The World is Mine

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 Tablet Benchmarked

2013-05-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Despite Samsung not having said anything about it, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet is very well known already, at least in certain circles.

That is because of leaks, like the ones perpetrated by GLBenchmark (1), (2). GLBenchmark has posted the slate on its servers. Or should I say slates. There are two after all, Wi-Fi-only (GT-P5200) and 3G (GT-P5210). According to the leak, the tablet is powered by the Atom Z2560 CPU (dual-core at 1.6 GHz, Hyper-Threading supported) and boasts the PowerVR SGX 544 MP2 graphics processor too (400 MHz).

The 10.1-inch screen has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Needless to say, Google's Android operating system is installed on the device (Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean). All in all, it's not bad for a tablet, provided the price turns out to be reasonable.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 benchmarked
Image credits to GLBenchmark

XOLO X910 with Intel Medfield CPU Goes on Sale in India

2013-05-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

The X910 is the fourth XOLO smartphone powered by an Intel processor to go on sale in India. Android enthusiasts and fans of the XOLO brand will now be able to purchase the X910 via authorized third-party sellers.

For the time being, Snapdeal is one of the few Indian retailers that offer the XOLO X910, but other retailers may start selling the smartphone in the coming weeks. Currently, XOLO X910 is available for purchase for only Rs 9,999 outright, which is about $180 or €140. Check it out here. As Snapdeal points out, the smartphone is offered with 1-year warranty, but it might not be available in all parts of India. The good news is XOLO X910 comes with dual-SIM capability, which is one of the most requested features by Indian customers. Unfortunately, the fact that the device ships with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system out of the box might not appeal too many customers. There are lots of smartphones selling in India for under $200/€155, which come packed with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform onboard.

However, those who prefer Intel processors to older software will probably find the XOLO X910 well worth its price. The smartphone is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor, which is complemented by a 400 MHz PowerVR SGX 540 graphics processing unit and 1GB of RAM. On the inside, the X910 packs 4GB of storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card. There's also a 5-megapixel main camera on the back, which features LED flash, autofocus, and video recording, as well as a VGA front-facing camera for video calls.

Last but not least, XOLO X910 sports a decent 4.3-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen display that supports a 540 x 960 pixels resolution and 256 ppi pixel density.

XOLO X910
Image credits to Snapdeal

Lenovo K900 Arrives in China, International Version This Summer

2013-05-18T19:50:00.002-07:00

Lenovo has finally launched its flagship Android smartphone, the K900, in China. The device was officially introduced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 and was slated for a Q2 release in China.

According to the Chinese handset maker, the K900 is available for purchase in the Mainland for 3,300 yuan outright, which is about $535 or €415. The good news is Lenovo also confirmed the K900 will hit additional international markets throughout the summer, so Android enthusiasts should stay tuned for more updates on this one. “Smartphones are a critical component of Lenovo's PC+ strategy and the Lenovo K900 is an example of this strategy in action. With its cutting-edge design and intuitive, optimized user experience, K900 offers China's smartphone users a fresh, new option,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, and president of the Lenovo Business Group. One of the slimmest smartphones available on the market, Lenovo K900 is only 6.9mm thick and features a unibody chassis with a stainless steel frame. Lenovo K900 is the world's first smartphone to come equipped with an Intel Atom Z2580 processor. It also sports a dual-core chip, which runs up to 2.0 GHz and utilizes Intel Hyper-Threading technology in order to boost performance efficiency.

Intel's chipset also accommodates an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator engine running a PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU, which is said to triple graphics performance over the previous generation, and 2GB of RAM. The smartphone boasts a stunning 5.5-inch full HD (1080p) capacitive touchscreen display, as well an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with Sony Exmor BSI. “Intel and Lenovo have raised the bar for smartphones with the K900. Our teams got together and worked closely to innovate around a number of important features and capabilities that our customers care most about such as power consumption, application switching and camera functionality. We are proud to be teaming with Lenovo to bring these innovations to market,” said Ian Yang, president, Intel China.

Lenovo K900
Image credits to Lenovo China

Waterproof LG Optimus GJ Arriving in Taiwan on May 22

2013-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Following Samsung’s business model, LG plans to launch a rugged version of its flagship smartphone. It appears that LG Optimus G will soon have a twin brother that won’t have any troubles functioning under water.

