Tech Writer

Smartphone Madness 2013 (Guilty Companies Samsung, HTC, Sony) !

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

Lately I have observed that these mobile manufacturing firms (Sony, HTC, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, Apple), has gone into a war; As who can roll out more number of cell phones in a month. Samsung the copier, is continuously rolling phone after phone every month; The only difference in the models is either the resolution or price. Only hope is since Apple has stop innovating, they have nothing to copy....

Samsung lately launched S4, Sony Xperia Z, HTC XOne, Blackberry Z10, Nokia 920..... But in the end, consumer who is buying is either complaining about screen contrast(Xperia Z), or Size in (S4). No one is satisfied. I was reading one article on mobile phone batteries, it said that in coming few months mobile phone battery cannot support their processor speeds; Resulting in over heating and battery drain out. Apple Inc. in last few months have become laughing stock of Stock Market, after the demise of legendary Steve Jobs, CEO Tim Cook is struggling to big the company on its toes. As for Blackberry as in CrashBerry... no need to write about it.

I guess in the end it will result in a ecological disaster !!! There is no resale market for old ones, thanks to 0% down payment and interest schemes, resulting in dozens of call phones lying in closet.

Is Apple having hard time innovating ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:27:00 +0000

With Google and Samsung flooding global markets with smart phones and tablets (7" & 10"), it seems Apple needs to burn mid night oil to come up with some ground breaking stuff.

Google Nexus series that has Nexus 4, Nexus 7 & Nexus 10 in their bouquet are selling like hot cakes. Google launched Nexus 4 early Nov'12, is sold out within days. Google has lately launched 10" tablet for $399, it has powerful specs. Samsung on the other hand is racing way ahead in smart phone race.

Apple on the other hand launched iPad 4, in end of Oct'12. According to me, its a desperate move as it had launched iPad 3 in July this year. Android is currently ruling mobile market, Apple on the other hand is launching repetitive products that lack innovation. Even iPad Mini has failed to impress tech world. Even that resonate in the stock market, their share is down 25% to $ 527.

So lets see in coming days what Apple has to surprise the market.

Apple may be launching iPhone 5 on 26th October in India !!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:38:00 +0000

Apple Inc. move to launch iPhone 5 in end of October'12, can be interpreted as a move where they have started taking Indian market seriously. They have already slashed the prices of iPhone 4/4s, before iPhone 5 launch.

Hopefully iPhone 5 is launching on 26th October, rumored to be priced around:
Rs 46000 to Rs 48000 for 16GB
Rs 51000 to Rs 53000 for 32GB
Rs 58000 to Rs 61000 for 32GB

I guess Apple wants to cash festival buying mood of Indians. It has already slashed prices of iPhone 4 / 4s. iPhone 4 is available for Rs 26500 and 4s for Rs 38500. One can get a discount of 10% approx. if they buy from grey market.

With the opening of biggest iStore in Beijing (China), one can observe that Apple is wants to be part of growth story of Asian continent.

Apple launching iPad mini on 23rd October 2012 !

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Lot of new things are happening in Apple, since the demise of Steve Jobs and coming of Tim Cook. First, Apple is not able to keep the products it wants to launch under their hood example "iPad mini (7")" launching on 23rd October '13.

Source : Picture source Datamation.com

Steve Jobs believed that, Tablets should be 10" or it will compete with iPhone in its category. Many people still believe in this statement. But I believe time is changing and with it companies should change. People have craving for new technology after phones, smart phones, large screen phones; Now they are looking for phone+Tablets = Phonotabs :))

7" tablets is highly lucrative market. Few good players are there including Google with its new Google Nexus. But no one can even come near iPad's superior technology. That's why I guess Apple has decided to keep the screen size a little bigger with 7.85" and will come with Retina Display.

What to expect:

Screen Size 7.85" (Confirmed by Apple)
512 MB RAM
A5 processor
Retina Display
May be priced at $250-$300

At this price many aspirational customers can actually buy their first iPad tablet. Next month Microsoft is launching its Windows 8 tablets; this means in coming months will be delight for tech lover !!!

Samsung launches Galaxy S3 mini !!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 07:26:00 +0000

Samsung has finally launched Galaxy S3 mini. Last week it was launched in Germany. The phone comes with 4" super AMOLED display. According to Samsung they launched S3 mini because of rising demand of 4" screen phones in European market.

Specs:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Galaxy S3 Mini powered with quad core Exynos CPU
1GB of RAM
16GB and 32GB internal memory.
5MP rear camera and 1.9MP front camera so like its original.
NFC, Bluetooth etc

Will S3 Canablize existing product range?
There is a lot of scope in the Android phone market, various customers have different preferences according to their spending power and utility. Samsung has other models that have screen size of 4", but Samsung can still leverage its Galaxy S3 brand.

As per the company, European market has huge demand for 4-inch phones. Other markets like North America and Asia may also welcome a small version of Galaxy S3, as some people may find 4.8" S3 a bulky phone. Also the phone is rumored to be powered with Exynos CPU, that is considered to be a powerful processor.

Lets see when can Indian market expect the phone to be launched. According to various web sources it should be launched between the price range of Rs 24000 to Rs 28000. (Sources: Northern Vocies & Various Web Articles)

Apple iOS 6 update for iPad 3, iPhone 4/ 4s available in India

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 15:18:00 +0000

iOS 6 update for iPad 3, iPhone 4 / 4s is finally available in India. iOS 6 is bundled with 200+ new features. Users are receiving the notification for updating the iOS since last three days. It cost $ 0.0 (As nothing is free on App World). Siri feature is completely integrated with iPad 3; the feature that was earlier missing in iOS 5.

