Modern-Techie : Technology Hub

Samsung announces Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Mini 2

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:22:00 +0530

Samsung has announced two new Android smartphones just a before the Mobile World Congress begins next week.

Galaxy mini 2

The first one is the Galaxy Ace 2, which will have a 3.8-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display, 800MHz dual-core processor, 768MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 5 megapixel rear camera with 720p video recording, VGA front camera, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS/GLONASS and a 1,500mAh battery.

Ace 2

Next up is the Galaxy Mini 2. It has a 3.27-inch, 480 x 320 resolution display, 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal memory, 3 megapixel fixed-focus rear camera with VGA video recording, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, A-GPS and a 1,300mAh battery.

Both the phones will be running Samsung's TouchWiz on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The Galaxy Ace 2 will launch in UK in April whereas the Galaxy Mini 2 will go on sale in France in March.

LG announces L7, L5 and L3 - will be shown at MWC 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:17:00 +0530

The three Optimus L smartphones will feature square, thin metallic design with a textured leather-like panel on the back. They will also offer what LG calls "floating mass display" - a display closer to the surface, which should appear as if it is floating on it.

The Optimus L7 features a 4.3" display and will run on Android ICS out of the box. The Optimus L5 will offer ICS and a 4" display. Both are expected to hit the shelves in Europe in the first half of the year.

The more compact LG Optimus L3 has a 3.2" display and will run Android Gingerbread (2.3) at launch. Its availability in Europe should start in March.

We'll be getting to know the LG L7, L5 and L3 better at the MWC next week, so stay tuned for lots of photos, videos and hands-on impressions.

Panasonic uncovers Eluga specs, live hands-on photos pop up

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:11:00 +0530

As promised, Panasonic unveiled the specifications of their Android smartphone dubbed the Eluga, expected to debut on the European market this March.

The poorly named Eluga is powered by a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor and 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which we have come to expect from high-end droids these days. At the front we find a 4.3-inch OLED display with qHD 960 x 540 pixels resolution.

It's also water- and dust-proof with NFC on-board. Remarkably, this hasn't made the device as thick as one might expect. The Eluga is just 7.8mm thick and weighs only 103grams, which, to bring it in a perspective, beats the Galaxy S II hands-down.

The reason for the phone's little hump at the back is the 8MP auto-focus snapper with image stabilization. Speaking of the back, underneath the back cover resides 1,150 mAh battery good for 300h of standby and 240 minutes of talk time.

The Eluga will run Android Gingerbread 2.3.5 when initially sold with Ice Cream Sandwich coming in the Spring of this year, or at least that's what Panasonic promises.

Pocket-lint.com have obviously managed to get their hands on the Eluga recently at the Panasonic Convention 2012 in Hamburg.

Qualcomm S4 chipset benchmarks promise amazing performance

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:06:00 +0530

A fresh batch of benchmarks of Qualcomm's S4 platform show just how powerful the new Krait cores are. The tests were run on a reference platform, but since we don't care about the rest of the hardware (screen, camera, etc.), just the chipset performance, these result are a good indication of what to expect.

Qualcomm S4 uses Krait cores, two running at 1.5GHz in the case of the MSM8960 that was used in the reference platform. Krait is better in almost every respect than the old Scorpion cores and as a result performance has skyrocketed in both single and multi threaded tests.

Linpack reports a whopping 106.8 MFLOPS in single-threaded mode and 218.2 MFLOPS in multithreaded mode. For comparison, a Tegra 3 chipset with four Cortex-A9 cores at 1.3GHz score 135.9 MFLOPS in the multi-threaded benchmark.

SunSpider and BrowserMark results top even the highly optimized Samsung Galaxy Nexus, though not by as much as we would have expected.

The GPU inside the Qualcomm MSM8960 is an Adreno 225, even though S4 chipsets are supposed to use Adreno 3xx GPUs. Still, on paper the 225 matches the PowerVR SGX543MP2, a.k.a. the GPU found inside the iPhone 4S.

GLBenchmark however tells a different story - when run in offscreen mode (so that it can be forced to render graphics at 720p resolution, regardless of the actual screen res), the Adreno 225 beats the Mali-400MP4 inside the Galaxy S II (but not by much) and falls quite short of the SGX543MP2. It lags behind the Tegra 3's GPU too.

Hit the source link to check out more benchmark results and an in-depth analysis of the MSM8960-based reference platform over at AnandTech.

Use of Waterproof Technology by iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 18:55:00 +0530

The iPhone 4S was one of the most wanted headsets last year and reportedly this year as well. But, even for the iPhone 4S with all of its brilliant features, the competition to dominate the market was tough. Apple’s iPhone 4S’ toughest rival came in the form of Samsung Galaxy SII. The two very successful handsets became so famous, that rumors regarding new updates for the phones and about their successors started appearing in the Internet very soon after their launch.

There is a saying that there won’t be any smoke unless there is fire. There will be some truth behind most rumors. The rumored appearance of iPhone 5 and Galaxy SIII – the successors of iPhone 4S and Galaxy SII respectively, have been confirmed, although they haven’t been officially unveiled yet. The iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII are high end handsets reportedly, with some cool features to best one another. Lately, a rumor concerned with a technology displayed at the CES 2012 came out.

The rumor claimed that iPhone 5 will feature the Liquipel Waterproof technology which was demonstrated at the CES 2012. The Liquipel is actually a waterproof coating for mobile devices and it does an impressive job. The report or rumor or whatever, came from a tipster, who works in a high post in one of U.K’s top independent Mobile retailers. If this report turns out to be true, then iPhone 5 will be one of the first handsets which would feature Liquipel technology. Reportedly, Samsung Galaxy SIII will also feature the same technology, according to the tipster.

We can’t just consider them as rumors. Considering a few facts, we would see that there is a possibility. Most mobile phone insurance claims are because of liquid damage. So obviously, mobile manufacturing firms would think about doing something about it and their best bet is Liquipel Technology apparently. So the iPhone 5 and Galaxy SIII might actually come with this technology.

Liquipel Waterproof coating technology is not the only one around. A firm named HzO is reportedly on talks with Apple and Samsung for integrating their new waterproof technology in the Apple and Samsung smartphones reportedly. As per the reports, Samsung was quite impressed by HzO’s waterproof technology.

Those who were lucky enough to witness the Liquipel demo live at CES would definitely vouch for the technology to be included in smartphones in the future. HzO’s waterproof technology isn’t far behind either.

But it still needs to be confirmed by Apple and Samsung. We can only guess which waterproof technology the iPhone 5 and Galaxy SIII will opt – Liquipel or HzO?

Blackberry Bold 9900′s phone design issue spotted

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 16:11:00 +0530

The makers of BlackBerry, the Research in Motion is in trouble again. The report in a Canadian website had it that the Blackberry model Bold 9900 has some major design errors in them. A leaked image of the handset is now spread widely showing its holster problem and that causes the keypad and even the keys fall off from it. This is something that cannot be tolerated and definitely that’s not what the world expects from Blackberry.

A much read report on this failure of Blackberry handsets states that the flaws are found on the Blackberry Bold handsets that has been manufactured before the November 13, the previous year. The failure according to the report is due to the folded edge right inside of the holster lips and that’s what is causing the keys to get knocked out of the device when it’s inserted into the holster at a particular angle with some force.

However it’s confirmed that the models that has been manufactured after November 13 have not got any problem. So, lucky are the ones who went for the Blackberry Bold 9900 after the mentioned date and it’s obviously sad news for the early buyers of the handset. As compensation, Research in Motion has increased the warranty of the phones to an additional 18 months and this is applicable for all the handsets of the same model with the flaw. Any hopes on that solving the problem can be viewed with the eyes of an optimist for the time being.