UnwiredView reports that a certain LG Optimus GJ will be introduced in Taiwan next week. Local media has already received invitations for a launch event, which is set for May 22. LG Optimus GJ is the rugged version of Optimus G and it’s said to be waterproof (IPX7 certified). The rest of the phone’s specs will be similar to the standard model, though we will know for certain when the device goes official.

For the time being, there’s no telling whether or not LG plans to introduce the Optimus GJ in other countries as well, but stay tuned for more info on this one.

LG Optimus G
Image credits to UnwiredView

Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro Goes on Sale in India for $310/€240

2013-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Android enthusiasts in India rejoice, as Samsung has just introduced the Galaxy Win in the country, but this one comes with dual-SIM capability.

Samsung Galaxy Win has been recently launched in Europe, but it does not feature dual-SIM. However, Indian customers have been offered the opportunity to grab this smartphone for not so high a price. According to fonearena, the Galaxy Win is now available for purchase in Black Mist and Frost White for only Rs 16,900 outright, which is about $310 or €240. Check it out here. Keep in mind though that the dual-SIM version of Galaxy Win has been renamed for marketing purposes and is selling in India as Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro. As the name suggests, the smartphone comes equipped with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, which is complemented by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. Users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card. Another selling point of the phone is the large 4.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Grand Quattro ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, but it won’t come as a surprise if the company offers an Android 4.2 upgrade in the not so distant future. On the back, the smartphone packs a 5-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, autofocus and HD (720p) video recording. There’s also a secondary VGA front-facing camera for video calls. Other highlights of the Galaxy Grand Quattro include: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76Mbps) support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, as well as GPS with A-GPS support and 2000 mAh battery that has yet to be rated by the manufacturer. For the time being, the device is only available for purchase via Samsung India online store, but we suspect that other major retailers across the country will offer the Galaxy Grand Quattro soon.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro
Image credits to Samsung India

ZTE Grand X2 In (Intel-Based) Official with Jelly Bean and 4.5-Inch Display

2013-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Chinese handset maker ZTE has just announced the upcoming availability of the Intel-powered Grand X2 In Android smartphone.

According to ZTE, the recently introduced device will be available for purchase in Europe beginning Q3 2013. No word on pricing options yet, but stay tuned for more info on this one. “We are proud to announce the ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone pursuing our multi-year strategic collaboration with Intel. The ZTE Grand X2 In is set to build on the success of the ZTE Grand X In, our first flagship smartphone in Europe to feature Intel Inside, and further increase ZTE’s growth in the high-performance smartphone market segment,” said William Chhao, terminal director at ZTE France. ZTE Grand X2 In features an Intel Atom Z2580 chipset that accommodates a 2GHz single-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The smartphone also packs 8GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.

Even though ZTE has confirmed that the Grand X2 In will ship with Jelly Bean operating system onboard, it has yet to state what version it will run out of the box. It is also worth mentioning that ZTE’s mid-range Android smartphone boasts an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, autofocus and video recording. A secondary 1-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls will be available as well. The Grand X2 In sports a large 4.5 inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display optimized by ZTE’s My-Pop function for easy-to-use one-handed operation and IPS technology that prevents screen picture distortion. “We are excited to extend our collaboration with ZTE on their latest innovative platform, the new Grand X2 In. Our teams have worked together to harness the power of the Intel Atom processor Z2580 to create a high performance smartphone with market-leading features and long battery life,” said Helmut Vogler, vice president and general manager of mobile and wireless sales at Intel.

ZTE Grand X2 In
Image credits to ZTE

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Result is 20% Better than GTX 680

2013-05-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is yet another instance of the newest high-end NVIDIA graphics card making the news. Not that I can blame it after this.

And by “this” I don't mean the teaser trailer for EVGA's custom-made GeForce GTX 700 series cooler, though that one was a nice find too. After all, it means that the GTX 780 will be the first GK110-based card that NVIDIA's partners will be allowed to customize from the get-go. Instead, I am talking about the first benchmarks published of the GeForce GTX 780 video adapter. They were posted on the Chiphell forums and clearly show the GeForce GTX 780 overpowering the GeForce GTX 680 by 20%.

