Dell today Launches its new Latitude line of business-class notebooks

Dell today Launches its new Latitude line of business-class notebooks including complete redesigns of its E6430s and E6430 ATG laptops.Weighing 3.75-pounds and measuring 13.19 x 8.8 x 1.22 inches, the E6430s offers users a 13-inch display in a 13.3-inch chassis. It comes wrapped in a Tri-Metal casing with an anodized aluminum lid, magnesium alloy covered corners, steel hinges and a powder-coated base that is MIL-STD 810G tested.

The E6430s is available with a third-generation Intel Ivy Bridge Core-series processor and your choice of 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of RAM. Storage options for the E6430s include a 7,200-rpm, 750GB HDD; 5,400-rpm, 320GB HDD; 500GB SSD or 256GB SSD.

Graphics are limited to Intel’s HD graphics chip, while battery options include 3- and 6-cell ExpressCharge varieties. Available operating systems include Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate and Linux Ubuntu 11.10

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Angry birds space updates 10 new levels

Angry birds space updates 10 new levels.Angry Birds Space is continuing to make its $0.99 price tag look like an absolute bargain with yet another update that brings a brand new, food-themed planet with ten brand new levels to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Planet Utopia looks a lot like a donut and it’s filled with tasty treats:

Welcome to the delicious food planet of Utopia! These 10 delectable new levels filled with popcorn, cookies, and candy apples are good enough to eat — at least the pigs think so!
Munch your way through 10 tasty new levels!
Bounce birds off jelly trampolines!
Pop corn to create delicious mayhem!

This follows the “Fry Me to the Moon” update that brought ten new levels just over a month ago. If you’ve completed all of these already, planet Utopia is a great reason to pick up Angry Birds Space again.

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Windows 8 Release Preview date leaked: 31st May 2012 |

If the reports are to be believed, Microsoft is set to launch the Release Preview of Windows 8 in the first week of June, although as some of you guys might recall, it was just yesterday that an alleged Release Preview was leakedin China. Now it looks like Microsoft could very well be launching the Windows 8 Release Preview today thanks to a developer blog which has since been pulled. According to the post, Microsoft had explicitly stated that the Release Preview for Windows 8 would be available today, the 31st of May.
Along with the release, Microsoft is also set to introduce a new device driver development kit and the release candidate version of Microsoft’s developer tools, Visual Studio 2012. These set of tools will include the Windows 8 SDK which developers can use to code desktop and Metro-styled apps. At the time of its posting, the blog post had links to the download of the Windows 8 Release Preview, but given that it has since been pulled, it is unclear at this point as to whether the post and its files will be coming back up later. Either way if you’re interested in getting your hands on the Release Preview, you can check Microsoft’s Developer Blog or check back with us later for more updates.

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Android 4.0.4 update for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus should be starting any day now

Yesterday we saw the support docs for the Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus update to Android 4.0.4 go live, a sure sign that new software is right around the corner. Today, multiple sources out of Big Red have been hyping the update, giving the impression that it could begin any day now, if not within the next 24 hours. A tweet from Verizon’s Albery Aydin says Android 4.0.4 “will soon be pushed,” while a spokesperson for VZW confirmed the same to DroidLife.
Our most recent check of the “System updates” dialog under Settings/About phone returned nothing at the time of this writing, but we’ll be sure to watch that space like a hawk until we can pull down a fresher Ice Cream Sandwich build. Be sure to let us know when the update hits your handset!
[via Twitter]

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LG announces ICS for its LG Optimus LTE, Optimus LTE Tag, Optimus Vu

LG announces Android 4.0(ice cream sandwich) for its LG Optimus LTE, Optimus LTE Tag, Optimus Vu on June 4.When LG announced the Optimus Vu it promised that the phone would receive Ice Cream Sandwich within three months of its March launch. True to its word, the company has now announced the ICS update.

Along with the latest flavor of Google's mobile operating system, all three phones will also be bumped up to Optimus UI 3.0. The new skin had quite a few nice touches when we took a look at it with the Optimus LTE 2 earlier this month, including a new lock screen and a voice-activated camera shutter. However, it's not clear how many of the new software features demonstrated on that phone will make it to the three upgraded devices.
Source-LG korea

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Apple iTunes Vs Samsung Music Hub

Samsung has just launched its Music Hub service so we thought it'd be a good idea to see how it compares to the old guard, Apple's iTunes platform.

Content
The most immediate way to directly compare the two is their respective music catalogues. Currently iTunes has over 20 million tracks while Samsung has clearly been rather busy as it has already accumulated around 19 million.
Apple does have more but not by a huge stretch and it's likely Samsung is still in the process of accumulating more content for its rival service as it's planning not just on tackling iTunes but other competing services such as Spotify too.
Another key difference lies between the two free and subscription based branches of each service. With iTunes you can optionally sign-up for iTunes Match for £21.99 per year.
This allows users to scan their entire music collection and iTunes Match will either upload tracks it doesn't have to the iCloud (up to 25,000 of them) or offer you access to ones which it does.
Ultimately using this you can access and stream your entire collection through the cloud from any location in the world via an iOS device or iTunes client.
Samsung's Music Hub has a similar feature but its approach to subscriptions is more broad-brush. With Music Hub you've either got the free option which lets you browse the entire 19 million track catalogue and listen to 30 second streams, but after the 30 seconds you have to buy the track to carry on listening.
The alternative is a £9.99 per month ‘Premium' account which frees up the whole catalogue for you to stream freely and store for offline use. Importantly, iTunes still doesn't let you do this.
On top of that, the premium model will do what iTunes Match does by scanning your existing music collection and allowing you to access those tracks through the Music Hub. If you've got any tracks it can't match you'll get 100GB of cloud storage and it'll upload those oddball tunes for you.
Most importantly of all, this scanning of your existing collection doesn't end at mp3 files or scanned CDs, it'll recognise content you've bought on iTunes and integrate these as well.