This definitely is going to affect the reputation of Research in Motion and they surely will do something about it. An error like this in the design is really a bad mark for the company, and its design team and its going to face a hard time restoring the lost trust of their potential customers. The users of the handset can’t be blamed for their anger for they definitely deserve something more for the heavy price they have spent on the gadget.

Will this be going to affect the sales of the Blackberry worldwide is a question that’s look forwarded with much anticipations. But it’s not the first time something like this is happening while recalling some old events faced by Nokia and Samsung, but this one seems much, more like a serious issue. Well blackberry definitely is a brand that can be considered the best and one among the most trusted and they could manage the name all these years.

One mistake isn’t going to change things the way they get done with Blackberry and that’s a guarantee that Blackberry will be much more careful in the days ahead.

Nokia N8 successor: The last Symbian Smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 16:09:00 +0530

Nokia is introducing more and more Windows platform based phones into the market and it looks like those phones are able to achieve somewhat better sales figures than the Symbiancounter parts. In order to take on powerful competitors like Android and Apple mobile OS, Nokia do need an OS that can hold up against them. Windows platform based phones seems to be doing a good job at this.

So whether Nokia would put an end to the Symbian platform once and for all is yet to be seen. Even if there are rumours that Nokia is working on Symbian Carla and Symbian Donna platforms there is a huge speculation that these firm wares might not see the light of the day. A successor to the N8 is rolling out soon and according to the tech world that might be the last device to come up in Symbian platform.

The good thing is that Nokia would continue offering support for their Symbian based devices. So the existing users would be getting updates and bug fixes even after the firmware gets rolled up. During the last Mobile world congress Nokia announced their Windows phones, Nokia had made it clear that they plan to sell 150 million more of Symbian devices before completely putting a halt to this platform. If we consider the sales charts of the previous years we can see that Nokia’s plans have not gone as well as expected.

The sales chart of Symbian phones is in a very steep downward slope now. This is part because of the aggressive promotion that they have given for their Windows phones and also because of the increasing popularity of Android phones. According to the CEO of Nokia Stephen Elop this diminishing figures are because of the demand for low cost smart phones and the difficult market conditions. Finally he concluded by saying that they now believe that they would be able to sell fewer Symbian devices that expected.

Accenture has acquired some 3000 Symbian software developers from Nokia last year. According to the agreement made by them the company is to provide Symbian software support to Nokia up to the year 2016. But Nokia new plans seem to contradict with this contract and this much resource is very unlikely to be put to use.

What are in store for Nokia and its Symbian devices is yet to be seen. If the sales figures are still declining then the complete switch to Windows may not be very much delayed.

Wikipad a Android 3D gaming tablet with a controller

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 16:06:00 +0530

The year 2012 may be the year of 3D gadgets. Until sometime before to view 3D content you need a pair of specially designed glasses. When it comes to portable device this can be such a headache since you would need to wear and take off the glasses each time you are using your device.

But recent advancements in science had led to the development of glasses free 3D displays. That is you can use the gadget just like an ordinary device but still you would get a 3D experience. Some companies have already launched 3G devices like Nintendo 3DS.

Wikipad is the latest entrant to the 3D tablet segment and it features many unique and cutting edge features that are not found in other ordinary tablets.

Features and specifications of Wikipad

Category	Availability
Distinguished features
Type	3D tablet
General features
DISPLAY
Size	8 inch
Resolution	1080p
MEMORY
Internal	8GB flash storage
External	Yes
Card slot	micro SD
CONNECTIVITY PORTS
USB	Yes, USB 2.0
HDMI	Yes

This device is unlike any other glass free 3D device out there in the market. The main notable feature in the tablet is the presence of an attachable console. This attachable game pad gives the gamers a very immersed in the game feeling. It has all the necessary control buttons ain it and the ergonomic design make sure that you can hold it properly.

Dual joy sticks are provided as well as direction pad and four face buttons. The controller port is made in such a way that when the tablet is placed in it, it will be at a particular angle and this makes the viewing very easy for gaming. The game controller can be tucked away when not required and the tablet will then look like an ordinary one. This might be the first tablet to feature a gaming controller.

The 8 inch screen has 1080p resolution and can offer 2D and 3D viewing. Video playback is there and files of type H.264 .ISO and FLV are supported. The tablet works in Android 4.0 operating system and has all the common android applications and features. The tablet has 8GB of internal flash memory. If further memory is needed an external storage slot is there that is compatible with micro SD type memory cards.

Wikipad has a price tag of about Rs.10,000/-. The controller is sold separately and will have a price tag of about Rs.2,500/-.

Samsung Galaxy S Aviator, a powerful CDMA android phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:46:00 +0530

Samsung can be seen now in its new avatar which is titled under the name Samsung Galaxy S Aviator. Samsung Galaxy S Aviator has a powerful 1 GHz Hummingbird Processor that steadily increases the handset performance to a high peak and assisting in it functionality is a Google Android 2.3.6 operating System.

Samsung Galaxy S Aviator comes with some advanced features like its bigger 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Touch screen display that has a screen resolution of a standard 480×800 pixels and what more, it has a 8 Megapixel Camera set along with a LED Flash at the back of the handset. Video calling is enabled in the handset with its 1.3 Megapixel Camera located in the front of the device. The phone has an Internal Memory and its overall memory storage can be expanded using a microSD card Up to 32GB.

Samsung Galaxy S Aviator has good connectivity options. The Smartphone comes with mini HDMI for getting the images and videos to a bigger screen, and provides microUSB andexternal hardware synchronization.

On moving to further details on the utilities for data transfer and management with the Smartphone, it has a very efficient Wi-Fi, and also a Bluetooth which is a version 2.0. The entire unit is powered by a 1500 mAh standard Li-ion Battery and it’s capable of providing a Talk Time of up to 660 Minutes.

DISTUINGUISHED FEATURES
Category	Availability
DISPLAY
Type	AMOLED Plus Touch
Size	4.3-inch, supports 16M Colors
CAMERA
Rear	8 Megapixels,3264×2448 pixels, with all standard features supported
Front	Available, resolution of 1.3 Megapixels
Video	Yes
STORAGE CAPACITY
Phone book	Volume of records is unlimited
Call records	Volume of records is unlimited
Internal	Available
External	expandable to 32 GB, with provision for microSD
DATA MANAGEMENT
GPRS	They are enabled fully
EDGE
3G
WLAN	Wifi supported
Bluetooth	V2.1
USB	V2.0
GPS FACILITY	Standard feature
GENERAL FEATURES
Category	Availability
NETWORK SUPPORTS
2G Network	Only CDMA supported
3G Network	CDMA 1X
ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES
Audio Player	Supports multiple formats
Video Player	Again same as above
Games	Can play games with this
POWER MANAGEMENT
Battery Type	Li-Ion battery
Stand By	No information
Talk Time	Up to 660 Minutes
Dimension	130.0 x 68.0 x 11.6 mm
Weight	145 grams
Operating system	Android 2.3 Gingerbread
CPU	1 GHz Hummingbird Processor
Browser	Standard options of WAP 2.0 and HTML

The details on the price of the new handset are not yet announced officially by the manufacturers. But it is confirmed that it’s going to be launched soon.

Sony Ericsson Xperia active new edition for sports lovers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:45:00 +0530

When you are an outside enthusiast or an adventurer then a rugged mobile has to be your top priority if you want to keep touch with the outside world. One of the very best rugged mobile available out there in the market is Sony Ericsson Xperia active. Wet it, throw it or drop it, nothing would happen to this ultra durable phone.