The size of the package (iOS Update) is 1.1 GB for iPad 3. New iOS lacks YouTube and its Maps sucks. Tim Cook Apple CEO on Friday made a public statement acknowledging the glitches in Apple Maps and suggested to use other Apps such as Bing, Map Quest, Google Maps etc.

Funny thing is YouTube is no longer available on iOS and there is NO APP on App World.

New iOS is more socially integrated. I don't understand where the world is heading to. Why companies need to integrate everything with FB, Twitter etc etc. The day is near where people will will start hating this social revolution as no personal space will be left.

Meanwhile Apple users can start downloading the iOS update. The time of update depends on the broadband speed. Enjoy !!

Top FREE games for iPad 3/ iPhone 4s (Retina Display) on App Store

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:55:00 +0000

Apple App Store has one of the best games in mobile market. There are HD / Non HD games for iPad 2 / 3, iPhone and iTouch. Retina display in iPad 3 / iPhone 4s, further increases the gaming experience because of its 2048x1536 pixels resolution.

Following are best FREE games for iPad 2/ 3(Some of the games are compatible with iPhone 4 /4s also):

BLOOD & GLORY

It is one of the bloodiest games on App Store, meant for 17+ age group. Its a great game, which gives a rich experience with retina display on iPad 3.

Game is about ancient gladiators, who fights till death. A player can cut the opponent in half or decapitate them. One can connect with game center and play with friends across geographies.

METALSTORM

MetalStorm is one of the brilliant games for iPad. Its a combination of flight simulator and action packaged flights. Player can choose different pilots and different battle fields. One of the best games available, also been on number of top charts since its inception.

RIPTIDE GP

RipTide GP is a refreshing game,based on jet skii racing on various water tracks. It gives an enriching experience with water splashes, stunts, clashes etc.Retina display brings out the best of this game. Highly recommended !!

REAL FOOTBALL 2012

Best FREE football game for iPad users. Great graphics and response. Players on game center can invite friends and play online. Make teams, flaunt your score quite addictive.

SUBWAY SURFERS

Game for all age brackets. Simple and smooth, just collect the coins and keep on running. Retina display brings out the best for users.

This is same as the genre of Temple Run and Agent Dash. The problem with this game is that the stage setup is same every time, so the game becomes quite predictable.

TEMPLE RUN

This game needs no introduction. It is simply a must have on all mobile devices. On iPad this game becomes more smooth, but the only problem is; handling the device after a particular score becomes cumbersome. Other than this, the game is flaw less.

AGENT DASH

Agent Dash is simply a difficult version of Temple Run. The game is about
a spy and this missions. The game is more difficult than any in its genre. For iPad users the advantage is one doesn't have to tilt for sideways moment rather swipe fingers right or left.

So playing on iPad becomes easy !!

FRISBEE 2

FrisBee 2 has been for long on App World, best part is, it has improvised with time. Good for all age groups, developers have improved it for retina display.

SUPERTRAINS

SuperTrain is game is a puzzle game where the user have to monitor the train running on the track. It is an interesting game where the user monitor the speed of the train have to collect the coins in order to unlock various levels.

NEED FOR SPEED (Hot Pursuit)

This game needs no introduction, the best part its lite version is free on App Store. With retina display it looks and feel more awesome.

Windows 8 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:49:00 +0000

Just got an opportunity to download Windows 8 OS on my desktop and got really really impressed by all it's features and processing speed. It's Apps feature is fantastic....

Microsoft this time has done it this time. It has come up with a product that will be liked by professional users as well as tech savvy youth. I has incorporated its Mango OS block features into its OS. Every program is converted into Apps.

The processing speed has increased and also user has the option to choose among block theme and normal windows option !! If a person has touch screen, he will have the same experience as a tablet

For the people who like gaming, it's an amazing processing speed.

New firmware (4.1.B.0.587) available for Xperia Arc, Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray and Live with Walkman

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:47:00 +0000

A new update (4.1.B.0.587) is now available for Sony Xperia arc (LT15i), Xperia arc S, Xperia ray and Live with Walkman are among the first 2011 Xperia smartphones that received ICS 4.0.4 on their handsets.

Even though there are no visual changes in the OS. There are just bug fixes and LED notification improvement.

There is no great improvement in performance of the phone, rather at times it's speed of processing has reduced. This might be because ICS requires more power of processor.

The procedure is simple: Plug-in the data cable and rest Sony companion will take care. Mobile data / Apps remain intact after updating the phone.

Why ipad 2 / 3 doesn't charge when connected to Laptop or Computer ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 06:54:00 +0000

A phone charges just fine when plugged into a computer's/Laptop’s USB port. The same goes for an iPod, a pocket camcorder, and any of countless other devices. But there is a problem with iPad !!

Actually, the difficulty isn't with the iPad, but with the USB port: It's not supplying enough power. The ports built into most desktops, laptops, and even powered USB hubs don't generate the 10 watts necessary to charge an iPad's battery, which is why the ‘Not Charging' message appears over the battery indicator. This means you can't use, say, your laptop to recharge your iPad on the road.

That said, lower-powered USB ports will recharge an iPad--just very, very slowly. When the tablet's screen is off, the battery does indeed draw a trickle of power. Turn the iPad back on, however, and you'll see ‘Not Charging' again.

You should be aware that many PCs pump varying wattages through different USB ports. Frequently the USB ports at the front of the PC are of lower power than the ones in the back. Before giving up, try moving to another port.