Accessibility
A crucial difference which could give Samsung's Music Hub the edge is that it can be used via a web browser. iTunes can be used on variety of devices by installing the iTunes client or app, but a browser-based approach is far more universal.
However, it's important to note that currently Music Hub is only available on the Samsung Galaxy S3, but this is set to change in the not-too-distant future.
Samsung is already hard at work getting things ready so that you'll be able to access it from a variety of Samsung smartphones and tablets and even Blu-Ray players, Smart TVs, speaker docks and fridges will be getting a look in. Theoretically you'll be able to access your music from any device in your home, assuming you buy mainly Samsung products, of course.
Eventually there'll also be a Music Hub app for iOS devices too so Samsung really is taking the fight to Apple's home turf. We imagine it's quite likely an Android app will be launched to make the service available on non-Samsung Android devices and there's plenty of scope for other operating systems too.

Recommendations
iTunes has the Apple Genius service which suggests new artists and tracks users might be interested in based on their existing collection. Samsung is aiming to one-up this with its own recommendation engine which allegedly will take on board a more diverse range of factors when looking for music to recommend.
Extras
The Samsung Music Hub has a few extra tricks up its sleeve which mimic other music services, such as Spotify and Last.fm, and cover areas which iTunes hasn't ventured into at all yet.
The main one is a personalised radio streaming service which will track your listening habits and pick songs based on your musical preferences or tags you select yourself. This is similar to Last.fm but it's a bit more versatile as you can also create your own playlists or throw particular songs into a customised radio setup.
Conclusion
Well, don't go ditching your iTunes account just yet. For one thing, the fact that Music Hub can use your iTunes content means the two can co-exist.
In addition there's the issue of current availability, as appealing as Music Hub sounds it won't become something to recommend until Samsung expands from just having it on the Galaxy S3. Hopefully that won't be too long as it is sounding like very impressive stuff.

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Google links Orkut profiles with Google Plus

Google apparently is now allowing users on its first ever social network Orkut, to link their profiles to their Google+ account. What we can take from it is that users will be sharing their posts on both social networks simultaneously. However, it seems that the move includes many other things according to the official blog post. Google said, “After you link your profiles, your Orkut profile photo and name will be the same as your Google+ photo and name. In addition, you will be able to share all your public Google+ posts with your Orkut friends.

Your Google+ posts to limited audience or specific circles will remain on Google+ only and will be subject to your privacy settings. As a result, linking your profiles will also make it easier for your Orkut friends to find you on Google+.” If you’re thinking that that isn’t exactly what you want for your Orkut account, the company insists that you have the power to decide whether or not you want to agree to the integration of your two profiles but that doesn’t do much to alleviate the constant worries about Orkut’s future since the launching of Google+ back in mid-2011.

With that said however, Orkut had its initial accomplishments of large numbers of users in countries like Brazil and India. However, Facebook beat them out recently and since then Brazil now has about 48 million Facebook users rather than the highest amount of Orkut users which reportedly hit 34 million back in December of last year. With the popularity of Facebook increasing, could this be Google’s attempt to combine its strengths to give it a strongest possible fighting chance? Could this be the beginning of the end of Orkut? Do let us know what you think about this with a comment below.

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Apple to Demonstrate new TV OS at WWDC next week

Apple now planing to demonstrate a brand new version of the Apple TV operating system next week at WWDC. We heard the features of this operating system as  Apple is actively trying to court manufacturers to use a new “control out” API in order for third-party manufacturers to make accessories that are compatible with the new Apple TV OS and the upcoming “iTV.” It’s said that by using the API, it will be possible to control any connected components all from the Apple remote.

This would be a huge change in the home theater landscape, which has until this point relied on a mess of thousands of infrared codes and physical cables in order for devices to be interoperable, or Wi-Fi-controlled apps for each component and piece of hardware.

The control out API is said to work with all aspects of various popular components, even allowing control over things like program guides on a cable operators’ set top boxes and other hardware components.
Our source believes Apple won’t actually show its physical TV at WWDC, but it’s certainly possible. Maybe Tim Cook and Apple are finally almost done “pulling that string.

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Google confirms Gmail outage

Internet search giant Google has confirmed and acknowledged that a small percentage of their Gmail users did experience an outage. Just how small? We are looking at less than 0.11% of Gmail users out there, where they were unable to access Google Mail since approximately 9:00 a.m. ET this morning. According to Google, all is fine and dandy now, so nearly 400,000 folks who were affected earlier this morning can continue their lives without worrying about the sky falling down on their heads. One good thing about social media is this – once something goes awry, you can always share your experience with others and see whether what you say jives with what others are talking about. Needless to say, many Gmail users who were affected by the outage turned to Twitter to ask around for others who are in the same boat. User @JudsonCollier was quite broken inside, saying that “life is broken” without Gmail, while @akist0n must have had quite the attack with a simple word of advice: “#panic”. The most important thing is, at least Gmail is now up and running.

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Windows Phone 8 Device AreTested in Australia

Rumors are around that the Windows phone 8 devices by HTC ans Samsung are currently being tested in Australia. According to WPDownUnder – an Australian blog devoted to Microsoft's mobile platform, at least three manufacturers are currently testing a Windows Phone 8 handset of their own. Multiple sources claim that test units made by Nokia are within the country, with possibly devices by HTC and Samsung being tested as well.
It is said that the styling of the Nokia Windows Phone 8 device is"almost identical" to that of the Lumia 800 and Lumia 900, although the internal hardware might be totally different. That said, today's rumor should not be interpreted as a hint that these two current handsets will be updated to WP8 one day. There is no information about the alleged Samsung and HTC WP8 smartphones, so their existence is still highly questionable.

We are expecting to know more about Windows Phone 8 and the devices it will run on within the following weeks. The Windows Phone Developer Summit begins on June 20, and that is when we are expecting to see the platform's next iteration in all its glory.


