HTC launches One (E8), the plastic version of its flagship phone

Taiwanese handset giant HTC has announced One (E8), a variant of HTC One (M8) that sports a polycarbonate body instead of the metal one. HTC refers to the One (E8)'s design as 'Dual Curve' and claims that it fits naturally in the user's hand in virtually any position. The phone will also be available in a dual-sim version in select variants.

HTC One (E8) is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset and 2GB RAM. The clock speed of the processor has not been revealed. It comes with 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports memory cards of up to 128GB. It sports a 5-inch Full-HD, borderless display and dual stereo BoomSound speakers.

The smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6 UI running on top. It supports 'Motion Launch' gestures that were part of HTC One (M8).

One(E8) sports a 13MP rear camera (unlike the One (M8) that has an UltraPixel camera) and a 5MP front-facing camera for enhanced selfies. Both of the cameras can capture Full-HD video. It comes with a 2600mAh battery.

"The HTC One (M8) sets a new smartphone standard and now we're taking it in another exciting direction," said HTC's CEO Peter Chou. "Combining style and substance, the HTC One (E8) represents the incredible experience people expect from an HTC One device with a look and feel that's unlike anything else out there today. If you're looking for the best flagship smartphone experience, but want to stand out from the crowd, this is the phone for you."..

Source: Technology News 2014

From TOI News

Moto E launched in India for Rs 6,999: Motorola’s massive challenge to Micromax and Co

Motorola has finally unveiled the Moto E and India will be the first country to get a taste of the latest budget effort from the one-time mobile giant. The phone is priced at an unbelievable Rs 6,999, which makes it great competition to the Indian low-cost smartphone brigade.

After facing a tough time in the Indian market ever since smartphones broke out on the scene, Motorola has been on the sidelines and nearly folded its Indian operations. With very limited resources, the company kept its India business alive and ticking, but if you had asked us this time last year if Motorola will be a force to reckon with, we would have laughed you off.

Cut to the present and three phones later, Motorola has well and truly made a comeback. It started with the Moto G earlier this year, which now is the most successful launch in the company’s history.

The exclusive deal with Flipkart helped in creating a big hype and that sumptuous price tag helped win buyers. But the Moto G did better than we expected. It looks more polished than phones in this price range and had very good specs too. This was how you did budget phones...

Source: Latest Technology News

From firstpost News

BlackBerry unwraps the $190 midrange Z3 Jakarta Edition

BlackBerry has unveiled its a low-cost all-touch device, the Z3.  The handset, which will be released exclusively in Indonesia, marks its best effort yet to win back its once-loyal fanbase in the country.

The five-inch smartphone will go on sale from 15 May for 2,199,000 Indonesian rupea ($190) via local partners including Erafone and Indosat.

It's one of the first smartphones to be launched under current CEO John Chen and an early product of BlackBerry's manufacturing partnership with Foxconn, announced late last year.

At under $200, the new device fills a significant gap in the company's smartphone lineup in Indonesia, where BlackBerry has historically enjoyed a loyal following that were not catered to by the higher-priced Z10, Q10, and Q5 devices.

"Priced affordably, the BlackBerry Z3, Jakarta Edition will extend the full capabilities of the BlackBerry 10 Operating System version 10.2.1 experience for a new generation of customers in Indonesia," Chen said...

Source: Technology News 2014

From zdnet News

Is the pdf near its end?

You download it often to read academic paper, research note, even a profile of your favourite candidate on your smart phone or tablet.

But according to a World Bank study, most of pdfs are left buried unread on the servers.

Of the 1,611 pdf reports the study looked at, only 25 were downloaded more than 1,000 times in the five-year period between 2008 and 2012.

Over 31 percent of the reports the group looked at - 517 separate research papers - were not downloaded a single time.

The reason for this is because "pdfs often give up machine readability in favour of human readability".

"The basic format does not include any requirement that text be selectable or searchable," said a Guardian report.

Data presented as charts and tables is often impossible to export in any useable way...

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From business-standard News

Priced under Rs 8,000, Lava Iris X1 running Android KitKat coming soon

Lava is all set to bring a new budget smartphone running Android KitKat in the Indian market. The company has announced the Iris X1 that will be priced ‘under Rs 8,000′.

The device is designed to offer all features that ensure easy multitasking and high quality media output with an 8MP rear camera, it added. It sports a 4.5-inch display and runs on Android 4.4.2. Apart from the price teaser, the company hasn’t revealed any specific details of the smartphone.