There is another option there are different AC USB chargers that are available at Apple stores, that one can buy in order to charge the ipad.

Google Nexus 7 tablet, India launch October 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Google Nexus 7, the tablet developed in partnership with Asus, will launch in India in September end or October this year. But right now available with shopping.indiatimes.com at a premium. The 7-inch tablet is first Nexus branded tablet and hence runs Google's Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating software.

Currently users in US can book their tablet from Staples, walmart.com and Google Store. Google store will charge shipment charges whereas at Staples shipment is free. From August the tablet will be available at their store across US.

8 Gig version is now available at indiatimes.com, but they are charging Rs 16500 for it, whereas in US it costs $199 i.e Rs 11500. The same can be bought from ebay.in also.

I guess 16 gig version is worth purchasing as there is no provision for memory extension.

Check out: Nexus 7 Specifications

Top free 3G Apps for Android on Google Play

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:40:00 +0000

There are several free Apps for Android on Google Play for 3G monitoring. Following are the ones that I have used and found them easy and useful

3G Watchdog

Guarding you against costly Internet overages.

3G Watchdog data counter monitors your Mobile Internet (4G/3G/Edge/GPRS) data usage, shows a status icon (green/orange/red) in the notify bar and a detailed report page.

2G-3G OnOff

2G-3G OnOff - simple widget(1x1) for changing network mode.

2G-3G OnOff - simple widget(1x1) for changing network mode

Its shortcut for network system settings which allows you change 2G-3G and data roaming mode

3G Connection Fix Free

Help your phone switch from Wifi to 3G.

3G Connection Fix is a simple tool to automatically work around a known problem on some phones where automatic switching from Wifi to 3G/packet data does not always work.

Onavo Count

Onavo Count - Monitor your data usage, Control your data bill.

"Onavo Count is the Best Damn Data-Monitoring App for Android, Period" - AndroidPIT.com

Save money on your mobile bill - avoid costly overage fees! Onavo Count puts you in control of your 3G data plan. Easy setup, three brand new widgets, tailored alerts and automatic blocking tools will keep you safe from bloated data bills.

This app is even recommended by me, this app is simple and useful.

Google Nexus 7 tablet, Specifications !!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 06:25:00 +0000

Google has launched its tablet Nexus 7, priced at $199 for 8 GB and $ 249 for 16GB. It has a screen size of 7 inches and developed in collaboration with Asus.

SPECIFICATION

Nexus 7 tablet seems to be a Amazon Kindle killer. The tablet could a great hit for first time buyers and people who are looking for cheap tablet.

The specification clearly demarcates that it is not giving competition to Apple iPad. At this price it a best buy.

iOS6 features, with Android Comparison

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:26:00 +0000

The sixth version of Apple's OS (iOS 6) for iPhone 3GS,iPhone 4/4S & iPad 2/3,iTouch (4th Gen), is now available on App Store. It will have over 200 new features (No YouTube from this edition). It is free to download.

It was considered that iOS 6 would be a runaway success, but right now it has several glitches even its flagship Apple Maps are not working fine. Most of the App Store applications have updated themselves for iOS 6.

Apple faces a stiff competition with growing popularity of Android which has released ICS early this year (Jelly Bean is still, at its pilot stage), that has many new features. Also, Google has launched its tablet Google Nexus 7 in July this year; Future versions of this tablet can compete iPad in tablet arena also.

Apple iPhone 5 seems to be a runaway success, already 5 million + handsets are sold.

This blog gives you a run through, what one can expect from the new OS from Apple, and also try to answer some burning questions. It will also try to compare the features with that of Android.

Measure Enhancements

Facebook

Along the lines of Twitter integration in iOS5, Facebook has now been completely integrated into iOS6. Once you login to your Facebook account in the settings page, you will be able to instantly share photos, locations, links, game centre scores or a status updates. Your Facebook contacts will get synced with iOS contacts and Facebook calendar entries (like Birthdays) will get synced with the iOS calendar app. App Store and iTunes on iOS will also include the Facebook 'Like' button - making it much easier to like and share apps with friends.

This feature is already present in Android. This feature is working for a long time on various Android handsets like Xperia Arc, Xperia S, Samsung Galaxy series etc.

Mail

iOS6 will have two new mailboxes apart from the standard one - VIP inbox and Flagged inbox. the VIP inbox will only show mails from contacts you have marked as VIPs. If you get loads of mail on a daily basis, you won't miss out on the more important ones. Plus, VIP mails will always pop-up as notifications on the lock screen.

The Flagged inbox works in a similar way - it will store messages that you flag. Photos and videos can be added to a mail directly from the compose window. And finally, password protected documents can be opened from within the Mail app.

This feature can be compared to filter feature of gmail, that is embedded in Android platform. One can add several accounts and can sync them simultaneously.

Maps

One of the biggest updates to iOS6 is the inclusion of Apple's own navigation and maps. The maps use a vectorbased engine that promises sharp graphics and quick zooming in/out of maps. You will also be able to adjust the view using a tilt/rotate gesture.

In addition, the maps have a 3D view mode for navigation and a 'Flyover' mode that shows high-resolution, photo-realistic 3D views of major landmarks and monuments. Select countries will also get turn-by-turn voice navigation and real-time traffic updates that will work even if the phone screen is locked.

Apple Maps currently are having several glitches. Apple Maps are not as responsive as Google Maps, rather at times they do not give correct directions or terrain knowledge. One can even say it is the biggest disappointment in iOS 6.

This one thing that Apple has come up, leaving Google maps behind. But this feature is long present in Android, rather performs quite efficiently.