Source: WPDownUnder

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Google play starts Subscriptions

In-app billing was introduced to the Android Market – now Google Play – just over a year ago, giving developers the opportunity to rake in cash via virtual goods and that.

Fast-forward 14 months and Google Play is giving developers another way to monetise, namely subscriptions
Google Play subscriptions are auto-renewing, and come in monthly and annual flavours. As with app and in-app purchases, Google Play will manage the transactions.
The subscription option is now available to all developers. We expect it’ll predominantly feature in magazines, but it’s also available for games.
Indeed, Glu’s Frontline Commando is one of the first apps to offer the Google Play subscription option. "We're using Google Play subscriptions to offer consumers a compelling value and a single currency which they can use across Glu’s most popular titles,” screams Niccolo de Masi, Glu’s CEO.

Google notes that in-app billing has been incredibly successful since its introduction just over a year ago. In fact, 23 of the 24 top-grossing apps use in-app billing, and the total revenue exceeds that of “traditional” up-front purchases.

via: Android Developers

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Is Apple manufacturing test batch of first smart TVs

Word on the street has it that Apple has already started to churn out their first batch of smart TVs, and if this bit of news were to be true, you can be sure that plenty of folks would be making a beeline for Cupertino’s latest offering days before it is officially released, just like what happened with the iPad as well as iPhone upon their respective release ates. It seems that whispers of the highly anticipated connected smart TV sets are rolling off production lines of Apple’s overseas manufacturing facilities, and it will most probably see an announcement made in due time, although there is no exact date issued just yet.

This bit of information came about from “informed sources” who were speaking to the China Business News, claiming that one of Foxconn’s Shenzhen plants is currently undergoing a trial production run that will normally deliver a tiny number of assembly-line-quality prototypes for Apple to have those run through the paces before a full blown production order is given if everything is satisfactory. Will you pick up what some might deem to be Steve Jobs’ last bit of input into an Apple product if the smart TV from Apple were to be released?

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Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update starts for HTC Sensation XL

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update starts for HTC Sensation XL as this particular Android 4.0 update has already started to seed, which means it should not be too long until many other Sensation XL owners who always want to be on the cutting edge of technology will be able to give the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update a go.

Hopefully there will not be any reports of unwanted bugs and all, but according to the screenshot that you see on the right, a user from Romania managed to capture details of his Sensation XL which has Ice Cream Sandwich version 4.0.3 and HTC Sense 3.6, breathing a new lease of life into a smartphone device that seemed to be on its last legs already.

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LG says they’ve sold 3 million LTE devices

LG released the LTE-enabled Optimus LTe last year on both Bell and TELUS. The company declared last January that the total sales for this specific device surpassed 1 million units in 3 months. Since then LG has released other LTE smartphones, such as the Optimus Vu, and have officially announced they’ve successfully sold over 3 million LTE devices worldwide. There’s no country breakdown of who has helped contribute to this success, only that North America, specifically Verizon in the States was a key player. Would be nice to see Bell and TELUS get a slight mention as they were one of the first carriers worldwide to adopt an LG LTE smartphone. LG plans to continue their LTE efforts and sell into 20 countries by the end of the year.
Source: LG

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HP Pavilion g6, g7 for 2012 Coming This Summer

Hp announces the HP Pavilion g6, g7. Both models will hit the US market on July 25th with prices starting at $450 . The Pavilion g-series for 2012 are made of plastics, and feature beveled edges, bowl-shaped keyboards, textured touchpads, and a chrome strip around the speaker bar. The chassis color choices are black, white, red, blue, and purple. HP hasn’t provided details on the notebook duo, but they are expected to come with various Intel and AMD CPU choices, including higher-end 3rd Generation Intel Core chips, as well as with dedicated GPU options.

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Microsoft now could be selling 80 inch Windows8 PC

Microsoft now could be selling 80 inch Windows 8 PC.So If you like your PC large and in charge, then here is some good news. Microsoft VP Frank Shaw recently told Wired UK that CEO Steve Ballmer has a Windows8 80-inch PC hanging on the wall of his office.
Microsoft wants Windows 8 running on any size screen that any manufacturer can produce, and they want those screens to offer touch input. 80 inches might seem like overkill, but just imagine, executives would love to have this on their wall, or in their boardrooms and Microsoft aims to sell this just like they do with Surface. It’s not for the general public.
Although eventually it will be available to people like us as well, but that is a ways off still. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.

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Official Talkbox app walk-ies over to the Windows Phone Marketplace (Video)

Windows Phone is steadily receiving more and more well-known apps, and Talkbox is the latest to hop aboard the Metro train to Microsoft town. For those unacquainted with this popular Android and iOS application, Talkbox may appear as the typical messaging client but it's halo feature is push-to-talk in which you treat your phone as a walkie-talkie, transmitting voice messages to your other friends. Let's got through the feature list:

• Push-to-talk (PTT) INSTANT Walkie Talkie, voice messaging, text messaging, photo sharing and location sharing with your friends
• Cross-Platform Messenger
• FREE and works over WIFI, 3G and any other data network
• GROUP CHATS
• Mark your message as favorite [exclusive for Windows Phone]
• Post voice to Facebook, Twitter and make broadcast to all your friends
• Address Book and Facebook contacts Integration
• 12 theme color
• Conversation History

Source: Talbox

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Sony Xperia S Vs HTC One XL-Comparison