“To add to it, Lava is going to price it aggressively under Rs 8k. Riding on the success of its Iris Pro series, Lava is really upbeat about this offering,” the statement said.

Though no specific date of launch was disclosed, the statement said Lava “plans to launch the phone in the next few days” with a pan-India 360-degree marketing campaign...

Source: Technology News in Hindi

From firstpost News

Microsoft rescues under-threat Windows XP users with fix for IE flaw

Microsoft is helping the estimated hundreds of millions of customers still running Windows XP, which it stopped supporting earlier this month, by providing an emergency update to fix a critical bug in its Internet Explorer browser.

Microsoft rushed to create the fix after learning of the bug in the operating system over the weekend when cybersecurity firm FireEye warned that a sophisticated group of hackers had exploited the bug to launch attacks in a campaign dubbed “Operation Clandestine Fox.”

It was the first high-profile threat to emerge after Microsoft stopped providing support to its 13-year-old XP operating software on April 8.

Microsoft on Wednesday initially said it would not provide the remedy to Windows XP users because it had stopped supporting the product. But on Thursday, as Microsoft started releasing the fix for the bug through its automated Windows Update system, a company spokeswoman said the remedy also would be pushed out to XP customers....

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From firstpost News

Airtel launches 4G data services on mobile

Bharti Airtel Limited has launched its 4G services on mobile in three cities of India, Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. Until now, Airtel customers of these cities were experiencing mobile internet on 2G speeds. Customers of these cities can experience high speed of internet browsing experience anytime, anywhere.

Customers using Apple iPhone 5s or 5c have to just upgrade their existing SIM to a 4G SIM and select from any 4G plan or pack to start enjoying mobile internet browsing at unbeatable speeds. Customers can walk into any of Airtel’s company operated stores in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkulato experience LIVE demos and get started on 4G.

“Tricity witnessed the advent of 4G last year and today we are proud to announce the launch of the much awaited 4G on mobile, empowering residents in the region to upgrade to the 4G – the fastest ever mobile broadband, matching their mobile internet experience with the rest of the world. As a brand we are committed to enriching the lives of millions and invite our data savvy customers in the city to enjoy this world class data experience which we are offering at unbeatable prices”, said Manu Sood, Hub CEO –Upper North, Bharti Airtel – India.

Customers will experience capabilities like high definition video streaming with zero buffering, downloading10 movies in less than 30 minutes, uploading full holiday albums in less than 5 minutes by uploading 2 high quality photos per second and also connecting multiple devices without any experience constraint...

Source: Technology News

From TT News

Micromax Canvas 2 Colours A120 with changeable back covers listed online

Micromax has listed a new smartphone, Canvas 2 Colours A120, on its official website.

The company has not mentioned the pricing and availability of the phone. The phone sports better hardware compared to the original Canvas 2 and Canvas 2 Plus smartphones.

The USP of the Canvas 2 Colours smartphone is its changeable back panels. Micromax will bundle Red and Blue back cover panels with the Dark Grey variant of Canvas 2 Colours and Yellow and Green back cover panels with the White variant of Canvas 2 Colours.

According to the listing, Canvas 2 Colours sports a 5-inch HD (720 x 1280p) IPS display.

It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor and 1GB RAM. The phone comes with 4GB internal storage, with support for microSD cards of up to 32GB. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Source: Technology News

From indiatimes News

How John Sculley’s smartphone brand Obi could succeed in the Indian market

Naturally, everyone wants a piece of one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world. India has seen a number of new brands make an entry in the smartphone market last year alone. From Chinese companies such as Gionee and Oppo, to American PC giants HP to brands such as Japan’s Panasonic, which has given up on the smartphone game back home, but has a big budget for India. Motorola made a comeback with the ultra-popular Moto G.

So it’s no surprise that former Apple CEO John Sculley is planning on adding to the number, according to a report in BGR India. Former Micromax and HTC top exec Ajay Sharma will be leading the business in India. The company will be called Obi and company will launch a series of smartphone, with the first device said to be coming in April. The supposed price range is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000, which makes us a bit sceptical about the brand’s chances.

 In the report, talking about the new company, Sharma is said to have insisted that their “forthcoming devices will have a different positioning and USP.” But in the same price range as most well-known Indian brands, there’s very little head room for playing the brand positioning game. Once again, it could be about the price and specs proposition and as we have said in the past, it takes more than just that...

Source: Technology News 2014

From firstpost News

Facebook launches new service which will share your location to within half a mile

Facebook users in the U.S. will soon be able to see which of their friends are nearby using a new feature that the company launched on Thursday.