Apart from this ruggedness, there is going to be one more factor that is going to prompt customers to choose this device. Sony Ericsson Experia active is getting a makeover. Sony Ericsson has recently announced a partnership with Billabong to make special edition phones.

Everyone might be familiar with the brand name Billabong and for those not, they are an international clothing company that concentrates mainly on sports wears especially for surfing, skating and also wet suits. There accessories and apparels gained popularity since they sported very bright and beautiful colours in sports themes.

This partnership only brings about visual changes in the existing phone so that the specs will be the same as before. The special edition will be termed as Sony Ericsson Xperia active Billabong Edition. This phone comes in a white and blue colour scheme with a wave theme. The design looks so beautiful and its visual appeal is very high. The styling is very distinct when the usual Billabong design philosophy is considered.

The phone will consist of many unique Billabong related software features and multimedia content like pictures, videos and screen savers. Billabong Live application is also present in the device. For the promotion of this device the phone will be taken to and presented in many major Billabong sponsored events around the globe. It is sure that the phone being one of the very few in the android powered sports oriented smart phone segment, will gain attention.

There is no clear word from the company in which all parts of the world this phone will be introduced. It may be offered as an unlocked device or along with a carrier. So if you are a surfer or a water sports fan then this is the perfect device for you. The fact that it is a water proof device and also that its styling goes well with your lifestyle can be considered as the top most reasons to buy this phone. Whether the price tag of this special edition phone will be different from the present one is not known as for now.

Apple to resume iPhone, iPad online sales in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 16:27:00 +0530

Apple Inc said it was cleared to resume selling older models of its iPhone and 3G-based iPads via its German online store on Friday, after the suspension of an injunction won by Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc in December.

"All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple's online store in Germany shortly," Apple spokesman Alan Hely said, adding that Apple was granted a suspension of the injunction.

He declined to say when exactly the sales would resume. Motorola was not immediately available for comment. A regional German court in Mannheim ruled on December 9 that Apple Sales International -- the European sales subsidiary of Apple in Cork, Ireland -- must stop selling or distributing mobile devices that infringe certain Motorola cellular communications patents.

That forced Apple to stop briefly the sale of iPhone 3G and 4 models and 3G/UMTS-based iPads on its German online store on Friday.

Motorola Mobility has said it had been negotiating with Apple and offering the company "reasonable licensing terms and conditions since 2007."

Apple spokesman Hely said on Friday: "Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago."

Apple retail stores and authorised resellers had not stopped selling the devices, he said.

On Apple's German http://store.apple.com/de site, attempts to order iPhone 3G and 4 models and 3G/UMTS-based iPads on Friday produced a "currently not available" message. The latest iPhone version 4S and WIFI-only iPads, however, were available online.

Apple is locked in mobile patent infringement battles with a number of companies, including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and HTC Corp, in several countries. It recently failed in a court bid to stop US sales of Samsung's Galaxy line of products.

iOS apps crash more often than Android apps, study shows

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 16:24:00 +0530

In this episode of smartphone myth busters, we'll investigate the claim that Android apps are often released to the market unstable, whereas iOS apps are always bug-free and buttery smooth.

According to a study by Crittercism, quoted by Forbes, both platforms have their share of apps that crash and, if anything, the iOS ones do so more often. The company which specializes in providing real-time crash reports for mobile apps evaluated reports over a period of one month and found that iOS apps crash quite a lot more than their Android counterparts.

In the first of the three quartiles we got data for, iOS apps crashed after 0.51% of all launches, whereas Android apps only crashed in 0.15%. In the second quartile the picture is similar with iOS apps crashing in 1.47% of the cases, whereas Android apps did so 0.73% of the time. Things are much closer in the third quartile - 2.97% crashes for Android vs 3.66% for iOS.

Crittercism even gave us a detailed breakdown of the most problematic releases by OS. As it turns out, iOS 5.0.1 generates more than a third of all iOS crashes - 33.93%, while iOS 4.3.5 is the second most problematic with 10.62%. That sounds quite believable as these two software versions are the two latest releases of iOS4 and iOS5.

On Android, it's the two Gingerbread releases that generated most of the trouble - 2.3.3 with 24.76% and 2.3.4 with 23.38%.

Of course, those are the most popular releases of each platform, so it's only logical that they will generate the most crashes.

Still, the study warns against making hasty conclusions - despite what the data might show at the moment, iOS isn't a worse system for making more apps crash. It's just that Apple introduced iOS 5 relatively soon, made it available to a lot of devices simultaneously and is still working to fix its issues on all of them. The scales might tip the other way once Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates start hitting more devices.

What the study was bound to show is that every OS has its more stable and its buggier releases and there's a good portion of apps everywhere that don't behave as they should.

iOS And Android : Crime Fighter

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:57:00 +0530

CrimePush.com announced on Wednesday a new mobile app for the iOS and Android platforms that allows you to anonymously report a crime at the touch of a button. The app is available free from iTunes and the Android Market. Company co-founder Eman Pahlevani explained that the reason for the app is to alert law enforcement during those "tense situations" when the police cannot be called. Pahlevani says, "There are other times when inconvenience or fear of reprisal prevents one from reporting an incident. That is when CrimePush is desperately needed. CrimePush allows the more than 100 million smartphone users the opportunity to become the eyes and ears of authorities."

The CrimePush app is free to install

If a crime is spotted, those using the app will be able to provide location information, pictures, video, audioand a text description of the crime to assist first responders. Other features include the ability to alert friend and family of your location when you are threatened. The app also records domestic violence, acts of intimidation, physical violence and verbal threats. When you are traveling in a dark or unfamiliar environment, the app will act as your personal security device. If you are having a medical emergency, the app will help summon help. And with the app, you can alert school authorities to bullying, vandalism and other illegal actions.

CrimePush.com says it will work with businesses and high schools, law enforcement agencies, universities and international mobile carriers. As of now, the company has relationships with the Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police Department. At the educational level, Virginia school boards in Fairfax and Loudoun County have joined the team along with some Washington, DC Universities. The first customized safety app to hit the online app stores will be released for George Mason University. Another launch will take place in the Spring for High Schools in Loudon County,Virginia which is the fastest growing country in the nation.

Android helps you to hook up : Now thats a real smart phone

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0530

These surveys sure can be fun – earlier this week we reported on findings that Android owners are more likely than other smartphone users to “multi-task” with their devices when sitting on the commode. Today an even more "vital" set of research findings has been made public: the dating habits of smartphone users! According to a poll, Android users are more likely to get lucky on the first date than owners of other flavors of smartphones.

The study was conducted by Zoomerang on users of the dating site Match.com. They found that 62 percent of Android users got their freak on during the first date, while iPhone users trailed at 57%, and BlackBerry users failed to hook up on more than half of their first dates (48%).

Interestingly, BlackBerry users were the most likely to drink on their first date – 72% of BlackBerry owners admitted to imbibing on initial romantic forays. Perhaps that explains this headline from last year? Another study found that BlackBerry owners made more money, so it's possible they can simply afford to buy drinks more often. Or perhaps they turn to alcohol more quickly when it became clear that their dates weren’t progressing at the same rate as their iPhone and Android brethren.

It’s important to note that these statistics are correlative, not causal. If you aren’t finding the success you hoped for through a dating site, ditching your BlackBerry Torch for a Galaxy Nexus won't actually improve your odds of first-date nookie.

All fun aside, the survey also provides a handy warning – whatever smartphone you’re rocking, remember to pry your attention away from it during a date – it turns out people don’t like to be ignored, regardless of what mobile operating system you use.

