted your HTC One V. Enjoy your gadget as a super user.

Good-Luck !

How To Root AT&T HTC One X - One Click Root !

2012-06-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

The AT&T HTC One X is another amazing HTC product with ICS 4 powered by dual-core 1.5 GHz SnapDragon S4 processor. Be it the cool crisp 4.7 inch display, 1 GB RAM or the 8 MP Camera - the Gadget is full of elegance & smartness. Well, the device would work a bit more smooth if you be the superuser of OS. Yes, I'm talking about rooting the HTC One X.

Today I 'll share, how to root AT&T HTC One X with One Click.

Things to know First

The instructions provided here are only for AT&T HTC One X.
We are not at all responsible for any damages caused to you or your Gadget while you follow our instructions.
Rooting will void the warranty of your phone.

Requirements

Backup all your Phone Data. Read our guide on how to take a complete backup of Android Gadgets.
Enable USB debugging on your phone by going to "Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging". Make sure the USB Debugging option is ticked.
At-least 70% of Battery juice (charge !) remaining.

Step by Step Instructions

First you need to Download the HTC One X drivers from HERE and save it to a folder in your PC.
Download the "root.zip" file from HERE.
Extract the above "root.zip" file using any other decompressing software to your PC.
Now connect your AT&T HTC One X to your PC via a USB Cable.
Then follow the below step according to your OS environment.

Double click on root.bat if you are on windows
Run root-linux.sh if you are on linux
Run root-mac.sh if you are on mac

Please Note that, your phone will automatically reboot a few times. Wait until the process is complete.

Good-Luck !

How to make Complete Back-up of Data for Android Gadgets

2012-06-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

At times, we, the Android lovers feel the requirement of a complete Back-up of all Data on our Gadget; may it be because some of us love to try different updates and custom ROMs or MODs or rather it is better to be cautious of the valuable Data stored that might be accidentally wiped out because, the phone might get into water by-chance or might slip-off the hands and become wrecked. Whatever the reason is, a good Back-up technique is worth discussing. Today I'll share some of the sophisticated procedures of making a good backup of your Android Phone Data.

Techniques for Rooted Gadgets

Nandroid Backup

Usually if you root your gadget, most likely you do have a custom Recovery option. Most of the custom recovery options provide good backup as-well. However, the most popular custom recovery is ClockWorkMod Recovery. Using ClockWorkMod recovery it is very easy to make a backup of all your Data to the SD card inserted in the device.

All you need is to boot into Recovery Mode and create a Nandroid backup (usually through the "menu Backup and restore --> Backup").

You can also copy the entire Nandroid backup to your computer. It ensures added security because you might accidentally delete the Nandroid backup folder from the SD card.

If you want to restore from that backup you made at some point later, just copy the Nandroid folder back onto your SD Card, boot into Recovery Mode and select "Backup and restore --> Restore".

Titanium Backup

Another powerful backup option is to use Titanium Backup App. Titanium Backup gives you direct access to your system.

Once you have launched the app, click on the "Backup/Restore" tab and click the Menu button on your phone. From the menu that appears, select "Batch". At the next menu, click RUN Backup all user apps + system data. You can choose to backup just your user apps and system data but you can choose a complete and total backup of your phone.

Depending upon your volume of data, the back-up procedure can take from a few minutes to half an hour or even more.

It is recommended that you copy the back-up to your PC. In the SD card /Titanium backup directory you can find your backup.

To restore your backup, you can just select "Menu --> Batch". On the "Backup/Restore" menu, scroll down to find restore options.

Titanium Backup can be downloaded free from Google Play Store using This Link.

Techniques for not rooted Gadgets

MyBackup Pro

This app not only works on rooted gadgets but also un-rooted gadgets.

MyBackup Pro gives you option to make backup of either your Data or the Apps. Once you have launched the App, from Backup option you will get to select between the two.

In case you've selected Backup your Apps, you will have the flexibility to select some or all of the Apps.

If you’ve selected data, you can choose to backup your data to either your SD card or to an online server. Just like in the Apps menu, you have the option of selecting certain data you’d like to save or all of them. Your data will be compressed into a ZIP file on your SD card.

You can always play safer by copying the backup zip file to your PC.

MyBackup Pro also have the feature of scheduling which takes backup of your Data in a timely manner.

For restoring your data, simply choose the option Restore from the menu.

MyBackup Pro can be purchased from Google Play Store using This Link. You can also have a taste of this App using 30 day Trial Version.

Techniques to make a Cloud-Backup

So far we have discussed about making a backup and storing it locally. But storing important backup locally might not come handy when you are away. Instead if you store your back-up, contacts or important Data in the Cloud network, then you can access your Data from anywhere round the globe. Is n’t that cool? That makes you independent of any hardware or device to contain your important information/Data. You just need to connect to the internet from somewhere and you can get your Data anytime.