The Nearby Friends feature must be turned on by the user, so people shouldn't expect to broadcast their location unknowingly.

It will use your smartphone's GPS system to tell your Facebook friends you are nearby - provided they have the feature turned on as well. Rather than share your exact location, it will show only that you are nearby, say, within half a mile.

If you like, you can manually share a more precise location with a specific friend you'd like to meet up with. Friends can see where you're located in a particular park, airport or city block. By default, your exact location will be shared for only an hour, although you can change this.

Nearby Friends launches amid the growing popularity of location-based mobile dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge. But unlike those apps, Facebook's feature will let you meet up only with people who are already your friends.

Facebook, whose motto has long been ‘move fast and break things,’ built a lot of precautions in this new tool as it tries to avoid privacy fiascos that often bubble up when it makes changes to its service.

The new motto, ‘ship love,’ is evident in the cautious rollout of Nearby Friends, said Jules Polonetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum, an industry-backed think tank in Washington. He has advised Facebook on privacy issues, including the latest feature..

Source: Technology News in Hindi

From dailymail.co.uk News

Sony Xperia E1 review: An affordable phone that offers serious performance for its class

Music lovers on a budget can totally rejoice with the Sony Xperia E1 Dual Sim. With a dedicated Walkman button and cool music app, you can be assured of a rich musical experience. It is also a very compact and lightweight phone given its plastic outer shell. Obviously, at Rs 10,490 this phone doesn’t look and feel upmarket. Besides, the phone carries only a 3MP camera without flash and no front camera. Might be a deal-breaker, but before you decide, here’s the inside scoop on this smartphone.

DESIGN

The Phone looks and feels plastic, therefore it weighs just 120 grams. You might also say it’s a fairly chubby phone from the side measuring at 12mm. That’s not great news for the manufacturer because nowadays even affordable phones such as the MOTO G sport a sleeker look and come with wide colour options. However, barring the looks it’s a well put together phone and given its modest dimensions (2.46 inch wide), it’s perfect for single-handed use.

You also have a Walkman key on top of the phone. The button is meant to control the music and integrates with the Sony’s music app. Press it long enough and it kick-starts the Walkman app, while double pressing it skips to the next song. Quite a neat feature for music aficionados.

DISPLAY

The E1 has got a biggish 4-inch display with 800 x 480 pixels. The display isn’t great and lacks colour depth. In fact, if you tilt the phone you will notice a poor contrast and loss of colours. But given the price, you’ll feel it’s not all that bad.

This phone, however, has an automatic brightness adjustment feature that adjusts according to outdoors visibility....

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From financialexpress News

Nokia recalls 30,000 chargers for Lumia 2520 tablet

Finnish telecom company Nokia on Thursday recalled 30,000 chargers for its Lumia 2520 tablet due to risk it could give customers an electric shock.

The AC-300 charger, manufactured by a third-party supplier, was sold in Austria, Britain, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and the US.

The Lumia 2520 is the first tablet by Nokia, once the world leader in the mobile phone industry but which lost its top place to South Korea's Samsung in 2012.

"The plastic cover of the charger's exchangeable plug could come loose and separate," the company said in a statement.

"If loose and separated, certain internal components pose a hazard of an electric shock if touched while the plug remains in a live socket." ..

Source: Technology News

From hindustantimes News

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo review: A potential runaway hit if Samsung irons out software kinks

Samsung in their neverending quest for world domination believes in overwhelming their audience and spoiling them for choice. There’s complete chaos in Samsung’s smartphone line-up as new models are added to fill every conceivable price bracket and phones launched a few months back are seeing price drops and overlap the new launches. A couple of months back, Samsung added yet another arsenal of products out of which, we felt the Galaxy Note 3 Neo was the most interesting of the lot. We brought you our first-hand look at the new addition to the Note family and felt it had great potential to succeed if priced right.

Well, a month or so later and Samsung has officially dropped the price down to Rs 34,670. This means you can find it online for as low as Rs 32,000. The Neo is a stripped down version of the Galaxy Note 3 but the crucial bits like the S Pen and large battery have been left relatively untouched. Finally, we have a worthy replacement for the Galaxy Note 2. So is this the real deal? Can it actually deliver Note 3-like performance for a lot lesser? Let’s find out.

Design and Build

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo looks almost identical to the Note 3. In fact, it’s not uncommon to mistake it for the Note 3. It’s a bit lighter than its big brother but not as slim. The extra heft is noticeable if you’ve used a Note 3. The one thing we really love is that Samsung has gotten rid of the hideous ribbed design on the sides. Instead, we get a more pleasing matt chrome finish which is the lesser of the two evils...