Photo Streams

Even though this is limited to the Apple device ecosystem, sharing photographs becomes simpler with iOS6. Take for instance if you share a few photos with some of your contacts - if they are running iOS6 or OS X Moutain Lion, the shared photos will transfer immediately and show up in their Photos app or iPhoto.

Your contacts can then also add comments to your photos. To share with those who are not using Apple devices, the photographs can be uploaded to a web album using iCloud, links to which can then be shared via email.

Safari

Safari now has better integration with iCloud. Thanks to a feature called iCloud Tabs, you can start browsing on one device and when you switch to another one, all your open tabs from the first device are automatically opened on the second device.

With iOS6, Safari can also save full web pages to the device instead of just links in your reading list - these can be read later even if there is no Internet access. Finally, a new full screen mode for Safari on the iPhone/iPod Touch allows webpages to be viewed without the top/bottom bars in landscape mode.

Safari is a better browser than embedded Android browser. But there are several apps that one can download and have a good browsing experience.

Phone

If you don't want to accept an incoming call, you can now reject it with a message - choose from a template or write a custom one. You can also set up a reminder for yourself - to call the number back later in an hour or when you reach your home/work location.

Another feature called 'Do Not Disturb' can be used to hide all incoming calls/notifications for a set time period. However, you can still choose to allow calls from your favourite/important contacts or if a number calls repeatedly when your phone is in this mode.

Siri

With iOS6, Siri will work on the new iPad as well. It supports and understands more languages now (Hindi is not present yet). There are some updates to Siri too - it can now answer questions about sports, restaurants and movies. You can get scores from live sports events, get movie reviews/ratings or find restaurants.

Unfortunately, most of these functions will be limited to the US. Finally, Siri can now also be used to launch an app by just speaking out the app name.

This feature is still unbeaten, Google voice assistance stands nowhere near Siri.

Some other features

Facetime will work over 3G, it was earlier Wi-Fi only. The App Store gets a new interface and your phone number and Apple ID will be unified - you can get notifications/take calls on any authorised Apple device. Rest there are hundreds of new features to wait for.

But one thing is to be noted, all the features that Apple plans to introduce in iOS6 is already present in Android. So lets see how Apple, differentiates or segment itself in the growing world of 'Open Source' !!

Official ICS update 4.0.4 for Xperia Arc(LT15i), launched in India

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:37:00 +0000

Finally the official ICS update 4.0.4 for Xperia Arc (LT15i) has been launched in India. Build number 4.1.B.0.431

Indian users can now download the update on their phones, by plugging the data cable and connecting to Sony PC companion. The process is quite simple, it takes 25 mins to update (depending on the internet speed).

Process

Plug-in the data cable to the laptop/desktop
Follow the steps as instructed by the PC companion
After updating the phone, it will switch off and will restart after 1/2 mins
On restart; it will show a Sony Logo, this means the phone has been updated

Caution

Don't unplug the phone while its updating
Some of the applications might not work after the update, so kindly check the same from Google Play

Update the phone and enjoy the rich features of ICS.

Samsung Galaxy S2 ICS update now available

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:44:00 +0000

Samsung has finally rolled out ICS 4.0 update for Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100. The long wait is over. Samsung has penetrated the mobile phone market and have taken its competitors with a storm.

This eases the long disappointment of Samsung mobile users who were waiting for a long time for ICS update. The update is already present in various countries. Samsung S3 will launched in a short while, its pre-booking has started. This update will bring cheer to existing users who wants to have the taste of ICS.

The ICS update for the device is now available either OTA (Over-the-Air) or via the Samsung Kies software suite, for both versions of the phone, the GT-i9100 (featuring a dual-core 1.2 Ghz Exynos processor) as well as the GT-i9100G (featuring a dual-core 1.2 Ghz TI OMAP 4430 processor).

The 220MB update is rather large, so if you are doing the OTA update, it is recommended to do so over a WiFi connection, to avoid heavy data usage charges. As expected, other than the performance enhancement, the ICS update brings along with it a host of other features including:

Updated TouchWiz UI
Face Unlock
Re-sizable widgets
New People app
Mobile network data usage function

So update the phone and enjoy the rich interface that ICS provides.

ICS (4.0.4) update for Xperia Arc & Xperia Neo to rollout in coming week

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:06:00 +0000

Sony Mobiles has finally started rolling out the official ICS(Android 4.0.4) update for its 2011 Xperia models i.e Xperia Arc, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia Active and Sony Ericsson live with Walkman.

The roll is phased depending on the geographies across the globe. The new ICS update comes with many new features. The best part is, it is official and can be downloaded from the Sony website.

Good to know before you Update:

ICS is more feature enriched, this means it might slow down the phone performance.
Take the backup of phone data as all existing files will be deleted
Flash feature is disabled. So that need to be downloaded from Google Play.
Some third party applications might not work, kindly check from Google Play before downloading them.

Watch the video, what new ICS will bring to your phone.

Finally there will be an official update for Xperia 2011 phones. This will be an update version to 4.0.3 which users received during the first phase.

Source: Sony Official Blog

What is Android: Introduction, History & Future

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Android is Linux based mobile operating system for mobile devices, such as mobiles and smart phones. It is developed by Open Handset Alliance, led by Google and other companies.

The coming of Android changed the way mobile phone market operated. It was developed as an open source where developers and companies can use the common platform and develop applications known as ‘Apps’. These Apps can be integrated with Android OS and can be installed on wide variety of handsets, offered by companies like Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG, Google Nexus, Huawei and many more. It gave a direct competition to Apple’s Smart phone domination.