For those who want a short lowdown of the specs, the GeForce GTX 780 has a GK110-300-A2 GPU with 2,304 CUDA cores and 320/384-bit memory interface. 3 GB of GDDR5 back it up. The GPU clock is of 837 / 876 MHz, while the VRAm works at 6 GHz. Sales will start on May 23 for $500 / €500.

NVIDIA GTX 780 performance
Image credits to ChipHell

Sprint ZTE Quantum Coming with 1.5 GHz Dual-Core CPU and 5-Inch HD Display

2013-05-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

It appears that Sprint and ZTE have teamed up once again to offer Android fans another high-end smartphone, the Quantum.

According to AndroidPolice, Sprint is currently testing the ZTE Quantum and is expected to announce the smartphone in the coming weeks. ZTE Quantum is a mid- to high-end smartphone powered by Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The device is said to come equipped with a dual-core Qualcomm MSM896 Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz. Other hardware specs leaked online suggest that ZTE Quantum packs 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card. On the back, the smartphone sports an impressive 13-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, autofocus and full HD (1080p) video recording. There’s also a secondary 1-megapixel camera in the front for video calls. Aside from the dual-core processor that is complemented by an Adreno 225 graphics processing unit, ZTE Quantum is also said to boast a large 5-inch HD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 720 x 1280 pixels resolution.

When it comes to connectivity, ZTE Quantum is an all-rounder. The smartphone is fully compatible with Sprint’s 4G LTE network and offers NFC (Near Field Communication) and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but ZTE Quantum could be a global phone. It is common knowledge that Sprint usually releases LTE handsets with embedded SIMs, but this one has its own SIM slot. ZTE Quantum has leaked recently as N8910, but no additional details on its availability were known until today. The N8910 has received its Wi-Fi and DLNA certifications recently, so there’s no doubt the device is real.

Unfortunately, there is no info on when exactly the smartphone will arrive at Sprint or for what price it will go on sale. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

ZTE Quantum for Sprint
Image credits to AndroidPolice

Eurocom Panther Now Use AMD Radeon HD 8970M

2013-05-17T20:14:00.001-07:00

Eurocom's Panther notebook has such powerful hardware that the company went as far as to say that it was the most powerful laptop in the world.

I'll leave it to it and its various challengers to decide if that's really true, through whatever means they choose. Provided they bother staging a competition. Right now, it's more important to note the new upgrade that Eurocom made to the laptop: the discrete graphics card has been switched for the new AMD Radeon HD 8970M, the GPU that was unleashed just days ago. It's not all that clear how much more expensive the Panther will be getting after this.

Then again, when the starting price is of $3,120 / €2,692, buyers aren't likely to flinch at some extra cost anyway. “The EUROCOM Panther was already the most powerful laptop in the world and is now even more powerful with the introduction of dual AMD Radeon HD 8970M graphics processors to accompany the Intel Core i7-3970X processor, 32 GB of available memory and up to 4 storage drives,” said Mark Bialic, Eurocom president.

Eurocom Panther 4.0
Image credits to Eurocom

Oppo Find 5 Gets Enhancements in New Software Update

2013-05-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Owners of an Oppo Find 5 smartphone will be happy to learn that a nice range of enhancements is currently headed their way through a software update, one that arrives as version X909EN_13_130514.

The firmware refresh is being delivered to users both over the air and on the web, so that they could update their devices in the manner they consider best fitted for them. In fact, Oppo has already published specific info on the update and on the manner in which users can install it on their devices, all available on this page on its support website. Following the installation of this software, users will be able to take advantage of 1080p icons for common third-party apps, while also enjoying display optimizations on their devices, it seems. According to the available release notes, the display has been optimized in the Storage Download information section, and there are also a series of improvements related to the Weather Screen Locker.

Additionally, the update brings along a variety of fixes for various issues that were found to affect users’ experience with the smartphone, and which were included in the release based on feedback received from those who already purchased the device. As fonearena notes, some of the fixes available for Oppo Find 5 include:

Fixed an issue where Gmail and some other apps didn’t sync when screen was off.
Fixed an issue that caused the incorrect carrier name to be displayed.
Fixed an issue that changed the default APN settings.
Fixed an issue that caused the screen to automatically turn off when using Weather Screen Locker.
Fixed an issue where the weather application wouldn’t update when refreshing manually.
Fixed a rare issue where apps in folders would be unreachable.
Fixed a time zone issue for Coeur D’Alene, Idaho in the Clock app.
Fixed an issue where Calendar widget would indicate “upcoming events” for past dates.
Fixed an issue that caused the SMS app to sometimes show random numbers instead of the contact names.