We pitch the HTC One XL against the Sony Xperia S in an Android flagship battle.
Form
Sony Xperia S - 128x64x10.6mm, 144g
HTC One XL - 134.8x69.9x8.9mm, 129g
The Sony Xperia S is quite a landmark phone for Sony being the first smartphone designed without the help Ericsson. As such, there seems to be more than a slight nod to Sony's existing designs for other electronics - everything is very squared off, coloured dark grey or black and made from smooth, high-quality materials with some solid build quality.
Although there are some design cues reminiscent of earlier Sony Ericsson Xperia models, for the most part things are quite different. The Xperia S' design language is still based on a D-shaped cross-section but now features pronounced straight lines and flat edges, rather than curves and soft corners. The result is a much chunkier handset.
This does however give the phone a very sturdy feel in the hand, both in terms of ease-of-use and the reassurance that it's not going to fall apart any time soon.
HTC's One XL uses the same body shell as the One X which has an extremely high quality finish and an interestingly curved and chiseled shape.
We particularly like the way the screen isn't just plonked into the chassis but rather has a contoured black housing, giving a stepped appearance to its shape and allowing a very narrow bezel around the outside to keep things looking sleek and ultra-modern.
It's difficult to quantify the appeal of the One XL's design and build, but the best way we can think of describing it is as follows: it's as if some artist has just carved a device out of some precious mineral and handed it over to you.
HTC has nailed the two most important aspects of smartphone visual design - a stylish aesthetic and an extremely high-quality feel.
We really like the Xperia S's design and build quality, which is well above average in this regard, meaning it comes highly recommended. But it just can't compete with the HTC in the looks department.
HTC's One range has pretty much established the company at top of the pile when it comes to Android devices, particularly for the external build quality. Take not Samsung.
Winner - HTC One XL

Display
The HTC One XL has a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD 2 capacitive display with a 1280x720 pixel resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass reinforcement and a pixel density of 312 pixels-per-inch (ppi). The results are pretty stunning – it's a very sharp, clear screen with plenty of colour depth as well as decent brightness and contrast.
As good as this is, Sony has put together a display which not only beats the One XL's but the majority of the current handset market. The Xperia S uses a 4.3-inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with the same resolution as its opponent.
It supports 10-finger multi-touch and has a pixel density of 342ppi, topping the iPhone's Retina display and pretty much everything else.
The Xperia S is also loaded with Sony's WhiteMagic screen technology and the Sony Mobile Bravia engine that enhances the display's capabilities.
Ultimately what you end up with is the best smartphone display around with crystal clear picture quality, deep blacks, excellent brightness and vivid colour reproduction.
Sony's Xperia S is certainly the winner here, but it's important to bear in mind that any display with a pixel density over 300ppi is going to look very sharp and for all but the most discerning display aficionados either phone would likely be more than satisfactory.
Winner - Sony Xperia S

Storage

The One XL has a single storage option and sadly it's lower than the original One X at only 16GB. Likewise the Sony Xperia S has a single option but it's at a more satisfactory 32GB. Both handsets have 1GB of RAM for their respective processors and neither has micro SD capability.
This is an easy win for Sony offering twice the storage capacity as its opponent.
Winner - Sony Xperia S


Processor

Both handsets are based on Qualcomm dual core Snapdragon technology. The Sony Xperia S uses a Series 3 (S3) Snapdragon MSM8260 chip with an Adreno 220 graphics processing unit (GPU) clocked at 1.5GHz.
This is reasonably speedy and Sony has done a good job of optimising things with the Android 2.3 operating system and its own Timescape interface overlay. We were quite impressed with the review unit we used and found things ran smoothly.
HTC's One XL is fitted with Qualcomm's latest S4 Snapdragon MSM8960 ‘Krait' architecture, also clocked to 1.5GHz and featuring an upgraded Adreno 225 GPU. This is one of the fastest chipsets on the market right now being quicker and more power efficient than Nvidia's quad core Tegra 3 (found in the regular One X).
Both handsets are highly competitive on the current market and will run all high-end apps and games along with flawless multi-tasking but the One XL does have a bit more muscle, which should be noticeable during normal use and contribute considerably towards the longevity of the handset too.
Winner - HTC One XL

Operating System
The Sony Xperia S runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Sony's Timescape user interface (UI) on top, while the HTC One XL is on the latest Android build, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and uses version 4.0 of HTC's Sense UI.
Sony has Android 2.3 running extremely well on the Xperia S and the Timescape UI adds some extra functionality, though some may find the navigation and usability a little obscure.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich is much improved over Gingerbread offering better performance and increased stability. The menu layout has also been refined and is much easier to use.
Fast app switching now comes as standard in Android 4.0 letting you switch between or close apps faster than ever. It's a very intuitive approach to multi-tasking and a joy to use.
HTC Sense 4.0 is far more minimalist and less intrusive than any of its predecessors and is perfectly optimised for Android 4.0. We've yet to experience any real slowdown or stuttering whilst using it and this never used to be the case.
We have to say HTC offers the most up-to-date user experience of these two devices. For Android, there's just no beating Ice Cream Sandwich.
Winner - HTC One XL

Camera
The HTC One XL features the same camera configuration as its companion models. It's an 8-megapixel back-illuminated sensor (BSI) with a 3264x2448 pixel resolution.
The One XL is supported by a dedicated camera chip and added functionality to the HTC Sense UI. Special functionality includes the ability to capture 1080p HD video and still images at the same time, plus a 20-shot rapid multi-shot mode with a ‘best picture' selector.
On top of this it has an LED flash, autofocus, touch focus, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, video stabilisation and stereo sound recording.
There's also a 1.3-megapixel secondary with 720p video capture and vide calling.
If there's one thing Sony does well (and, in fact, there are many) it's cameras.
Sony pioneered the commercial-level Exmor R CMOS back-illuminated sensor, variations of which are now becoming almost ubiquitous in the premium smartphone world.
That exact technology features in the Xperia S's 12-megapixel primary camera with a 4000x3000 pixel resolution.
It may not have some of the fancy pants shooting modes of the One XL but it sure does make some amazing still images and 1080p video.
Features include autotfocus, LED flash, touch focus, face and smile detection, 3D sweep panoramic mode, image and video stabilisation, continuous video autofocus and a video light.
Both are extremely competent offerings capable of producing great images and video but the Xperia S pips with its higher resolution imaging.
Winner - Sony Xperia S