Users can download these applications from Google Play, the online store on Android Platform. The app developer can earn revenue by ads or making their apps chargeable.

Even small companies like MicroMax, Karbonn Mobiles in India benefitted from the coming of Android OS. They now offer a smart phone as low as Rs 4000 ($ 50)

Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community works together to build innovative mobile applications.

History

Android Inc. was founded in US in 2003. In August 2005 Google acquired Android making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Google.

On November 5, 2007, the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of several companies which include Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Texas Instruments unveiled itself. The goal of the Open Handset Alliance is to develop open standards for mobile devices. On the same day, the Open Handset Alliance also unveiled their first product, Android, a mobile device platform built on the Linux kernel version 2.6.

On December 9, 2008, 14 new members joined, including ARM Holdings, Atheros Communications, Asustek Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, Huawei Technologies, PacketVideo, Softbank, Sony, Toshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group Plc.

There had been several versions of Android the current one is Android 4.0, i.e also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)

Future of Android

Google has recently acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 Billion, this means that Google wants to enter the Smart Phone market in a serious way. This can also slow down the pace of Android, as till now Google had no incentive to hold the safe licenses of Android. But now Google would want its phones to have exclusive features that can differentiate it from its competitors.

But one thing is sure, coming of Android reduced the dominance of Nokia, Blackberry to negligible; As they could not at that time predict the potential of open source and touch

phones.

This pie chart shows US 2011 figure.

Blackberry Bold 9790, OS 7 Update (OS 7.1.0.247)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:29:00 +0000

Research in Motion(RIM) has started working on a new update (OS 7.1.0.247) for BlackBerry 9790 Bold. The update is in its final testing phase, but it seems there is an unofficial update available online.

The updated software version is OS 7.1.0.247.

Things to Remember:

Its a leaked version. No one knows how it got leaked.
Since it is an unofficial release so people need to be careful while updating the phone.
This information is just for sharing purpose, no one will be held responsible if the update doesn't work.
The process of update is tedious and long.

Procedure

- Download the package from net.

- Your desktop should have BlackBerry desktop manager to do the update. You must at least have desktop manager V4.5 to do the update.

- Once you do the update the BlackBerry device will revert back to original custom settings. You will be prompted to enter your username and password after the update to use some of the third party applications.

- Once you have all the details close all other applications and run .exe file. Choose the appropriate language and go through the different windows that come after it.

- Now plug in your BlackBerry device via USB chord. The phone will now ask you whether you want to install the available updates.

- Click update there and you will be provided with a list of applications that will be affected.

- After going through them finish the update and disconnect your BlackBerry mobile.

After following all the steps, your phone will have the update before your friends.

Remember this is an unofficial update. This release will have certain bugs, that can hamper the working of some applications. This might be a beta release.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:59:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy series of smart phones has a new variant in the market Galaxy S3(I9300). Samsung started from being the biggest supplier for Apple is now competing with it in global mobile arena.

Specifications

Designed to take the fight to the new crop of quad core superphones, the Galaxy S3 features a quad core processor, the latest Android 4.0, 4.8-inch HD Super Amoled screen, 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080 p video recording and 1.9 megapixel front camera. The previous flagship, Galaxy SII, has a 4.3-inch screen. The SIII, with 4.8-inch screen, is not much larger or heavier because of the narrower bezel and innovative weight reduction technologies. It is an unbelievable 8.6 mm thick and weighs just 133 grams. The more rounded shape and premium finish (in pebble blue or marble white) is inspired by nature.

S3 comes in three variants 16GB, 32 GB and 64 GB, also there is an option for external memory card (SD Card). So if a person adds 32GB memory with his 64GB phone then, he will get 96GB of phone memory.

What's New

There are several smartphone firsts in the Galaxy SIII. For instance:

Smart Stay - which keeps the phone screen on as long as you are looking at it

Direct Call - raise the phone to your ear and it instantly starts calling the contact you were looking at or messaging;

Pop up Play- which can keep HD video playing on the screen while you do other tasks

Built-in Wireless Charging System - This is the first time that such a feature is incorporated. The Galaxy S3 can be charged by just placing it on the charger instead of connecting a cable. With an optional accessory called the wireless charging kit.

Camera - The camera also sees notable improvements. While the resolution stays the same 8 megapixels as some previous models, the S3 has a back illuminated sensor (for better low light images), zero shutter lag, burst mode (3.3 frames per second up to 20 frames) and a best shot feature which takes eight photographs in quick succession and automatically chooses the best one. Both the front and rear cameras are capable of recording HD video.

Also S3 is coming with Siri like feature known as Smart Voice, hope that will be improved version of Siri for Asia Pacific customers.

S3 is expected to come with a steep price of Rs 38000+ (Approx $700) tag in India. Expected month of launch is June 2012

Also Available: Reviews of Xperia S and BlackBerry Bold 9790

Sony Xperia Arc LT15i: Official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 May 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Sony has just released the much-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i . Don’t worry though, because other Xperia 2011 models aren’t getting left out.

The Xperia Arc’s Ice Cream Sandwich update isn’t being released simultaneously around the globe, but rather, the rollout is done by region. But still if you to flash the new update of Experia Arc to your friends there is a way out.

The procedure is tricky, requires lot of manual steps. But in the end one can experience the feel of Ice Cream Sandwich before the official release.

Few things that should be kept in mind:

This update is originally for LT18i, but can be installed on LT15i
After installation the phone will be recognized as LT18i.
There might be some bugs pertaining to Experia Arc S (LT18i). But may be in subsequent releases they will be taken care of.
Check the system requirement properly. Also whether your OS is 32 bit / 64 bit.
This information is just for sharing purpose. The author has no responsibility if the installation doesn't work.