Other such enhancements were included in the new software as well, all of them detailed in the aforementioned post on the company's support website.

Oppo releases software update for Find 5
Image credits to FoneArena

Samsung Galaxy Note III to Have Plastic Body and No Flexible Display

2013-05-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung is expected to stick to a plastic case for its upcoming Galaxy Note III smartphone, the same as it did with the Galaxy S4, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

Previously, the smartphone was rumored to arrive on shelves with a metallic body, but it seems that this won’t happen, a recent article on SamMobile claims. Furthermore, the news site claims that there will be no flexible display present on the device, although some of the previous rumors suggested that Samsung might pack such a panel on the upcoming smartphone.

Galaxy Note III hasn’t been officially confirmed as of now, but Samsung is expected to announce it in fall this year with an eight-core processor, 5.99” Full HD AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera on the back, 2MP front camera, and the latest Android flavor on top.

Samsung logo
Image credits to Samsung

Windows Phone Now Third Mobile OS, BlackBerry Fourth

2013-05-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system has managed to climb to the third position in the smartphone operating systems segment, a recent report from IDC shows.

According to data coming from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the platform registered the largest year-over-year increase when compared to rival platforms, and managed to leave BlackBerry behind. Furthermore, said report unveils that Nokia’s Lumia smartphones were the main growth driver for Microsoft’s OS, accounting for over 79 percent of all Windows Phone shipments in the timeframe. “Since Nokia began shipping Windows Phone devices, the company has shipped a total of 20.3 million units and grown the footprint worldwide to include address multiple market segments,” IDC notes. “Meanwhile, other vendors continue to offer Windows Phone devices, but mainly as an alternative to their signature Android devices. Still, the gains made by Windows Phone demonstrate both end-user demand and OEM support.”

However, Google’s Android operating system is still leading the smartphone OS market, with a 75 percent market share. Samsung accounted for 41.1 percent of Android shipments in Q1, IDC reports. Apple’s iOS platform ended the first quarter of the year on the second position with 17.3 percent share and with 37.4 million devices sold, the research firm unveiled. Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry saw its market share shrink to only 2.9 percent in the aforementioned timeframe, with only 6.3 million devices shipped. Interestingly enough, shipments of Symbian devices are expected to continue not only this year but also in the next, although the platform has seen a drastic drop in market share when compared to the first quarter of the last year, IDC reports.

“Windows Phone claiming the third spot is a first and helps validate the direction taken by Microsoft and key partner Nokia,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Given the relatively low volume generated, the Windows Phone camp will need to show further gains to solidify its status as an alternative to Android or iOS.”

Lumia 925, the latest Windows Phone 8 device from Nokia
Image credits to Nokia

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Picture Surfaces

2013-05-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

The GeForce GTX 780 has been more or less fully detailed at this point, even though official information continues to be held back on.

There were a few photos too, but none that NVIDIA made itself. Now we can finally check out one such photo, thanks to the folks at VideoCardz that nabbed it, somehow. It shows it from the side, and highlights the two-power connectors in particular. One of them is of 8 pins and one is a 6-pin input.

We've detailed the GeForce GTX 780 before, so we won't do it again. Go here to read the specifications and see a box photo, albeit not of the reference adapter. As before, all signs point towards a price of €500 / $500. It makes one wonder how many will buy it when the GTX 770 is also coming.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780
Image credits to VideoCardz

ASUS Z87 ROG Motherboard Lineup

2013-05-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

Having already become acquainted with the “Classic” series of Z87 chipset-based motherboards from ASUS, some might be tempted to think the company only has those five to promote, but that would be false.