Final Thoughts
Sony has made a brilliant handset with the Xperia S and there's plenty to recommend about it. It has a fast processor, both the camera and touchscreen are amongst the best currently available, the visual design is pleasing and the phone is built to a high-standard.
In addition there's plenty of onboard storage. The only problem point right now is the operating system, although it will be getting upgraded to Android Ice Cream Sandwich in the not-too-distant future
The One XL is our choice here, however. HTC has just made all the right decisions when designing this device. The build quality is incredible, the screen is amazing and the processor is one of the fastest you'll encounter.
The operating system is bang up-to-date and the phone has a comprehensive and high-end camera setup. Our only gripe, and it's a minor one, is it could do with more onboard storage, but apart from that, here you've got a contender for one of the best Android phones of the year.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab2 is up for pre orders in Canada

Samsung Galaxy Tab2 is up for pre orders in Canada by Future Shop expected release on June 22nd.
This time around it’s the continuation of the Tab family with the Android OS 4.0 powered Galaxy Tab 2. A pre-order page just went live and gives an “Estimated release date” of June 22nd. The price is respectively set at $349.99 and this Wi-Fi only tablet comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, a 10.1-inch display (1280 x 800), 1Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 3MP camera, VGA front camera. In addition, the Tab 2 has a 7000 mAh battery.

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Facebook To Acuire Opera Web Browser

Reports are coming in near future Facebook can enter into the Web browsing field by acuiring Opera Web Browser. The move would put Facebook in direct competition with Microsoft and Mozilla, and it would certainly apply increased pressure to Google as well. Opera’s mobile browser has seen strong growth in recent years, however the same cannot be said for its desktop version, which lags far behind Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. A Facebook browser could potentially allow users to stay up to date with their social life using built-in plug-ins and features integrated into the browser’s UI.
Source - Poket-lint

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Google and ASUS may announce its debut Nexus tablet at Google I/O next month

Google and ASUS may announce its debut Nexus tablet at Google I/O next month
Just yesterday, we reported that according to a post from DigiTimes, it seems that Google and ASUS’ Android collaboration for a Nexus tablet is expected to start shipping in June, and word has it that it will cost $149. Corroborating those claims are the folks from Techno Buffalo who claims that one of their “trusted sources” has informed that that the tablet will indeed be arriving in June and will be unveiled at Google I/O which will be taking place towards the end of June. Supposedly the Nexus tablet will based off NVIDIA’s “Kai” reference design which manages to pack a quad-core Tegra-3 processor into an affordable device.
While DigiTimes may have reported a price tag of $149, the Kai tablet is expected to cost $199, so we guess we will have to wait and see for ourselves. Adding on to the rumors, Techno Buffalo’s sources have also informed them that the rumored Nexus tablet will come with Android 5.0 “Jelly Bean” preinstalled, although we are a bit skeptical considering that the majority of Android devices are still running on Gingerbread 2.3, let alone Android 4.0 Ice Cream sandwich. Either way with Google I/O about a month away, we guess we don’t have to wait too long before we find out if the rumors will pan out, so check back with us then for the details. Until then we recommend you take this information with a grain of salt.

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Jailbreaking of Apple iOS 5.1.1

The latest Absinthe untethered jailbreak for iOS has finally been released. After months of waiting, you can download the Chronic Dev Team’s free Absinthe tool to jailbreak your iOS device in a matter of minutes.

We’ll show you how to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 the right way in this guide.



Step 1: Make sure you have your SHSH blobs backed up using the free TinyUmbrella app. It’s available on both Windows and Mac. Saving your SHSH blobs is essential for downgrading back to your previous iOS firmware version if something should go wrong during the jailbreak process. Basically, if you don’t complete this step, you could end up — worst case scenario — with a bricked iPhone.



Step 2: Back up your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to either iTunes or iCloud before you go any farther. You want to make sure you have a recent setup to restore to if something goes wrong. While jailbreaking isn’t that dangerous, you can never be too careful.

Step 3 (Optional): Now that you have a backup (we recommend using iTunes and not iCloud to backup for the quickest results), clear the iOS device you want to jailbreak. Only do this if your device does not already have a tethered jailbreak installed. Erasing your device will make the jailbreak process much faster. You can manually clear your iOS device by navigating to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.

We also recommend that you backup your Cydia apps if you were previously jailbroken.

Step 4: Download the free Absinthe jailbreak tool.

Step 5: Connect your iOS device to your computer via a USB cable and open Absinthe.

Step 6: Click “Jailbreak” and let Absinthe do its thing. It may take a little while. Your iOS device should say “Restoring in Progress.” Make sure not to disconnect or quit Absinthe while this process is happening. Cydia will then be installed on your Home screen.

Congrats! You now have an untethered iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak!

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Nokia Released its Nokia Lumia 610 in UK

Nokia Releases its new Budget phone Nokia Lumia 610 with £15 per month on a 24-month contract in UK.
Nokia gave no further details regarding the contracts length, nor whether there will be alternative deals, though a representative at the event confirmed to V3 it will sell SIM-free for £150.

The phone will be available through a number of carriers and stores including Carphone Warehouse, O2, Vodafone and Virgin.

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6 New Games for Xbox Live added by Microsoft to their $0.99 game roster

6 New Games for Xbox Live added by Microsoft to their $0.99 game roster, and is urging buyers to “collect them all”. The list includes recent releases like Feed Me Oil and Droplitz Delight, making Xbox Live games obviously a lot more attractive than before.
There has been some controversy around this move, with some complaining that Xbox Live games already dominate the top 10 list, and making them cheaper will just exclude even more 3rd party game developers.
From the user point of view it is however a great deal normalizes prices of games with other platforms and which may prompt greater uptake of the Windows Phone platform.
See the selection at Xbox.com here.