Samsung Galaxy S III : Delay

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:46:00 +0530

We've been hearing rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S III won't show up at the Mobile World Congress for a while now, but here comes the official confirmation from the horse's mouth. The launch of the hotly anticipated smartphone will happen later on with a separate Samsung-hosted event.

They were vague when it came to when or where the event will take place, with the official info saying "in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product".

We've heard that the Galaxy S III is slated for an April launch, but the validity of the rumor is questionable. A Dutch site is claiming a March launch instead.

Samsung didn’t say what they'll be announcing at the MWC, but they promise exciting mobile products. According to the rumor mill, that means Windows Phone handsets and tablets.

We're a little disappointed that we won't see the new Samsung flagship droid this month, but let's hope the wait will be worth it. Anyway, we'll be live covering whatever other hot gadgets Samsung has to show at the MWC.

Apple iPhone 5 with NFC Payment Facilites

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0530

The rumors about Apple's next iPhone including NFC and a heavy push into mobile payments subsided when the iPhone 4S was unveiled, alongside many other whispers, but are now been resurrected again as we head into this year's iPhone expectations.

Apparently Apple's iOS software engineers are involved in NFC support development, and app makers in the know are creating mobile payment apps themselves, to be ready when the NFC-equipped handset hits.

Still, if this thing is about to take off, it will need the support of a large payment processing company, like Visa or MasterCard, since we saw what happened with the carrier-backed ISIS system, whose aspirations were scaled back significantly, when it became clear it can't fight those two payment behemoths and their own mobile payment plans.

When asked whether Apple is working on a contactless payment system of its own, MasterCard's Ed McLaughlin said yesterday: "Um, there are...like I say, [I don't know of] any handset maker out there. Now, when we have discussions with our partners, and they ask us not to disclose them, we don't". Answering whether Apple's foray into this market will facilitate the mobile payments take-off, he added: "Well, anytime someone with a major base moves forward, it advances what you're doing. So of course."

Visa, on the other hand, was not so subtle in its answers recently: "I can't tell you when Apple is going to put NFC in the next version of the iPhone," said Bill Gadja, the head Visa's Mobile Product department, "but we've had discussions with them around the PayWave standard and they've asked to look at our specification and certification process so that when they decide to do something those lines of communication are open."

Putting two and two together, Apple's next iPhone iteration, except the year-old rumor of a major redesign in comparison with the 4S, could also "revolutionize" the mobile payments by bringing it mainstream, the way it is altering the perceptions about voice command software with Siri.

LG Spectrum vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus : Compared

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:19:00 +0530

LG SPECTRUM

GALAXY NEXUS

Introduction:

Being the new kid on the block, the LG Spectrum has a lot to prove if it stands any chance in trying to stay afloat amidst a sea crowded top-notch 4G LTE smartphones from Verizon. Without hesitation, we’re pitting it against the most memorable smartphone of them all in recent memory, the Samsung Galaxy Nexusfor Verizon, for the simple reason that it’s seemingly at the top of the list amongst all Android smartphones. Of course, they both come to the table packing some serious firepower under the hood to blow most devices out of the water, yet, there can only be a single device to rise from the ashes once the dust has settled.

Design:

Mainly due to its overall clean appearance, better build quality, and surprisingly smaller footprint, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is by far the preferred choice when we look at their designs. Moreover, its plastic exterior seems substantially tougher than the frail feeling plastic shell of the LG Spectrum – plus, its textured hyper-skin backing provides for a much better feel and grip in the hand. In contrast, the glossy back plastic casing of the LG Spectrum is notorious for attracting nasty fingerprints, and it’s even more prone to scratching. Overall, the curvier Samsung Galaxy Nexus essentially outshines the boring design approach of the LG Spectrum.

Sporting 1.3-megapixel front cameras, they’re there for all our video chatting needs and inexplicable self-portrait shots, but it’s the Galaxy Nexus that relies on it for its face unlock feature.Even though we’re able to easily feel them out on both smartphones, the volume rocker and dedicated power button on the Galaxy Nexus has the more prominent feel and response. Meanwhile, theirmicroUSB ports also allow us to gain video-out functionality with the aid of an optional MHL adapter.

Displays:

So what’s nice about these two devices is that they both feature snazzy looking 720p displays. With the LG Spectrum, it’s a 4.5” True HD IPS TFT display that packs the higher pixel density of 329 ppi, whereas the Galaxy Nexus features a larger 4.65” Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 316 ppi. Obviously, we can argue which of the two has the superior detail, but honestly, it doesn’t matter much because it’s nearly impossible to tell distinctively from a good distance away. However, when it comes to color production, the Spectrum boasts the more realistic looking colors, as opposed to the overly saturated, but eye-catching tones of the Galaxy Nexus. Overall, it’s a hard call because they’re both gorgeous in their own way.

Interface and Functionality:

Seriously, do we really need to get into the specifics regarding this category, even more when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus features the most up-to-date Android experience with Ice Cream Sandwich? Beyond the reasoning that it’s the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, we like it mainly because it sports a very clean looking appearance with a ton of neat features – such as face unlock. Well, we prefer it more over the clunky and cluttered look of the LG Optimus UI 2.0 running on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread on the LG Spectrum.

Graced with plentiful real estates, there’s no kidding that both handsets are ideal for dishing out long passages of text with their respective keyboards. Although we find their layouts to be spacious, the LG keyboard on the Spectrum offers the larger buttons to minimizes mistakes, but still, we do like the responsiveness of both devices in keeping up with our rate of input.

Processor and Memory:

When you’re at the top of the ladder, you’re expected to pack some kind of dual-core processor to run the show. Rightfully so, that’s what we find with these top-shelf smartphones as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4460 processor, and the Spectrum by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 CPU. Coupled with 1GB of RAM, they exhibit the same level of performance – thus, executing most basic tasks without much fluff, but there’s not one that’s visually faster. However, we also experience some levels of choppiness with more processor intensive tasks, but it’s never to the point agonizing.

Internally, the Galaxy Nexus presents us with a generous 32GB of internal storage – though, there’s no way to increase its capacity. Conversely, the Spectrum is preloaded with a 16GB microSD card, which can be replaced with higher capacity cards if needed.

Internet and Connectivity:

Alright, we’ve been spoiled very heavily by Verizon’s 4G LTE network, but despite that, we’re pleased with the peppy data speeds exhibited on both handset – allowing complex pages like ours to load in a jiffy. Perhaps it can be related to the optimizations found with ICS, but the Galaxy Nexus is undoubtedly the better performer in the web browsing department thanks to its buttery smooth navigational controls. Well, the Spectrum’s performance is tolerable, but its operation is on the choppy side – though, it’s still acceptable without degrading the overall experience.

Unquestionably, they share a lot of commonalities since they’re CDMA devices with support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Furthermore, they come packing the usual suspect of other connectivity items – such as aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.

Camera:

First, there’s no question about it, but the Galaxy Nexus is light years faster in snapping photos – whereas the Spectrum requires a couples of seconds between shots. Although neither offers stunning quality with their respective cameras, we give the slight advantage to the Galaxy Nexus seeing that its details are a tiny bit sharper (although it has lower resolution – 5 vs 8 megapixels) and it produces the more neutral looking colors. Indoors, the LG Spectrum’s results are simply marred by its inaccurate color reproduction colors, and at times, tends to cast a prominent bluish/greenish hue.