Source: Technology News 2014

From firstpost News

LG G Flex review: There is more to this phone than the curve

I have always felt that Android phones have had a problem finding differentiators. That is why many of them came packed with features, mostly software, that are at the best gimmicks. But it is hard to sell a phone on a gimmick, however good the gimmick might be. That is why of late some manufacturers have been looking at design to be the big differentiator. The most different phone as far as design goes has to be the LG G Flex, with its curved screen that can flex itself if needed.

Design

Yes, with a curved screen you have a design that is bound to make some heads turn. But this is not just a gimmick of a design and seems very practical. The shape seems more conducive to making calls as it corresponds the shape of the face. But you tend to poke your ear with the top of the phone. The curve is also a bit awkward when you are carrying the phone in your shirt or jeans pocket. And, no it does not fit better in your back pocket. But the form factor is really innovative. In fact, the phone can take a bit of pressure and straighten up. This could be helpful if you accidentally end up sitting on the phone. Now you know why it is called Flex.

Another unique feature in this phone is the placement of the power and volume buttons. They on the rear panel, bang under the camera. This seems a more natural place for these buttons at it is here that your finger rests while making a call. However, you have to fight years of muscle memory to get your brain to start using these buttons as default.

The phone is also supposed to have a self-healing back cover. But the review unit I got already had a couple of scratches and I did not want to hurt it further. Obviously, it is not healing all that fast. ..

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From financialexpress News

Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM tablet launched for Rs 12999: What to expect

Asus, on Tuesday, has launched Fonepad 7 Dual SIM voice-calling tablet in India for Rs 12999. It was initially announced at MWC in Barcelona this year, alongside an LTE variant. The device supports dual-SIM functionality and voice-calling and supports Micro-SIM cards. It comes with 7 inch LED IPS display with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution.

The new Asus Fonepad 7 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS. It is powered by 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel 'Clover Trail+' Atom Z2520 processor with 1GB RAM. It comes with 8 GB of inbuilt storage, while Asus is also offering 16 GB on Asus Webstorage cloud space for one-year...

Source: Technology News

From telecomtiger News

Asus launches Fonepad 7 Dual SIM for Rs 12,999: Intel-powered tablet with voice calling

Asus has finally launched the Fonepad 7 with dual-SIM functionality for Rs 12,999, at an event held in Delhi. In addition to the dual SIM slots, the latest Asus Fonepad 7 comes with an improved processor and camera compared to the refresh launched last year. The Fonepad 7 dual-SIM is the third variant of the tablet to reach Indian stores. Check out our review of the original Fonepad 7.

Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM sports a 7-inch LED Backlit IPS display with 1280×800 pixels of resolution. Under the hood, it comes powered by a dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor that’s clocked at 1.2 GHz and coupled with 1GB of RAM. The device also includes PowerVR SGX544 GPU graphics.

The tablet comes equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. On the connectivity options include Wi-Fi and 3G, along with Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS support. The 8GB onboard storage is expandable up to 64GB via microSD card slot. It also gets 16GB of Asus web storage for one year. The tablet weighs 340 grams with 199.5 x 120.8 x 11.35mm dimensions. The tablet runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and packs in a 3950 mAh battery that promises 28 hours of talk time on 3G.

We’ll be bringing you an unboxing of the tablet as well as our first impressions. So stay tuned for more on the Asus Fonepad 7.

Source: Technology News 2014

From FP News

Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini quick-read review: It might be a good idea to skip this one

Mobile phones are getting bigger and bigger, but what about those of us with smaller hands? Not everyone wants a smartphone that barely fits in their pocket or something that eclipses their face when held against the ear. Like the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and the Moto G, the Micromax Canvas Turbo Mini asks the question: do good things still come in small packages?

Specs: 4.7-inch IPS touchscreen (1280×720 pixels) | 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek MTK6582 processor | 1GB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD up to 32GB | Dual-SIM (microSIM + standard SIM) | 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, 720p HD video recording | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, GPS | 1800mAh battery | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Price: Rs 12,000 approximately

Design: With a unibody design, the Canvas Turbo Mini manages to look pretty good from a distance. It’s got a back that’s made to look like brushed aluminium, although it’s made out of plastic. And it’s light when you first hold it too. But that’s not what you notice. You notice the cheap quality of the materials. You notice the way the chrome trimming along the corners has started discolouring. You notice the innumerable scratches and blemishes on the back. And you notice how the flaps on the top and bottom of the back don’t sit flush with the plate in the middle. The Canvas Turbo Mini is that unit which is great when you take it out of the box, but quickly starts aging.