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Hackers Leaked Reliance Internet Block list, claims ISP broke the law

Hacker group Anonymous has done it again. Today the group leaked what it alleges to be a list of all the sites that have been blocked by Reliance. The hacker group claims that Reliance was blocking numerous sites that were not mandated by any court order and was breaking the law in the process.
In fact, they claim that Reliance had blocked an Air India employee protest page on Facebook and implied that the ISP was in cahoots with the government to stifle the protest of the Air India employees.
Anonymous claimed that Reliance quickly realized that its block list was leaked, but it attempted to cover up the folly by unblocking those sites. In the meantime, you can checkout the link, for the entire list. Mind you, it is quite long though the links blocking the Air India employee protests Facebook pages are highlighted in green and purple

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Unofficial Bootloader for AT&T HTC One X Unlock Method

AT&T HTC One X Receives Unofficial Bootloader Unlock Method. You can finish unlocking the bootloader the official way using HTCDev’s online tool. Full instructions below.

You need ADB and an understanding of how to use it and have a rooted device (although I didn’t test this). You will also need a hex editor like HxD.

BACK UP YOUR DATA BEFORE DOING THIS!!!! WHEN HTCDEV UNLOCKS YOUR DEVICE YOU MUST START FROM SCRATCH!!!

1. Fire up your command prompt and go to the directory that you have ADB installed to. Type “adb shell” and hit enter.

2. Type “su” and hit enter. You now have root privileges.

3. Next type “dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p4 of=/sdcard/mmcblk0p4″ and hit enter. This will dump the partition to your sdcard.

4. Next type “exit”, hit enter, type “exit”, and hit enter again. This should take you back to a command prompt for your computer.

5. type “adb pull /sdcard/mmcblk0p4″ and hit enter.

6. Open the file (mmcblk0p4) with your hex editor.

7. Look for offset 00000210 and you should see CWS__001 with your IMEI number attached to it.

8. Change CWS__001 to ROGER001 and save the file as mmcblk0p4MOD.

9. Now go back to your command prompt and type “adb push mmcblk0p4MOD /sdcard/mmcblk0p4MOD” and hit enter.

10. Type “adb shell” and hit enter then type “su” and hit enter again. This will put you back into the android shell and give you root privileges.

11. Type “dd if=/sdcard/mmcblk0p4MOD of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p4″ and hit enter. To test if it worked restart the phone into fastboot (type “adb reboot bootloader” and hit enter) and once the bootloader screen comes up type “fastboot oem readcid” and hit enter. It should read “ROGER001″.

12. Next type “fastboot oem get_identifier_token” and hit enter. Leave that up on your screen and go to HTCdev.com. Follow the instructions from there.

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In Future the Nokia's PureView technology may come in Thinner Handsets

Is it weird that people seem genuinely more excited for a Symbian phone than a Windows Phone in 2012? Well Windows Phone isn't quite in the 'cool' crowd of tech yet, but the supremely impressive PureView camera technology is and it's going to feature its first public release on the 808 PureView in a few weeks. But as that device's release date approaches, it's hard not to wonder where the technology is headed in the future.

Engadget was thinking about that too so they asked Nokia's Head of Product Marketing, Vesa Jutila, what we can expect to see from PureView in 2012 and beyond. He confirmed to the site that Nokia is already hard at work on the next-generation of the DSLR-like imaging tech, which will lead to thinner PureView devices that won't sacrifice any Carl Zeiss optics or the software magic going on behind-the-scenes. What's more, PureView won't just be limited to ridiculous allotments of megapixels either, saying future tech "would not necessarily have the same 41-megapixel sensor" as found in the Symbian swan song.

Jutila unfortunately evaded divulging any info about a potential Lumia/PureView crossover device, but get real people -- it's probably going to happen. If Windows Phone is the future strategy of Nokia and that company is working on the technology for future products, it's not hard to put two and two together. Plus if rumors of customizable "Lens" camera apps for manufacturers to implement in Windows Phone 8 comes true, that leaves the door wide open for Nokia's software sorcery to bring PureView photos to Lumia devices. We'll be soaking our eyes in preparation.

Source: Engadget

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Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch Yanked Because It Duplicates Functionality In iOS 6?

Update: According to our tipster, Airfoil Speakers Touch wasn’t yanked arbitrarily, but instead because it duplicates functionality in the still unreleased and officially unannounced iOS 6. Our source says that in iOS 6, an Apple TV, for example, can pipe sound from a movie to an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad, and any iOS device will be able to beam audio to another. We’re trying to get more details, and have reached out to Apple and Rogue Amoeba for comment. Original post is below.
Rogue Amoeba are some of the good guys. They’ve released some of the Mac’s coolest audio apps, including Airfoil, Audio Hijack Pro, Piezo, Pulsar, Nicecast and Fission, and we’ve long been a fan of their version of Airfoil for iOS. Called Airfoil Speakers Touch, the app allowed you to stream audio over AirPlay from your Mac, PC or iDevice to any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. We’ve been rocking it since 2009.
Now Airfoil Speakers Touch is dead, killed for unspecified reasons by Apple’s App Store review team while Rogue Amoeba scratch their heads.

Writing on the company blog, Rogue Amoeba’s Paul Kafasis writes:

Since 2009, Airfoil Speakers Touch has made it possible to send audio from your Mac or Windows machine to your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, using Airfoil and its audio streaming capability. Last month, we introduced Airfoil Speakers Touch 3, which added the ability to receive audio directly from other iOS devices, as well as iTunes. Users and reviewers alike have loved Airfoil Speakers Touch, particularly the new version. For our part, we’ve been thrilled to be able to provide this much-desired functionality.
Today, we’ve been informed that Apple has removed Airfoil Speakers Touch from the iOS App Store.1 We first heard from Apple about this decision two days ago, and we’ve been discussing the pending removal with them since then. However, we still do not yet have a clear answer on why Apple has chosen to remove Airfoil Speakers Touch. Needless to say, we’re quite disappointed with their decision, and we’re working hard to once again make the application available for you, our users.
As far as we can tell, Airfoil Speakers Touch is in full compliance with Apple’s posted rules and developer agreements. We’ve already filed an appeal with Apple’s App Review Board, and we’re awaiting further information. Unfortunately, Apple has full control of application distribution on iOS, leaving us with no other recourse here.