There are several Cloud Networks to store your back-up. Here I’ll mention only the excellent Cloud Servers that syncs your Data easily.

Back-up Data using Google Account

Android, being a Google Product itself lets you easily backup your contacts, system settings, apps, calendar, emails on your Google account. Simply go to Settings --> Privacy on your phone. Check the boxes for “Back up my settings” and “Automatic restore.” Make sure that under Backup account you specify the Google account that you want to backup data for.

Now go to Settings --> Account & Sync, tap on the Google account you want to sync, and check all the available options. This way, your data will be stored in your easy-to-access Google account.

Google Drive

Google Drive is Google’s cloud service that offers free cloud storage. Google Drive is available for: PC and Mac, Chrome OS, iPhone and iPad (coming soon), Android devices.

Google Drive is available in Google Play Store for your Android Gadgets. Head over to https://drive.google.com/ to get started.

Get started with 5 GB of free space. Upgrade to 25 GB for less than $2.50 a month, and you can store practically everything for next to nothing.

Photo & Video Back-up

Android v2.2 and higher supports Google’s Instant Upload service. You can enable this service through Menu > Settings.

This service uploads your photos and videos that you click or shoot automatically. These are uploaded t your Google + private album and most importantly, they are only visible to you until you decide to share them with friends.

You can also use Picasa Tool, Flickr Companion, PhotoBucket Mobile to store your photos. But these are not automatic service. You need to manually upload your content; also you must have corresponding account to use their service.

SMS Backup+

SMS Backup+ is a cool app that can store your important SMS, MMS, Call Logs. This app sends all your SMS threads to Gmail and stores them under label SMS. When you require to restore, SMS Backup+ allows you to restore your SMS and Call Log entries right into your Android Gadget. MMS cannot be restored though. You can download SMS Backup + from the Google Play Store for free.

Backup Data on Box Cloud server

Box offers a cool app for your Android gadget to sync your Data to their cloud network. But first you need to have an account in Box.net. You can get upto 50Gb of free cloud storage. Read this article to understand how to set up Box.net.

Backup Data on Dropbox Cloud server

Dropbox is similar Cloud service to that of Box.net. They offer 5 GB of free cloud storage. Also Dropbox offers handy apps for your Android device as well as your PC. Read this article to have a clear idea.

Sandisk Memory Zone

This is a cool app that allows you to backup files and apps from your phone’s SD card to a cloud storage provider (Box, Dropbox, Google Docs, Picasa, SugarSync, and Facebook ).

Once you’ve installed this app, it’ll scan your SD card and your device’s internal memory the first time you run it. You’ll be able to choose a cloud storage provider where you’d like to backup your data. Sandisk Memory Zone will prompt you for the frequency schedule of your backup, whether you’d like it to be backed up “only this time” or “everyday.”

Sandisk Memory Zone can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store.

inDefend Mobile Backup

With inDefend Mobile backup you can easily sync your contacts, call logs, text messages your calendar, personalized settings to the Cloud Network provided by inDefend. But you should have an account on inDefend.

You may also chose certain data to restore within a backup package. The inDefend Mobile Backup also has the flexibility to schedule your backups, automatic storing of your mobile data in the cloud. You can also enable or disable the auto-backup feature. You can set the frequency for making backups automatically, in days, week, or months. You can also enable or disable sending of notification alerts to your email under the Settings tab.

Once the App is running, you need to log into your account, then you will be directed to the app’s home screen. Here you can check the boxes of the contents you want to backup.

After you have made your choices, press the Go button at the bottom of the screen to begin encrypting your data. The app keeps you updated with the uploading progress via the phone’s notification menu. You will also need to label your backup package. The app allows you to upload 10 different backup packages.Under the Backups tab, inDefend Mobile Backup will let you see all your backup packages.

To restore a specific mobile content from within a package, choose the backup package and select the specific data you want to restore on your phone. The app will then download and decrypt it, and restore the data on your Android device.

You can download inDefend Mobile Backup for free from the Google Play Store.

Manual Backup – Drag & Drop

You are the Boss of your Android Gadget and you can always connect your device to your computer and access your device’s SD card. You can copy, drag & drop your content to a folder on your PC and save it.

If you are systematic and organised, Manual Backup is the safest in my point of view. But there’s always an advantage using the automatic schedulers offered by the Android Apps that we discussed so far. I guess after reading this article you would be a lot more cautious about your important Data. Also this guide might come handy to save some memory space on your Gadget, is n’t it?