Multimedia:

Another area that both devices perform similarly in is the music department, as they offer some spiffy looking interfaces while playing songs. Specifically, they have that alluring looking 3D carousel when browsing through songs in landscape, however, they’re very much similar in portrait. As for their audio quality, we actually find their volumes to be on par with one another, which is actually on the weak side to tell you the truth. Thankfully, there’s no evidence of crackling or distortion when they’re positioned at the highest volume setting.

Performance:

Calling quality absolutely goes to the LG Spectrum because it presents us with clear and noise-free voices on both ends of the line – though, its speakerphone tends to muffle voices. Oppositely, the only issue we find on the Galaxy Nexus is the robotic tones that our callers hear on their end of the line.

Although it’s still a prevailing issue on the LG Spectrum, the loss of 4G LTE connectivity isn’t as constant when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However, it’s worth noting that both devices didn’t drop any phone calls during our time using them.

Simultaneously using the two power packed smartphones, their internal batteries are actual similar to one another. In fact, it’s an 1,830 mAh battery on the Spectrum and an 1,850 mAh on the Galaxy Nexus. Indeed they still pale in comparison to the performance of other smartphones, seeing that they’re blood suckers like no other, but the Galaxy Nexus appears to have a slight advantage – albeit, it’s not by much.

Conclusion:

Needless to say, some will think long and hard between the two smartphones after looking over their on-contract prices. At $200, the LG Spectrum seems mightily tempting for a 4G LTE smartphone, but in all honesty, we’d recommend forking over the extra $100 to pick up the $300 Samsung Galaxy Nexus. First and foremost, the undeniable most important thing is that it’s running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right at this moment – do we need to say more about it? Well, it also boasts the better looking design of the two, as the Spectrum basically looks way too bland for a handset destined to be on the highest of pedestals. Overlooking all of the fancy things that the Galaxy Nexus offers over the Spectrum, we also know that it’s also going to be treated to all of the latest updates right away – and it clearly shows as the Spectrum is on tap to receive its ICS upgrade sometime in June. So there you have it folks, you’re better off sticking with the Galaxy Nexus if you want to impress your friends.

Also See

LG Spectrum
Galaxy Nexus Reviews

LG Spectrum : Review

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0530

Introduction:

Now that the busy holiday season is behind us, there’s no arguing that Verizon had plenty of juicy second-generation 4G LTE smartphones for its customers – with each offering its own unique aspects to lure in people. One might’ve easily noticed LG’s absence, which is rather surprising considering that the Korean based company is a force to be reckoned with. Well, it’s better late than never, right? Just like its rivals before it, the LG Spectrum is stuffed with all of the lovable qualities of a contemporary high-end Android smartphone. However, will it have enough allure to rise over some of the benchmarking devices we’ve seen already? Or will it simply left out to dry for its late arrival onto the scene?

Design:

Hardly attempting to differentiate itself from its previous offerings in the LG Optimus LTE (Korean model) and LG Nitro HD (AT&T), the LG Spectrum follows forth with a very familiar, yet bland looking design. In fact, the only major thing new is its glossy and smooth plastic back cover, which so happens to be notorious for accumulating fingerprints – and worse yet, it’s much more prone to scratching versus the textured cover on the Nitro HD. Still, it’s pretty skinny (0.42” thick) and lightweight (4.99 oz) by today’s standards, but more importantly, it doesn’t feel as overbearing to hold in the hand. As a whole, we adore that its size has been reduced considerably versus the Revolution, but it doesn’t offer anything tantalizing in design.

The LG Spectrum places all of its ports on the top edge of the phone – such as its microUSB (MHL port) and 3.5mm headset jack. Meanwhile, its noise-cancelling microphone and easy to feel dedicated power button are also lined all on the same edge. On the left, there’s a very tactile volume rocker, while the right edge is devoid of anything.

In the rear, its 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash protrudes from the surrounding surface, while two inconspicuous slits towards the bottom edge are merely there for its internal speaker. Prying off the back cover, we’re given access to its 4G LTE SIM card slot, 1,830 mAh battery, and microSD card slot, which is occupied by a 16GB card out of the box.

Display:

Indeed It’s a first for an LG made device for Verizon, but the 4.5” True HD IPS display of the LG Spectrum isn’t new per se, especially when AT&T customers have been treated to it on the Nitro HD for some time now. Nevertheless, it’s one of the most attractive things about the entire handset because its sports a resolution of 720 x 1280, while relying on the more favorable RGB arrangement for superior detail. On top of that, since it’s an IPS panel, its color production is remarkably realistic looking and boasts wide viewing angles to ensure clarity in almost any conditions. Needless to say, we’re humbled by all of it, but it doesn’t get as much notoriety over other things for the simple reason it isn’t particularly new to the game.

Interface:

Expectedly so, the LG Spectrum features the same-old Optimus 2.0 skin that’s been synonymous with LG’s line of smartphones for the last year. Beneath it, however, the handset runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, not ICS. The custom UI adds some LG flavor to the interface graphics, as well as some additional tweaks here and there, and it also comes with a number of new widgets to enhance your homescreen.

While this is all good, it's still a bit underwhelming to see new Android smartphones shipping with Gingerbread, instead of the latest OS version. Currently, an update to Android 4 ICS is expected to arrive sometime in June, according to Verizon.

Functionality:

Another feature that the Optimus UI 2.0 delivers is the implementation of motion gestures. Since the LG Optimus 2X, tapping on the sides of the device can move the cursor when typing or browsing through the image gallery. Moreover, you can use motion gestures to turn off your alarm clock or to mute an incoming call by flipping the phone over. We can argue how useful these motion gestures can be in real life because the idea of physically hitting a pricy device, no matter how lightly you do it, can always cause an accidental drop if you are not being careful enough. Luckily, some or all of the motion gestures can be turned off through the Settings menu.

Thankfully, the combination of having a large display and speedy processor enables us to easily type messages with the handset’s available keyboards with minimal mistakes. Using either the LG or Swype keyboards, their layouts are ample enough to accommodate even the largest of fingers, while the responsiveness they offer enable us to input text at a consistent rate.

Being the Android powered device it is, the LG Spectrum delivers the good old fashion Gmail experience we’re so used to seeing at this point, but equally as usable, the LG Email app is also quite useful on its own. too As for setting up accounts, it’s your typical process of providing an email address and password for automatic set up. However, you might be asked to input additional pieces of information before it’s able to correctly complete.

Processor and Memory:

Of course, this wouldn’t be deemed as a second-generation 4G LTE smartphone if it doesn’t include a dual-core processor of some sort. Specifically, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processorwith 1GB of RAM helps power this beastly phone, which is undoubtedly warranted since it packs a pixel pushing 720p display. Honestly, it gets the job done by executing most basic tasks with minimal effort, though, some levels of choppiness are evident with more processor intensive tasks. Certainly, this isn’t the peppiest thing we’ve seen, especially after checking out the Asus Transformer Prime, but its performance is pretty much indicative of any other dual-core packing smartphone out there.

Preloaded with a 16GB microSD card, it actually supplements the handset’s internal 1.69GB of storage that’s reserved for strictly apps. Then again, if that’s not enough, you can always replace the microSD card with a 32GB one instead.

Internet and Connectivity:

Data speeds are undoubtedly fast with this one, as we’re able to obtain maximum download and upload speeds of 33Mbps and 9Mbps in a relatively good 4G LTE location. As for its actual web browsingperformance, it’s very much tolerable with its accurate rendering and decent response, however, it tends to be on the choppy side with its navigational control. Regardless of that, it’s equipped in dealing with heavy Flash content without many problems – so we’re accepting of its overall prowess.