As it turns out, those are definitely not the only motherboards, and not even the strongest, something that some may have surmised from the lack of ROG in the names. Republic of Gamers continues to be the brand that ASUS uses for its best pieces of hardware, be they mainboards, graphics cards or whatever else. The new Z87 models are called ROG Maximus VI Extreme, Maximus VI Hero, and Maximus VI GeneZ. All of them are bundled with the OC Panel (directly shows readings on the on-board display, also allows for hotwiring VGA, VGA SMB, 4 x 4 pins, etc.) and OC Hot Key. Maximus VI GeneZ is the small one in the group, with a micro-ATX form factor, a pair of PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, eight SATA 3 ports, a bunch of I/O options, THX audio, and an mPCIe Combo III slot near the I/O panel (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module ship with the board).

It is a full-ATX motherboard with three PCI Express x16 slots, just as many x1 slots, 8 SATA III ports, and a single 8-pin CPU power plug. ASUS also tossed in some overclocking assets like Voltage measurement points and On/Off and Clear CMOS switches. Finally, the ASUS Maximus VI Extreme uses an 8+4 pin CPU connector, an extra 6-pin plug for PCI Express GPUs, five PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot, the mini PCI Express combo slot specified before, and 10 SATA III ports for storage. A large heatsink covers the Lynx Point PCH. Buyers will have to decide themselves which LGA 1150 Haswell CPU they want to pair with either of these potential purchases (prices unknown for now).

ASUS Z87 Maximus motherboards
Image credits to VR-Zone

Report: Windows 8.1 Stable to Be Launched in October

2013-05-16T18:36:00.002-07:00

Even though it was initially believed that Windows 8.1 would be released sometime this summer, it appears that Microsoft has picked a different launch date.

A report by Digitimes claims that Windows 8.1 is very likely to see daylight in October. Citing unnamed “sources from related ODMs,” PC manufacturers will start the production of Windows 8.1 notebooks in mid-September, just to make sure their devices are ready when the new OS goes live the next month. Previous speculation pointed to an August or September launch event, at approximately two months after the public beta is unveiled at the BUILD developer conference.

Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows 8 users would be provided with a preview version of the OS on June 26, with the public unveiling to take place at the BUILD developer conference. Windows 8.1 will be available via the Windows Store and will be offered with a freeware license.

Windows 8.1 will be free of charge for all Windows 8 users
Image credits to Microsoft

Windows 8.1 Stable to Be Launched in Time for Holidays

2013-05-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Even though it was initially believed that Microsoft would launch Windows 8.1 in August, it might seem like the company is planning to launch the OS update in time for the holiday season.

According to Tami Reller, the Windows CFO who recently talked at the JP Morgan conference, Windows 8.1 could hit the market in a few months, just to make sure that users would be allowed to choose from a wide variety of products running the new software. "We’ve said later this year. Obviously, we're very sensitive to the timing of holidays, and what that means for getting an update out, and making sure that there will be a lineup of hardware that comes preloaded with Windows 8.1," she said.

"But even for the hardware at holiday that has Windows 8, we designed it so that's not an issue at all for customers. They can buy any Windows 8 device with confidence and know that they can get Windows 8.1. So we understand when the holidays are. Let me just underscore that," Reller explained. The good news, on the other hand, is that a preview version of 8.1 is set to go live next month at BUILD, so Windows 8 users will be allowed to get a taste of the new OS a lot sooner.

The stable build of Windows 8.1 will go live in a few months
Image credits to Microsoft

Inno3D GeForce GTX 780 Box Clarifies Specs

2013-05-15T18:44:00.002-07:00

The GeForce GTX 780 graphics card from NVIDIA will be out soon, as evident from all the leaks that have been happening.

The picture above is of the box in which the Inno3D board will be sold. According to Expreview and PCONLINE, the device has 2,304 CUDA cores, as a whole Graphics Processor Cluster is disabled. Meanwhile, the number of Streaming Multiprocessors will be 12. For comparison, GK110-400 on the GTX Titan has 14, while the full GK110 used on the Tesla K20 has all 15 enabled. 48 ROPs are on the list too, as are 192 texture units.

The rest is as was known before: 3 GB GDDR5 (6,008 MHz), 384-bit memory interface, and 863 MHz base GPU clock, (unknown GPU Boost). The price will be of $699 / €699.

Inno3D GeForce GTX 780
Image credits to Inno3D

Nokia Lumia 925 Promises Best Photos in Low Light

2013-05-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Following the official announcement on the Nokia Lumia 925, the first promo videos that showcase the handset’s functionality and capabilities emerged online, including one in which Nokia details the photo shooting features of the device.