System Requirements

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i
A Windows PC
Enable USB Debugging on your phone. You can do this by heading to Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging. Make sure that there is a check mark beside that option.
Back-up of your personal files and important data. As after the installation all personal data will be deleted.

Instructions

Installing Flash tool and drivers

As the official Flashtool site is currently not allowing a download of the necessary file, you can download it from our mirror here. The zip package includes two files: 1) Flashtool 0.6.9.1 and 2) an update zip file.
Update it to version 0.7.0.0, as follows:

Install the ‘flashtool-0.6.9.1-windows’ application.
Once complete, unzip the ‘update’ file. Move and replace all contents of the zip file to C:\Flashtool
Once you have done this, launch Flashtool. The log window should show that you are using ‘Flashtool Version 0.7.0.0 built on 2012-04-14 11:34:01′. To make sure of this you can always go into Help > About to see what version you are using.

After installing the flash tool follow these steps:

Head to the Flashtool folder at C:\Flashtool and open the drivers folder. Double-click the Flashtool-drivers.exe file to start installing the essential drivers for your phone.
In the driver section of Flashtool, click Nextonce. When prompted for a component selection, choose the following options:
- Arc-Play-Neo-Acro ADB Drivers
- Flashmode Drivers
Select Next to start installing the necessary drivers. Once the installation process has started, you’ll be bombarded with lots of pop-ups saying that the drivers are not compatible on your PC. Select Install this Driver Anyway on each of the pop-up screen.

Installing the ICS firmware

Download the Generic Nordic ICS Xperia arc S firmware from here (377MB). This is firmware version 4.1.A.0.562 which will update your phone to Android 4.0.3. Thanks to XDA Developers.

A note of warning: Some browsers like Opera will rename the extension of this FTF file as a zip file when trying to download it. Make sure that the downloaded file has a .ftf extension rather than .zip
Place the downloaded FTF file inside the c:\Flashtool\firmwares folder.
Double-click the FlashTool.exe file found inside the Flashtool folder to start the flashing program.
As soon as the Flashtool program opens, click the Flash button from among the first seven buttons found on top of the screen.
Select Flashmode on the screen that pops-out, then select OK.
You will then see LT15i from among the list of devices in a new window that shows up. Select the LT15i entry on the list. Check the box beside the label “No Final Verification Check.” Then, hit the OK button.
Connect your Xperia Arc to your PC via the USB cable. Plug your USB cable to your PC first. Press and hold the Back key on your phone and connect the other end of the USB cable to your phone.
Once your phone is connected, the Flashtool application will automatically start the flashing process.
Important! Once the flashing process is done, you may sometimes get an error message saying “Error Flashing”, instead of the “Flashing Complete” message. Ignore this error as it may be a bug in the application. Your firmware should already be flashed on your phone.
Disconnect your phone from your PC.
Switch on your phone. On your first boot, your phone may restart once at the Sony Logo, then it will normally boot into Ice Cream Sandwich.

Following these steps one can upgrade your Sony Ericsson Experia Arc.

Note : This update is basically for Xperia Arc S (LT18i), but the same package can be installed on LT15i, but after installing the update ur phone will show as LT18i. (Source: Xperia Blog)

Google unveils Google Glass, an augmented Reality Glasses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 May 2012 12:58:00 +0000

Google has revealed its long-rumored plans to create augmented reality (AR) eyeglasses.

It’s like watching a sci-fi movie, where a person a just watch an object and can get details about that object. Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect view of a physical environment that's augmented by computer-generated input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

Work on the AR glasses is preceding as Project Glass, which is part of the Google X Lab, a facility run by Google said to be somewhere in California's Bay Area where about 100 leading-edge projects are reportedly being undertaken.

The scientists behind Project Glass are Babak Parviz, Steve Lee and Sebastian Thrun. They asked for viewer feedback on a video they posted on YouTube.

How do they work:

The video is shot from the point of view of someone wearing a pair of AR glasses. The wearer can apparently take a phone call while wearing the glasses, listening and speaking with the caller, whose avatar or photo pops up on one lens of the glasses. The wearer can also transmit what he or she sees during the conversation. For example, looking out of the window triggers data about the weather that's shown on the lens.

Looking at objects while walking pulls up information on the lens. For example, when the wearer passes a subway station, a notice that service had been suspended is called up a Google Map showing a walking route.

A Siri-like voice application puts up information in response to questions. For example, when the user walked into a bookstore and asked where the music section was, a map indicating that section came up on the lens.

The user can also instruct the glasses to take a photo.

Project Glass seems to incorporate features from Google Maps, Android's voice response system, Google's geo location service and other features.

Innovating objects like these gives companies an advantage over its peers as nowadays people have taste and power to buy any ground breaking innovative products.

Top 25 free Android Apps 2012, to download on Google Play

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:02:00 +0000

The Android market had a huge year in 2011. Apps have been flowing into the market like never before, and we have sometimes has trouble keeping up. Google's Android Market reportedly skated past the 550,000+ app mark. Mentioned below are top 25 apps for Tablets / phones:

WhatsApp

Get WhatsApp Messenger and say goodbye to SMS!

WhatsApp Messenger is a Smartphone messenger available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Phone and Nokia phones. WhatsApp uses your 3G or WiFi (when available) to message with friends and family.

Wallpaper HD

Get the best HD Wallpapers and Backgrounds!

“Wallpapers HD” is a cool new app that brings all the best HD wallpapers and backgrounds to your Android device.
Add the innovative Colors function, and you have the best free wallpaper app for your Android phone!