Much like other 4G LTE smartphones in Big Red’s stable, it’s a CDMA device that will only work domestically on the carrier’s network – so this won’t help you abroad. Nevertheless, it’s a great candidate if you happen to live in a good 4G LTE area, even more when it posts some awesome data speeds in our testing. Obviously, it features all of the usual set of connectivity items you’d expect on a modern smartphone – such as aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.

Camera:

The LG Spectrum’s camera interface is no different from other devices running the LG Optimus 2.0 UI skin, seeing that it’s functional and easy to operate, although the settings menu feels a bit cluttered, due to the sheer number of options available.

At 8-megapixels, it’s abundantly ample for this kind of device, but as we all know, it’s not the size that necessarily counts. Unfortunately, we can’t come to terms with the poor quality of images produced by the LG Spectrum, even more when it doesn’t handle dynamic range that well and fails to deliver accurate colors in nearly all lighting conditions. Actually, it tends to cast a very prominent greenish hue! Besides that, its details indoors under artificial lighting and low lighting conditions are very hazy looking.

Software:

Not shocking in the very bit, especially when it follows like any other Verizon handset before it, but the LG Spectrum is stuffed to the roof with bloatware. Naturally, we find all of the usual Verizon branded apps on board with the handset – such as My Verizon Mobile, V CAST Apps, V CAST Media Manager, V CAST Tones, Verizon Video, and VZ Navigator. Beyond that, the handset is supplemented by other preloaded third party apps like Amazon Kindle, Netflix, Bitbop, Blockbuster, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Let’s Golf 2, NFL Mobile, Rhapsody, TuneWiki, VideoSurf, Smart Movie HD, and ESPN Scorecenter.

Performance:

Calling quality is nearly superb on the LG Spectrum as clear, distinctive, and noise-free voices are heard very audibly on both ends of the line. However, when switching over to using the speakerphone, its volume output is rather weak in tone, while some muffled tones tend to degrade its quality, but despite those qualms, we find it still to be usable for most occasions.

One of the prevalent issues we’ve experiencing with nearly all of Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones is the constant loss of 4G LTE connection. Well, we’re happy to report that it isn’t much of an issue with this one – still, we do experience some drops in connection, but it’s not as constant as other devices. During our time testing the handset, it maintains a solid connection to the network – with no evidence of fluctuation.

By now, we’ve grown accustomed to the notion of poor battery life with devices connected to Verizon’s 4G LTE network, and right on cue, we can say the same thing with this one. After charging its 1,830 mAh battery, we’re only presented with approximately 10 hours of juice with our normal usage – consisting of web browsing, email, texting, and the occasional phone call. Simply, it’s nothing new and basically establishes the marks we’ve found on other high-end 4G LTE devices. All in all, you’ll probably want to charge this whenever the opportunity arises.

Conclusion:

Rather than setting this at the usual price point of $299.99 that we’ve grown to see with Verizon’s top-shelf Android smartphones, it’s blessed with an even better $199.99 on-contract pricing, which is perhaps one of its most appreciated offerings. Even though LG has made some great strides on the Spectrum over its previous work with the Revolution, it simply pales in comparison to some of the other devices it’s competing against. Yeah, we adore the 4.5” True HD IPS display it’s packing along, but there’s simply nothing new or unique that the LG Spectrum can call its own. And now that the Galaxy Nexus is out and available packing the latest Android experience, it’s rather revolting to see this one launching with Gingerbread. Honestly, you’re better off spending another $100 on benchmarking devices like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX.

Rio Tablet : Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:43:00 +0530

Price 11,990/-

A Bangalore based company has launched a new tablet, named Tabplus Rio, at Rupees 11,990. Launched by Digital Waves, theAndroid 2.3 tablet comes with a 1 GHz Cortex A9 processor, 7 inch screen with storage up to 32GB via Micro SD.

In the recent years, India's tablet market has witnessed increasing competition, with several local manufacturers rolling out devices at affordable rates. According to the Manufacturer's Association of IT Industry, the industry expects to sell around 3 lakh tablets in the current financial year.

"While laptop category will witness around 15% growth, tablets will grow at 100% being a new category," MAIT said in a statement.

Tabplus Rio comes with 1 year warranty and will be shipped free of cost across India.

Technology vs. Terrorism : Mumbai Blasts

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:40:00 +0530

Technology has played a major role in the probe into the 13/7 blasts. Four cop teams went through images from 187 CCTV cameras for 29 days before they zeroed in on the planters.

"Our staff worked for 696 hours on 187 cameras' images that we obtained from various locations. Some images were highly damaged, while some had a lot of smoke, making it difficult to get leads. Our staff did not give up and worked hard," said Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Rakesh Maria. At one point, the ATS almost lost hope. "Soon we got advanced software from a European company that helped forensic experts make the blurred images clearer," he added.

Face-recognition experts were used and cell phone tracking and other technologies were also employed.

According to Maria more than 150 officers from the Mumbai police, besides those from Delhi, Kolkata and Bihar, did investigations. Investigators interrogated 12,373 people and recorded their statements. "Our investigation was spread across 18 states.... Importance was given to tracing the financial trail, like who sent the Rs 10 lakh to execute the blasts, who received the money and how many people were taken into confidence to distribute the money," said an ATS officer.

"We have obtained DNA from the room they stayed in. The police found that Naqi Ahmed and Nadeem Akhtar also visited the rented room in Byculla where the planters stayed," said a source. The computer seized from the rented room contains incriminating files and information, according to police. A copy of the hard disk is being studied and the forensic laboratory will submit a final report in the next week, said the source. The ATS team included deputy commissioner of police Pradeep Sawant, assistant commissioners Ashok Kamat and Samad Shaikh, and inspectors Dinesh Kadam, Sukhlal Varpe and S Pawar.

CyanogenMod app store in the works, to accommodate banned Android apps

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0530

To launch an app store dedicated to banned Android applications – that was the idea that Koushik Dutta, a CyanogenMod contributor, threw on the table a couple of weeks ago. And did the crowd love it? You bet! The proposition has accumulated pages of positive feedback on Koush's G+ page, which is why team CyanogenMod has already rolled up its sleeves and started working on bringing the idea to life.

The CyanogenMod App Store, or whatever its final name is going to be, will be a place where emulators, visual voicemail apps, tethering software, root tools, and the likes will be available despite being thrown out of the Android Market for one reason or another. It will also have a selection of app that are tailored for use on rooted devices. And in case you are wondering, no, running CyanogenMod on your smartphone or tablet will not be a requirement for having access to the said app store. However, it will most likely come bundled along with the custom ROM.

Of course, not all of the software available in the CyanogenMod app store will be free of charge. But then again, CyanogenMod is a project with over a million followers, and none of them is required to pay anything to use the popular aftermarket ROM. At the same time, supporting it is getting tougher due to the increased server requirements, among other reasons. That is why a portion of the profit made from the aforementioned app store will go towards funding CyanogenMod.

At this time, we don't really know when the CyanogenMod app store is expected to launch, but we will definitely be keeping an eye on the project.

Apple ipad 3 in March

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:09:00 +0530

Apple Inc's next iPad, expected to go on sale in March, will sport a high-definition screen, run a faster processor and work with next-generation wireless networks, according to three people familiar with the product.

The company's manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren't public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is counting on the new model to ward off mounting competition in a market that Apple pioneered two years ago. After its debut in 2010, the iPad emerged as the company's second-biggest source of revenue -- after the iPhone -- and inspired rival products from Amazon.com Inc and Samsung Electronics Co. Apple has sold more than 40 million iPads, generating at least $25.3 billion in sales.

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Apple, said the company doesn't comment on rumor and speculation.