Is this justice?!? Attica! Attica! Attica!
It seems like a pretty arbitrary and unfair move on Apple’s part, but as Kafasis notes, it’s possible that this is just the strange whim of some gray, nameless cog in the App Store Review team. In fact, Airfoil Speakers Touch has been rejected from the App Store for fairly arbitrary reasons before, only to be let back in when Rogue Amoeba posted about it. Let’s hope something similar happens here, eh?
Either way, it really highlights one of the unavoidable problems of the App Store: you might do great work, you might play by all the rules, but Apple has no problem changing the rules on you, and then never explaining itself or telling you what you can do to make it all better.
Source: Rogue Amoeba

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Comparison: HTC One XL Vs Samsung Galaxy S3

Here We compare the HTC One XL and Samsung Galaxy S3
Form
HTC One XL - 134.8x69.9x8.9mm, 129g
Samsung Galaxy S3 - 136.6x70.6x8.6mm, 133g
With the Galaxy S3's shape, Samsung said it had been inspired by beach pebbles and this has manifested as a much curvier, more rounded design than its predecessor, the Galaxy S2.
The results aren't great. in fact we'd go so far as to say the Galaxy S2 actually looks more up-to-date than the Galaxy S3. The other thing we're not impressed with is the build quality.
We shared the view of many other reviewers with the Galaxy S2 that while the plastics used where not the worst they were also not the best but with the Galaxy S3 this is an area we expected Samsung to improve and it's actually gone the other way entirely.
The Galaxy S3 feels very tacky to touch with scratchy, low-quality plastics and is totally unsatisfactory as a premium model.
The One XL is virtually the antithesis of the Samsung Galaxy S3. The materials used have a very high quality feel and are well worthy of the premium price tag. Not only that, but the shape and design is more interesting too.
HTC has gone for a curvy phone but has also tapered and chiselled some surfaces which compliment the curvature very well indeed. The screen placement, seated into a contoured black panel, is very clever as it makes the display look larger than it actually is.
The HTC One XL is the clear choice here as it lives up to our expectations for a flagship phone wile representing a tremendous effort on HTC's part.
Winner - HTC One XL

Display
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a large 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD capacitive touchscreen with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. It uses Corning's Gorilla Glass and sports a pixel density of 306 pixels-per-inch (ppi). Visuals are very crisp and the AMOLED tech means contrast and colour reproduction are both strong.
HTC's One XL has a similarly sized 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive display at the same resolution as its opponent, the pixel density is slightly higher at 312ppi but the difference in clarity between the two handsets should be barely noticeable.
These devices are on a fairly even playing field in this category. It's a draw.
Winner - Draw

Storage
Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a variety of options for onboard storage, there are three variants with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and each comes with 1GB of RAM plus a micro SD slot which allows for cards up to 32GB.
The One XL only has one option for 16GB of internal space with 1GB of RAM and no card slot.
Samsung easily wins this round by offering two higher-tier onboard storage options and more flexibility thanks to card capability.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S3

Processor
The Galaxy S3 is Samsung's first quad core device and uses ARM's Cortex-A9 architecture and Samsung's new Exynos 4212 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz with a Mali-400MP graphics processing unit (GPU).
This setup is as fast with initial benchmarking tests suggesting that it's one of the quickest chips on the market.
However, one of the other super-fast chips in that same elite bracket is the Qualcomm dual core S4 MSM8960 Snapdragon Krait, which the One XL uses. Like it's stable-mates it is clocked at 1.5GHz and features an Adreno 225 GPU.
This is the same setup as the HTC One S and we can say from our hands-on with the device that it is seriously quick and delivers very smooth performance.
Samsung's chip is one of the better quad core setups on the market but we'd say it's on a par with HTC's Qualcomm S4 setup.
Winner - Draw

Operating System
Both phones run on the latest build of Google's Android platform, version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) which has a number of improvements over previous iterations.
The Galaxy S3 has a few extra added features including the S-Voice assistant, which is similar to Apple's Siri, but most of these features are somewhat gimmicky and we're more interested in the core platform.
Between these two there's not much to compare.
Winner - Draw

Camera
Each handset is equipped with an 8-megapixel primary camera with a back-illuminated sensor (BSI) and a 3264x2448 pixel resolution.
Common features between the two are autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, touch focus, simultaneous 1080p HD and still image capture, multi-shot mode with ‘best image' selector and image stabilisation.
The HTC One XL also has stereo sound video recording and video stabilisation. Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a 2-megapixel secondary camera with video call support and 720p video capture while the One XL has a 1.3-megapixel secondary with similar capabilities.
This one's a draw.

Final Thoughts
Overall the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a pretty decent spec. In terms of hardware it's certainly competitive with the current crop of high-end devices, though, contrary to what was expected it doesn't exceed them or re-define the market.
The problem with it, however, is the build quality, which is just not acceptable for the sort of money you're talking about parting with to get your hands on one.
The One XL is on much the same level for performance and hardware but the outer shell is not only made from better quality materials but it's also designed better, making our decision all the more easier.
The HTC One XL wins everytime.

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Nokia “smokes” BlackBerry users in new Amazing Everyday video challenge

Nokia wants you to use the “Smarter Apps” of their Lumia Windows Phone line, and in the tradition of past Windows Phone challenges has released a video showing of a demonstration representative challenging some BlackBerry users to see who can check in via FourSquare more rapidly.
The video is more light-hearted than the “Smoked by Windows” campaign earlier this year, and includes a magic trick as well as free Lumia’s for the participants in the challenge. Like the Smoked by Windows commercials, the video focuses on the benefits of being able to pin apps to the Live Tiles, which in this case lets the user check in in a couple of short taps.