SMS Blocker

Get this app NOW! You will forget what spam/unwanted SMS is!

Block text message using World's Most Advanced & Powerful SMS blocking & text filter tool. This unique anti spam technology has received awards from MIT Technology Review, Nokia, Proto, NASSCOM & many others. If unwanted, intruding & untimely text messages are annoying you and filling your mobile inbox with junk, you need this ultimate SMS blacklist app!

AVG Antivirus Free

AVG Antivirus for Smartphones & Tablets automatically detects harmful Apps & SMS. AVG Mobilation™ Antivirus Free is a free mobile security solution that helps protects your phone from viruses, malware, spyware & online exploitation in real- time.

Download AVG Mobilation™ for free today and:
√ Scan apps, settings, files, and media in real time
√ Find/locate your lost or stolen phone via Google Maps™
√ Lock and wipe your device to protect your privacy
√ Kill tasks that slow your phone down
√ Browse the web safely and securely

AVG Mobilation™ Antivirus Free – mobile security software for Android™. Keep your device safe with just one click.

Cam Scanner

Turn phone to document scanner

CamScanner turns your phone into a scanner. With CamScanner, you are able to digitize any paper documents by photo shooting. Simply take a picture of any paper documents such as receipts, whiteboards, notes, agreement and so forth, and CamScanner can auto-crop image, enhance image quality and create an industry standard PDF file. And you can easily upload documents to cloud like Dropbox, Google Doc, Box.net, and manage them by tagging or searching.

With CamScanner You Can Scan
* Receipt, Bill, Tax Roll
* Business Card, Membership Card, VIP card
* Agreement, PPT and Whiteboard
* Note, Memo, Script, Letter
* Books, Magazines, Newspaper, Poster, Coupon
* Courier Sheet, Resumes,

Unified Remote

Easily the most feature-filled Android-PC remote. Turns your Android device into a WiFi or Bluetooth remote control for your Windows PC. Control your favorite programs, mouse, and keyboard.

App 2 SD Free

App 2 SD streamlines the movement of applications to on your device's external or internal storage through your device's Settings. With this handy app, you'll have more control over your ever expanding collection of apps. This app is crucial to anyone who has memory management issues.

★ View all SD card capable apps and move them seamlessly
★ notify if movable apps installed
★ 1-tap to clear all app cache
★ export the app list to SD card
★ install apps from the exported app list (PRO-only)
★ home screen widget shows cache and available size
★ show app cache/data/code/total size
★ keep track of total and available storage space
★ sort through apps stored on phone and SD card
★ add movable apps to the ignore list
★ move apps back to the internal storage
★ view app on Market
★ uninstall app
★ open app
★ show app details page
★ support "Move2SD Enabler"
★ customizable notification sound, vibrate and light

ES File Explorer

Featured File manager & App manager which can explore the phones & computers.

30 millions global downloads in 2011! One of best tools on Android market.
Support 19 languages.

Ever Note

Evernote turns your Android device into an extension of your brain.

★ New York Times ‘Top 10 Must-Have App’, Winner: TechCrunch Crunchies, Mashable Awards and the Webbys. ★

Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders--and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.

Just Dial

The Official Justdial Application for your Android smart phone is simple, interactive and intuitive so you can search for businesses, products or services in your area with ease. Now use India's No.1 Local search engine right from your Android device.

Find out which movies or events are happening around you, the best restaurants and lounges in your city, the latest art shows, or find ATMs, Hotels, Doctors and much more from our list of popular search categories. The official Just dial android app gives you all flexibility to sort the results based on your preference.

Get quick access to results with just a tap on Justdial Hotkeys and enhance your search experience further by adding more hot keys based on your favorites and preferences.Use the “Near Me” feature that allows you to search for any business, product or service near you.

The Justdial App uses the in built GPS functionality of your smart phone to detect your current location and provides Mapping and Navigation features and thereby leveraging the built in Google Maps application. The App allows you to choose a city of your choice for your desired searches anywhere in India or the USA.

TuneIn Radio

Browse and listen to radio -- live, local and global.
Listen to the world.

TuneIn is a new way to listen to the world through live local and global radio from wherever you are. Whether you want music, sports, news or current events, TuneIn offers over 50,000 stations and 1.2 million on-demand programs for you to choose from. The TuneIn Radio app lets you take this entire experience with you on your Android device.

Dropbox

Dropbox lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere.

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your Android device, and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go.

ColorNote

Color Note is a notepad app which give you a better note editing experience.

Color Note is a simple notepad app. It give you a quick and simple notepad editing experience when you write notes, memo, email, message, shopping list and todo list. Color Note makes taking a note easier than any other notepad and memo apps.

Instagram

Instagram – A beautiful way to share your world. It's fast, free and fun!   

Pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects to breathe a new life into your mobile photos. Transform everyday moments into works of art you'll want to share with friends and family.  

Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see - and follow your friends' photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you'll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.  

SBMX

Autodesk SketchBook® Mobile Express is a professional-grade paint and drawing application offering a set of sketching tools and a streamlined and intuitive user interface.

Lightbox

Lightbox is a place to capture, enhance, & share your moments. Your photos are automatically organized into a timeline of postcards on Lightbox.com. Keep them private or selectively share them with friends, family, or the entire Lightbox community.

Viber

Viber - Be Free to Communicate. Call and text anyone, anywhere.

Viber lets everyone in the world connect. Freely. More than 40 million Viber users call, text, send photos and locations with each other worldwide - for free.
Viber is available for Android and iPhone®. We are always introducing new features, platforms and possibilities.