The Cupertino, California-based company has been working on making the iPad compatible with a wireless standard called long- term evolution, or LTE, said one of the people. Carriers such as Verizon Wireless and ATT Inc are rolling out LTE networks to give users faster access to data.

LTE networks
Smartphone makers, including Samsung, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc and Nokia Oyj, have already introduced smartphones that work on the faster networks. Apple is bringing LTE to the iPad before the iPhone because the tablet has a bigger battery and can better support the power requirements of the newer technology, said one of the people.

The new display is capable of greater resolution than the current iPad, with more pixels on its screen than some high- definition televisions, the person said. The pixels are small enough to make the images look like printed material, according to the person. Videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing, the person said.

The new iPad is being assembled by Apple's main manufacturing partner, Foxconn Technology Group. Like most technology companies, Apple contracts with companies in Asia for labor to assemble its devices. Foxconn, which also builds the iPhone and other Apple products, gets about 22 per cent of its sales from Apple, according to supply-chain data compiled by Bloomberg.

Boosting production
Mass production began at the start of this month, with factories running 24 hours a day in China, one of the people said. Manufacturing will halt over China's Lunar New Year holiday this month and then ramp back up to a peak in February, the person said.

The introduction of the new iPad will be Apple's first major hardware release since the death of company co-founder Steve Jobs in October. The company is hosting an education event focused on electronic textbooks next week that won't include any hardware introductions, said a person familiar with the matter.

Apple, the world's largest technology company by market value, was little changed yesterday in US trading at $419.81. The stock rose 26 percent in 2011, marking its third straight year of gains.

LG Prada 3.0 : Review

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0530

Introduction:

The year is 1913. Italian enterprenours Mario and Martino Prada start a new leathergoods shop, called Fratelli Prada (meaning Prada Brothers), in Milan. Initially, their operations centered around selling of various leather goods, as well as imported English steamer trunks and handbags. Little did the Prada brothers know that their undertaking was going to become what's one of the leading fashion houses of today, with a total revenue of €2.15 billion for 2010, and 2,841 employees around the world as of 2011. Today, Prada's business model focuses on selling luxury goods, such as various leather accessories, shues, hats and luggage.

Being the adventurous type, Prada would sometimes venture out of its traditional fields to deliver something fresh and different to its loyal customers. 2007 was the perfect time for a foray in the booming cell phone market. However, since the company could't tell a transistor from a chip, it needed to partner with a veteran phone maker, in order to produce its new offering – the Prada phone. Eventually, it would end up having LG on board for the project. In early 2007, the duo unveiled the original LG Prada phone, which quickly gained popularity, due to it being one of the very first handsets equipped with a capacitive touchscreen. For its time, the handsed was very cool, so we rated it a well-deserved 9! Its sequel came in late 2008, and sadly, even though it appeared almost two years later, the Prada II brought very few new features, most notably – a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard. Being spoiled by the iPhone and many other touch devices that were beginning to flood the market, we found the Prada II to be somewhat lacking in comparison to the competition, eventually giving it a modest 6.

It is now 99 years after Mario Prada flipped the door sign of his new store to "Open for business", went back to his counter and sat down, impatiently waiting for the first clients to come in. The year is 2012, and these are times of great economic stagnation and hardship. With everyone constantly tightening up their belts, one would wonder if there's still place on Earth, where the words "luxury goods" would be welcomed with a smile on the face and a wallet that's eager to be opened. Luckily, the latest product coming from the collaboration between LG and Prada, the LG Prada 3.0 phone, doesn't fall into that specific category of overpriced products, but is rather keeping things simple and accessible for all of us.

Having almost nothing in common with its predecessors, and tailored to the needs of contemporary smartphone users, we're taking our chance to see if the new LG Prada 3.0 sports that characteristic Prada style that will have the numerous fans of the brand flock to it hastily!

Design:

Actually, the LG Prada 3.0 isn't much of a luxury device. It is a high-end Android smartphone any way you look at it, but it doesn't feature any fancy materials to make it feel classy. As a whole, the Prada 3.0 is one very Galaxy S II-esque phone in terms of design, being very slim and having a cheapo plastic casing. If you read the official press-release, you'd be left with the impression that the Prada 3.0 is going to sport a Saffiano leather material (that's the characteristic leather texture used by Prada), but in reality, it's just plastic with the said Saffiano pattern. The result, in terms of appearance and feel is so-so, but make no mistake, it's much closer to being cheap, than classy. To tell you the truth, we're a bit frustrated to find such kind of approach in a product which has the branding of a major fashion label all over it. Speaking of brandings, it's worth mentioning that the only easily visible logo on the body of the device is that of Prada. There's an LG logo on the back, but you'll have to look closely in order to see it.

In terms of looks, the Prada 3.0 does qualify in the category of the better-looking Android handsets. It comes with a visually-pleasing perfectly rectangular shape, which we do appreciate. The rectangular shape does create the impression of a very large phone, but it's actually possible to operate it with one hand only. Judging by its minimalist, predominantly black and white looks, the Prada 3.0 seems like a solid candidate to join the company's product line for businesspersons.

The top side of the handset is where you'll find the 3.5mm jack, microUSB port, hidden under a very well-made sliding cover, as well as the power/lock key, which isn't situated in a way that would make it comfortable to press when working with one hand only. There's another button on the top, sitting right above the front facing cam. What it does is to launch the camera app, with the front-facing cam active. Press it again and it takes a picture of... you, most likely. It kind of makes us wonder if this phone is targeted to serious businesspersons, or rather – teens.

LG and Prada have decided to stick with touch-sensitive navigation keys below the screen, which we're fine with. We actually didn't happen to press any of them by accident, however, the bad thing is those keys turn completely invisible when used under bright sunlight, which makes them hard to use.

All in all, if we overlook the cheap plastic on the back (and we won't), the design of the LG Prada 3.0 pretty nice, though it could have been better. Anyways, it's still one of the better-looking Android phones, so we hope to see more steps being taken in this direction by manufacturers working with the OS. Style is the name of the game for the Prada 3.0, and style it delivers, be it a somewhat unpolished one.

Display:

Even though specs aren't the main focus of the LG Prada 3.0, it is one very well-equipped phone. Not lacking compared to the competition in the form of other premium Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola DROID RAZR and Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S, the Prada 3.0 comes with a large 4.3" screen, which, unfortunately, is of the old-school TFT type, and this is visible, as we observe lower contrast compared to AMOLED or IPS-LCD screens. Other than that, colors are on the natural side, while viewing angles are pretty tolerable. The Prada 3.0 doesn't make a statement with its WVGA (480x800) resolution, especially in the HD age we're living in. Its pixel density of ~217 ppi is still adequate though, so you won't have trouble reading the display on most occasions. Plus this takes some load off the processor, resulting in some buttery smooth movements, so there's a bright side to it after all. Speaking of bright sides, LG has used the so-called NOVA PLUS screen tech, delivering the impressive 830 nits of luminance. Indeed, the handset's display is very visible when looked under bright sunlight. We'd say that it's about equal to an iPhone 4S.

We would have preferred it much more if the LG Prada 3.0 had an AMOLED display. This way, its entire front would have been completely black, making for an even more stylish and simpler appearance. Who knows, maybe we'll see that in Prada 4.0.

Interface:

In contrast to previous Prada handsets, this time the manufacturer has crafted a smartphone, using the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. However, just like with the previous Prada phones, LG has made sure to tweak the interface so that it fits the minimalist design of the exterior. The default theme features very simple white icons, which stand particularly well when placed on top of a dark background. Many of the widgets in use by the LG Prada 3.0 are also drawn in that same style. This overly-simplistic appearance comes to deliver a characteristic Prada look, that will supposedly appeal to the fans of the brand. In addition, there are a few "Scenes" that the user can chose from, which are basically different homescreen setups, designed to suit different activities better like "Travel", "Play" and "Work".