Check out the kinder and gentler challenge video below and let us know what you think. If you want to see more of Nokia’s “Smarter Apps” campaign, check out the source link below.

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Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD is available at Amazon for just $34

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD with various features

• HD Entertainment On Your Big Screen. Capture moments, then watch and share on the big screen with integrated HDMI technology by connecting to your HDTV. View your phone content like you've never seen it before.
• Motorola ESP Technology. Customize screens with your favorite apps and shortcuts. Every time you dock, your phone will launch your tailored home screen.
• Optimized Audio. Plug in your favorite speakers via the 3.5mm audio jack. Listen to your songs, video chat or take calls hands-free.
• Keep charged while you watch movies, listen to music, and web browse.
• Motorola packaging includes: DROID RAZR MAXX HD dock, adapter plate, rapid wall charger and quick start guide. Choose "ships from and sold by Amazon.com" product to ensure new, authentic Motorola product.

Is available on amazon for only $34

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At Brand Value Chart Apple is At the TOP

The annual Millward Brown BrandZ survey was released recently, with Apple holding fast to its number one spot. Apple's brand worth for 2012 actually grew 19% since last year to $183 billion, followed by IBM with $116 billion brand worth, and Google which dropped a down a rank. It's worth noting that telecom and tech brands claimed about 44% of the top 100 chart's value, compared to a third in 2006. Among the carriers, AT&T still claimed a higher brand value than Verizon, but Verizon has a lot more forward momentum. The Brandz survey spanned over 380 categories, and was generated after over 65,000 different brand measurements in 41 countries.
It's not a huge surprise to see Apple's brand value so high, and one would expect the trend to continue well into next year. In fact, the effectiveness of Apple's branding has gotten to the point where competitors can't help but attack the cult-ish mindset in courts. Apple has created an iconic brand with no small help from their marketing efforts, retail locations, and not to mention world-class products. In fact, at this point it's hard to imagine many other companies being able to command the same clout among the masses as Apple has. Seriously, what could other manufacturers even do to recreate the same kind of mystique as Apple without just looking like a copycat?
Brand value has real tangible returns, and isn't just an indicator of how good Apple is at marketing itself; UBS Research showed not long ago that iPhone users are overwhelmingly the most likely to stick with Apple for their next device out of every smartphone manufacturer. That's part and parcel of having a strong brand.
You can download the full BrandZ 2012 report here, which is actually really, really detailed. Included are a bunch of interesting editorials on marketing across a variety of industries and regional trends.
Source: Reuters

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Top New gadgets for 2012

The Crazy thing about technology is that it is constantly changing. Technology has brought tremendous change in mobile and computer world. In the past we used our mobile phones to place a call, to answer the call and to save phone numbers but now it has become our all in one device. A large desktop computer has changed to a small Laptop and net book. Technology is growing day by day and year by year. Every year we find some new inventions coming out. Let us see Technology tokens we’ve had so far in 2012.

Wii U

Wii U comes with a powerful HD console, offering 1080p output and 3D support. It is also has a small tablet, which is  a controller with all the usable buttons. The touch screen is used to control the games and you can also play the games on that screen, leaving your TV free.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

 

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is the first NVidia Tegra 3 Tablet. HD videos play better than before. It is a new competitor for Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). It has an efficient battery life of 12 hours for watching videos as Tegra 3 manages power.

Android 4.0 Tablets

 

The Sony Tablet P is a unique device which comes with two touch-screens and is similar to Nintendo’s 3DS.  Both the touch-screens are 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1024x480 pixels.  We can use two different applications at the same time using these two screens. Samsung and many other companies are expected to come out with similar Android 4.0 tablets.

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook

 

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook is a razor thin, ultra-portable laptop. XPS 13 Ultrabook has a very light weighted carbon base which keeps it cool to touch. It is available with powerful 2^nd generation Intel Core i7 Processor. Its battery life is about 9 hours. Intel smart connect technology in XPS 13 Ultrabook keeps everything updated even in sleep mode.

Asus Padfone

 

Asus Padfone comes with Android 4.0. It also has NVidia Tegra 3 quad core CPU. Asus Padfone squashes two physical devices, phone and tablet together. It has dynamic display technology which ensures that the app remembers where you stopped so that you can immediately continue playing the game without having to start all over again.it allows up to 63 hours of extended talk time.

  

Written By Mike, Catch me @thetechlegend

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iPhone 5 to feature 3.9-inch Retina Display

Apple is said to be testing two versions of the iPhone 5 ahead of the device’s official release date later in the year.
The new iPhone 5 test handsets, according to reports, both feature 3.9-inch Retina Displays. The new iPhone display resolution will be 640x1136 pixels, meaning the display features an additional 176 pixels when compared with the existing iPhone 4S.
Sources within Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that two iPhone models are being tested extensively. Said handsets, however, are locked away in security blocks so as to conceal the actual design of the device.
‘We know of two next-generation iPhones in testing with a larger display: the iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2. These phones are in the PreEVT stage of development and are codenamed N41AP (5,1) and N42AP (5,2). Because Apple reserves certain models for internal-only usage (such as the N96 phone we previously reported on),’ said 9to5Mac.
'We’re not sure which of the two devices will make its way into the world later this year,' it added.
Apple’s iOS 6 is also in testing and will feature some new tweaks designed to take advantage of the iPhone 5’s larger display. One such change is the inclusion of a fifth row of icons.
Another hotly tipped addition is extended application user-interfaces (UI) that will allow more content to be viewed with a single glance - looks like Apple’s looking to mimic Android’s widgets and Windows Phone’s Live Tiles.
More news as we get it.

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