Viber is completely free with no advertising.

Kingsoft Office

FREE to view DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX files, create DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX.

Kingsoft Office is known as the most user-friendly mobile Office: whether in a small cell phone screen or on a large screen on the Tablet, Kingsoft Office has a superior performance!
And it is also the only mobile Office with full-features FREE: all features listed below are free to use!

Core Features:
- View & Edit DOC, DOCX, TXT files;
- View & Edit XLS, XLSX files;
- View & Edit PPT, PPTX files;
- User-friendly & nice UI;
- Built-in file manager that can automatically organize your office document;
- Tight integration with the mail application: you can open the attachment, and can directly send after modification;
- Support the cloud storage services with WebDAV protocol.

Money Control

The Markets on Mobile app is your gateway to all critical real-time information about the Indian and global markets through your Android device. If you are an investor, trader, professional or just interested in business, economy and financial markets, you will find this to be an invaluable tool. And this application is powered by moneycontrol.com – India’s no.1 financial and business portal trusted by millions.

Use the application to get real time stock quotes, Indian and Global market Indices, manage and keep track of your investment portfolio, watch Live TV and get in-depth coverage & analysis of financial markets, economy and business.

Delhi Metro Navigator

Delhi Metro Navigator
#1 App for Delhi Metro
Fare
Map
Offline Route
Parking Rate

Delhi Metro Navigator -

Your one stop solution for all information required on Delhi Metro.

Saavn

Listen to Bollywood and Indian music, free - anywhere, anytime.

Listen to your favorite Hindi music with Saavn - the most popular app for Indian music on Google Play! Search and play the best songs from Bollywood, bhangra, bhajans, ghazals, and more. Create and save your own playlists and stations. Get the latest hits with new releases and Saavn’s Weekly Top 15. Feeling lazy? Flip to Radio and pick a song - we'll take the hint and play music for you all night long.

Smart App Protector

Protect your installed applications using a password or pattern!

✔ Smart App Protector will protect your installed applications using a password or pattern!

It can also prevent your screen from turning off, and prevent it from auto-rotating when selected apps are open!

Tiny Flashlight + LED

Flashlight + LED Light. Brightest. Fastest. Simplest. Your own Tiny Flashlight.

Flashlight for your device! Incredibly simple and yet very useful flashlight application. Will use your device's camera LED as a torch.

Zedge

Free Ringtones, Wallpapers, Alerts, Live Wallpapers & Games enjoyed by millions.

For years Zedge has been the most trusted and popular source of free ringtones and wallpapers in the world. Now Zedge also offers free Games and Live Wallpapers. 40 million people get more than 200 million free downloads from Zedge every month. Zedge’s brand is synonymous with high quality, diversity, uniqueness and great fun.

Also Check: Top Games on Google Play, Fun Apps on Google Play

"Temple Run" for Android officially launched on 27th March 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Finally Android users got there hand on one of the most popular games "Temple Run" on their devices from 27th March 2012. It is a 'Free App', available on Google Play (Link)

It's a late launch on android than originally promised. Temple Run is still the seventh most popular free app on the iTunes Store as of this writing — according to developer Imangi Studios, the game has been downloaded some 42 million times since August of last year. We're sure this game will see similar success with the huge new market available.

The game is working fine on Android, there are some minor glitches but regular updates are given be the company. There are till now three updates given.

Sony Xperia S Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:26:00 +0000

The Sony Xperia S is a Android smartphone which sports 12MP Camera With 1080p Video Support, 32 GB In-Built Storage and 4.6 Inch 720p Display With Bravia Engine. This phone is new the Xperia Series after the separation from Ericsson this year.

Sony will be launching shortly Xperia Pand Xperia U. This new series will be higher end smart phones. Sony is planning to enter in the niche market of smart phones.

Sony Ericsson Xperia S Features:

4.6 Inch 720p Display With Bravia Engine
12MP Camera With 1080p Video Support
Dual Core 1.5GHz Processor
720p Front Facing Camera
32 GB In-Built Storage
Playstation Certified
Android 2.3.4 (up-gradable to ICS)
HDMI

This series of Xperia will have front facing camera also.

Sony Ericsson Xperia S Specifications:

Network
Technology / Frequency Bands
GSM : 850/900/1800/1900 MHz HSDPA : 850/1900/2100 MHz

Battery
Type Li – Ion
Capacity 1750 mAh
Standby 450 hours
Talktime 438 mins

Built
Dimensions 128x64x10.6 mm
Weight 144 g
Form Factor bar
Colors Black, White

Display
Size 1280×720 pixels
Type color : TFT
Colors 16000000 colors
Secondary Display no

Camera / Imaging / Video
Camera Yes 12MP
Resolution 4000×3000 pixels
Zoom yes
Flash yes
Secondary Camera yes

Connectivity
Bluetooth Yes
Irda No
Wlan/Wi-fi Yes
USB yes
GPS yes

Data
GPRS Yes
EDGE Yes
3G Yes
Internet Browsing Yes , Android Webkit browser

Media
Audio Playback Yes
Video Playback Yes
Ringtones 64 polyphonic MP3/MIDI/WAV/AMR
FM Radio Yes
3.5mm Headphone Jack yes

Memory
Inbuilt 1.5 GB
Memory Slot Yes

Messaging
SMS Yes
MMS Yes
Email Yes

Software
Operating System Android 2.3.4 / ICS

Mobile Phone: Sony Xperia S

Price (Indian Rupees): Rs 31000

New : Check out Samsung S3 Review