LG has customized the icons of all Android applications, except for those of Google's services, which are the original ones. It's a nice touch that in the main menu, all the Google services are placed in a separate section, which makes the menu appear uniform in its various parts, as well as well-organized. That's very important for a style-conscious device.

Overall, most elements of the UI have been enhanced in order to achieve that specific look and personality of the phone. The font, wallpapers, apps – all of those have been customized in order to utilize that black/grey/white theme.

As we said, almost all the apps have been customized, and that includes the core ones such as the phonebook, calendar and messaging. However, their functionality has not been altered one bit from the typical Android experience that you’ll find on any phone with the OS.

Well, the LG Prada 3.0 might be a fashionable phone, but this doesn't mean that it skimps on hardware. The processor inside the LG Prada 3.0 is the dual-core TI OMAP 4430, clocked at 1GHz, and complemented by a gig of RAM. We're delighted to find that the interface moves very fluidly, with almost no stuttering at all.

Internet and Connectivity:

LG's UI customizations often extend to the Android browser, and the one in the Prada 3.0 isn't an exception. Thanks to the strong specs sheet, the browser delivers a very good experience, though it isn't as smooth as what you'll find in iPhone's Safari, or Galaxy Nexus's ICS browser. Of course, Flash Player is supported. Still, if you'd really like to increase that FPS count within the browser, we'd recommend that you install Opera Mobile (free on Android Market), as it manages to deliver a superior browsing performance and a more convenient implementation of tabs.
Since the LG Prada 3.0 is unlikely to end up offered by a U.S. carrier, here's the frequency breakdown. The phone supports the 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz bands for 2G, and 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz for 3G. This means that you should be able to use it on AT&T's HSPA+ network, but 4G and 3G will be out of your reach with T-Mobile. And the handset does support HSPA+ speeds, seeing that its radio can go up to 21.1 Mbit/s on the downlink and 14.4 Mbit/s on the uplink.

The built-in GPS of the LG Prada 3.0 works as advertised – our location was pinpoined in about 3 minutes on a clear day when not using the assistance of Wi-Fi networks.

Camera:

There's an 8MP camera coming with the Prada 3.0, and you're probably dying to know how it fares? Hold on, we're almost there. First of all, the camera interface is very intuitive and easy to work with. We're a bit hesitant about the animated transition that's displayed before the Flash settings show up, but overall, we didn't run into any troubles while working with the layout that LG has come up with. In terms of speed, it takes a couple of seconds for the cam to focus, so it's neither the fastest one out there, nor is it the slowest.

Performance:

The Prada 3.0 is fine as a phone, incoming voicesare loud and clear, and you can even tell who's calling with ease. The handset is equipped with a noise-cancellation microphone, so if you happen to be in a busy place with lots of ambient sounds, your callers will be able to clearly hear your voice, with decent loudness, although a bit on the unnatural side.

The 1540mAh battery is said to deliver the modest 5 hours of talk-time and 13.8 days of stand-by on 3G. In our usage we didn't experience inferior battery life compared to most of the Android competition.

Conclusion:

It's a good thing that LG has relied on Android for the third Prada phone. This way, the collaboration has yielded a phone which is both stylish and functional. Although a bit bigger than normal, the LG Prada 3.0 looks cool and manages to stand out from the Android pack.

However, this doesn't mean that it's the finest design of the year. Although it scores well in the appearance department, we can't go over the fact that it's made of such low-quality materials, such as the cheap-feeling plastic on the back, which is absolutely inappropriate for such a fashion-centric handset.

As a smartphone, the Prada 3.0 is on par with most of the other high-end Androids out there, so it's more than just an expensive phone. Actually, when it comes to price, you shouldn't be afraid of the LG Prada 3.0, as it costs just as much as any other high-end Android. Still, its specific looks and overly-simplistic interface won't be for anyone.

For us, "normal" users, suitable alternatives to the Prada 3.0 can be many other premium Android phones, like the Galaxy S II, Sensation XE, Xperia arc S or the DROID RAZR. But of course, these alternatives are suitable for only one part of the audience. For the other part, there's only one Prada.

Apple vs Samsung : Slide To unlock

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0530

Earlier today, we told you how Apple was absolved by the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany, on one of seven patent infringement claims made by Samsung against the company. Ironically, in the same court, Apple is alleging that theSamsung GALAXY Nexus copies the "slide-to-unlock" motion used on iOS. The Cupertino based firm says that this motion was given utility model status in Germany back in 2006.

Samsung is expected to use the "prior art" defense, claiming that Neonode used the same sliding motion when that company took a look at producing phones some years ago. The Korean based manufacturersuccessfully used the exact same defense against Apple's patent infringement claims against it in the Netherlands last year. That case dealt with "methods of scrolling". March 15th will be the date of a hearing to determine if the utility model status is still valid or whether or not the court needs to reexamine the ruling. The case against Samsung should be interesting since Google had apparently gone out of its way to make sure that Android 4.0 would be "Apple proof". Google changed features like navigation on the touchscreen, the new unlock method, and other applications.

Apple's case against Samsung has some very interesting sidebars to it. While other claims against Android models were for features and functions that were clearly borrowed from Apple, the Samsung GALAXY Nexus does not have a particular path that a finger has to travel along to unlock the phone. Furthermore, since the GALAXY Nexus is a stock Android model, by specifically mentioning it in the complaint, it reveals that Apple's true beef is with Google, not Samsung.

New Designs will Succeed Nokia Lumia 900

noreply@blogger.com (Parth) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:46:00 +0530

Speaking at an interview, Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop had some interesting tidbits to disclose about Nokia going forward with Windows Phone this year. He said that owners of the Nokia Lumia 800 shouldn't feel sketchy about the LTE-enabled 4.3" Lumia 900 that is about to appear as an AT&T exclusive handset.

The Finnish giant's strategy with WP devices is to target different markets with different tailored propositions, depending on what it deems necessary for that market. In Europe, he said, LTE will play increasingly important role, but hasn't started to catch up yet the way it has in the US, so the Lumia 900 with LTE was first released for AT&T.

He mentioned, however, that Nokia has a deep bench for 2012, working on "successor devices" after the Lumia 900, phones with "different shapes, sizes, [and] different configurations, of course.... There is a lot more to watch.”

Apparently the strategy is to keep the excitement going, announcing devices at short and steady intervals, until a whole portfolio range of Nokia Windows Phones is released by year-end. On popularizing the platform he says:

Our primary challenge is to make sure that a consumer is aware of the products, understands how the user experience with the Live Tiles works and everything that makes Windows Phone what it is. We have to help them understand that and we have to get the devices in their hands. Everything we are doing is focused on reducing the friction in that process.

"The point is, we are educating consumers about the tiles, about that experience, because what is out there in the industry today, people are most familiar with, is a grid of applications and icons that don't do anything. They aren't used to things that are scrolling, that are alive, that are presenting information. So as we introduce them to that, we are confident then that we will see some good momentum. But it is still very early days...

Our first priority, always, always, is to differentiate our experience from Android and iPhone. That is job one, two and three quite frankly.

We also learn a new thing about Nokia's Stephen Elop - turns out he is a pilot, and would like to see more airplane-related aps in the Marketplace, although well aware that not everybody shares this passion, and there are more pressing apps to populate the Marketplace with at the moment.

Also See:

Nokia Lumia 710
Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 900