The handset packs an 8.7-megapixel PureView camera on the back, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution and features a sixth camera lens when compared to the Lumia 920. In the video embedded above, you can have a look at the device’s ability to snap pictures when in low-light conditions, so as to get an idea of what Nokia’s latest technology has to offer.

“The Nokia Lumia 925, powered by Windows Phone 8, with award-winning PureView technology, Carl Zeiss optics and six physical lenses for great photos and video, day or night,” Nokia notes in the video’s description.

BBM iPhone App Confirmed

2013-05-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will be available on Apple’s iPhone this summer. BlackBerry made the news official earlier today.

Both iOS and Android users will be able to “experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people,” according to the official announcement. One of the numerous conveniences includes the ability to add contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan. This feature is cross-platform compatible. NFC-capable devices will also be supported. Future iPhones are rumored to incorporate this technology.

With more than 60 million monthly active customers, you can be sure this thing will be an instant hit when it arrives in the App Store. BlackBerry cautions that all of the aforementioned features are “subject to approval by the Apple App Store.”

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) icon on iOS home screen
Image credits to tuaw.com

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Said Again to Sport an Exynos 5210 Processor

2013-05-14T19:11:00.001-07:00

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics has yet to officially announce plans on launching a mini version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and new reports on the matter suggest that it will indeed sport an Exynos 5210 CPU inside.

The handset will feature ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, which will combine the power of Cortex A7 cores and Cortex A15 silicon, Samsung and Korea Investment & Securities reaffirmed, a recent post on PhoneArena notes. Furthermore, a leaked spreadsheet has unveiled some of the smartphone’s hardware specifications, though many details on the matter were already known. Apparently, Samsung plans on making the new mobile phone available for purchase in two different flavors, depending on the mobile networks in the various markets around the world. For example, there will be a LTE version of the device with 2GB of RAM packed inside, while the 3G iteration will sport only 1GB of RAM. Both variants will sport the same 4.3-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a qHD resolution, while also packing 32GB of internal memory, along with a 2100mAh battery.

According to the leaked spreadsheet available courtesy of mobilegeeks, the upcoming device will hit the market with Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform loaded on top, though the handset might actually arrive on shelves with a newer OS flavor. The smartphone is also expected to sport an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, most probably complemented by a front camera for making video calls. The rest of the handset’s specifications haven’t been unveiled as of now, but the device should land on shelves with the usual WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity options, as well as with NFC, GPS receiver, and the whole set of sensors, the same as the Galaxy S 4. There’s no telling on when the smartphone will be officially announced, but it might not be too long before that happens, so stay tuned for additional details on the matter.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Specs
Image credits to mobilegeeks

BlackBerry's BBM Arrives on Android and iOS This Summer - Confirmed

2013-05-14T18:52:00.003-07:00

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), the popular chatting service from Canadian handset vendor BlackBerry, is finally set to become available for other mobile operating systems out there this summer, with Android and iOS devices being the first to receive it.

BBM will bring to the owners of these devices a fast and reliable messaging experience, while also offering them the possibility to stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms. The initial flavor of the multi-platform BBM service will provide users with features such as the immediacy of BBM chats, group chats, voice note sharing, and BlackBerry Groups, so that BBM users could set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more. Later this year, BBM will bring a new BBM Channels feature to Android and iOS, along with voice and video chatting, the same as it offers on BlackBerry devices. "For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service,” Andrew Bocking, executive vice president, software product management and ecosystem, at BlackBerry, said.

“BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We're excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.” At the moment, BBM has over 60 million monthly active users, and more than 51 million daily active users, the Canadian mobile phone maker announced. Furthermore, the company has unveiled that these users send and receive over 10 billion messages each day, almost double than what other mobile services enjoy. “Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are,” BlackBerry explains in a recent blog post.

BlackBerry has yet to provide an official release date for BBM on Android and iOS (subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store, as applicable), so stay tuned to learn more details on the matter.

BBM arrives on Android and iOS this summer
Image credits to RIM - BlackBerry

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680-to-770 Mod Just a Modified BIOS

2013-05-14T02:10:00.001-07:00

A short while ago, it came to light that a Reddit user posted a BIOS that could, presumably, upgrade a GeForce GTX 680 to a GeForce GTX 770 graphics card.

The folks at TechPowerUp did the world a favor and tested said update and found that it was a relatively straightforward modification to the GTX 680 base BIOS and nothing more. Through a modified INF file, the clocks were increased and the model name was changed to GTX 770 without anything else being modified. I suppose forcefully editing those strings in order to push the GTX 680 above its limits is understandable enough.

Still, I can't help but think that anyone with the knowledge and disposition to flash the BIOS would have what it takes to just overclock the board and be done with it, maybe upgrade the cooler while at it. It would definitely be less of a stability risk. Anyway, with this revelation people can stop thinking the GTX 770 BIOS was leaked or anything like that.

GTX 680 with new BIOS
Image credits to TechPowerUp

Jolla to Launch Sailfish Device on May 20

2013-05-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today, Jolla officially has announced a press event set for May 20, where it should unveil the first smartphone running under its Sailfish operating system, just as Marc Dillon, the company’s Head of Software Development, stated a few days ago.

At the time, he confirmed that the company was planning on announcing the first smartphone in a couple of weeks, but did not offer further details on the matter. According to Engadget, Dillon even showed the device for a few seconds and, although that wasn’t enough to get an idea of it, the smartphone might actually arrive on shelves with a 5-inch screen.

For the time being, however, the May 20 press event planned for Helsinki, Finland, represents the only official details available on Jolla’s plans for the upcoming Sailfish device, so stay tuned for more on this.

Jolla preparing press event for May 20
Image credits to Jolla

MSI Z87-G45 Gaming Motherboard

2013-05-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

MSI may not have released the Z87-G45 gaming motherboard yet, but it somehow reached the hands of someone who snapped photos of it and posted them on CoolEnjoy website.

The platform is everything one might expect of a high-end desktop PC platform, and perhaps more since some features are rare even among those. For example, the mainboard has a multi-BIOS switch near the DIMM slots, which suggests that the Z87-G45 could have more than two BIOSes (dual BIOS is normal on top-tier motherboards like this one). OC Genie 4, Power On/Off, Reset, Debug LED also stand out, as do the military class IV components, though not as much (solid-state capacitors, 12 Phase VRM with super ferrite chokes). All in all, there is definitely enough room and potential for setting up a strong system, with a Haswell CPU at the heart. Speaking of hardware, storage units can be hooked up via SATA 3 (six SATA 6 Gbps inputs) or externally via USB 3.0 (again, six ports), while add-in cards go in one of the three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, or of the trio of PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots.

Obviously, one of the first things that comes to mind is a multi-GPU setup involving AMD (CrossFireX) or NVIDIA graphics cards (SLI). An M-PCI-e combo slot is available too, near the top PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface. Furthermore, MSI tossed in Gigabit LAN powered by a Killer Ethernet chip (Killer E2200) and, of course, the full range of video outputs: VGA, DVI, HDMI and even a Gaming device port (reduces peripheral lag). As the photos show, the MSI Z87-G45 gaming motherboard is colored in a mixture of red and black with a dragon theme. It certainly gives off that competitive vibe, if nothing else. Pricing and availability have yet to be disclosed, though the latter is easy enough to pin on next month (June 2013).

MSI Z87-G45
Images credits to CoolEnjoy

Oppo Find 5 Now Available in India in White

2013-05-13T19:53:00.001-07:00

Oppo’s Find 5 Android smartphone is now available for purchase in India, in two different flavors, one featuring 16GB of internal memory, and another packing 32GB of storage.

The two flavors of the handset have landed at AndroidGuruz in the country priced at INR 27,445 ($500 / €385) and INR 31,259 ($570 / €439), respectively. However, only the white variant of the smartphone is available at the moment. Apparently, users might experience some issues with placing orders for the device, at least this is what AndroidOS notes in a recent article.

Oppo Find 5 hits the market with a 5-inch 1080p full HD display, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor inside, as well as with 2GB of RAM. The specs list of the handset also includes NFC and HSPA+ 42Mbps connectivity, a 13MP camera on the back, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean loaded on top.

Oppo Find 5
Image credits to Androidguruz