Screen: Not having a Gorilla Glass or other scratch-resistant surface is always bothersome for me and that earns the Turbo Mini some negatives. But what’s nice is that it makes full use of its 4.7-inch screen, unlike the Moto G and the Z1 Compact. There are capacitive touch buttons under the screen instead of virtual on-screen buttons. When screen space is already limited, it’s nice that a manufacturer gives you full use of it. Plus, the screen itself is pretty decent. Its failings lie in the colours being a little washed out and the fact that applying a screen guard distorts its legibility in sunlight. But apart from that, it’s everything you can want.

Performance: The Canvas Turbo struggled to have its processor keep up with the FullHD screen and a similar problem plagues the Turbo Mini. It’s simply not a smooth experience, unlike other phones priced in this range like the Moto G or even Micromax’s own.

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From financialexpress News

Microsoft's Cortana review: Its improvements over Siri, Google Now aren't enough to switch to Windows Phone

Thanks for asking, Cortana. And thanks for making the Windows phone software better, Microsoft.

With the new Cortana virtual assistant, Windows catches up with Apple's iOS and Google's Android in a major way. Microsoft takes some of the best parts of Apple's and Google's virtual assistants and adds a few useful tools of its own. The result is Cortana, named after an artificial-intelligence character in Microsoft's "Halo" video games.

The new Windows system, Windows Phone 8.1, has several other new features, which I'll review separately Tuesday.

The update, including Cortana, will come with new phones starting next month, while existing phones will be able to download it for free in the coming months. On Monday, Microsoft is making a preview version available to software developers. I was able to test that version over the past week.

Apple's Siri virtual assistant on iPhones and iPads has a feisty personality. She has good comebacks for such questions as, "What is the meaning of life?" She's also helpful with directions, restaurant recommendations and appointment reminders. Google Now on Android phones is boring by comparison, but it's better at anticipating your needs and giving you information before you even ask.

Cortana combines Siri's personality with Google Now's knack for anticipation.

Cortana also incorporates a feature for blocking calls, texts and notifications during times of your choosing, while letting you set exceptions for specific people or emergencies (defined as someone trying to call again within three minutes). That feature is separate on iPhones and Samsung's Android phones. Cortana will also identify the name of songs heard in a retail store or bar, while you need separate apps such as SoundHound or Shazam on other phones. ..

Source: Technology News

From IBN News

RCom launches Moto G CDMA variant for Rs 13490, comes with 8GB and Android KitKat OS

After the success of the Moto G in India, Motorola has now introduced a CDMA variant of Moto G smartphone in association with telecom operator Reliance Communications. Moto G (CDMA) variant is available at Reliance Communications' official online store for Rs. 13,490 for 8GB variant.

The Moto G CDMA is a non SIM-based device. It is available with zero down-payment and EMI plans from RCom. Consumers can buy a Moto G CDMA with 6 months or 12 months EMI schemes with zero down payments.

In February, Motorola launched the Moto G dual-SIM phone in 8GB and 16GB storage variants at Rs. 12,499 and Rs. 13,999 respectively.

Moto G runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS. It features 4.5 inch HD 'edge-to-edge' display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and boasts a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen. It is powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and 1 GB RAM.

The device sports a 5 megapixel rear camera along with an LED flash and also includes a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.

It also features water-resistant nano-coating on the inside and outside. The Moto G comes with a 2070 mAh battery.

Source: Latest Technology News

From TT News

Microsoft ends Windows XP support: A timeline of Windows XP’s 13-year journey

One of the world’s most beloved computer operating systems will no longer see worldwide official support. After launching in 2001, Microsoft is finally pulling the plug on Windows XP, the OS that was the first for many in the world. The rolling grassy hills under a quintessentially blue sky (incidentally a photo of the Napa Valley) greeted millions around the world as they first put on a PC. So it’s no surprise that even now plenty of computers use it – both out of necessity, like ATMs, which have not changed their OS since they came on the scene, or out of sheer familiarity, like that one uncle who has never wanted to upgrade. It’s been a long run, so let’s look at some of the milestones.

Neptune to Whistler

Microsoft began working on Windows XP in the latter half of the 1990s. It was named Neptune then and was built on the Windows NT Kernel, which was mainly used in consumer PCs. Microsoft had wanted to build two different OSes, based on different needs of consumers and businesses, both based on Windows 2000 that preceded. But in a move that has shaped the future of Windows, it decided to use just one OS which would serve both types of customers. Codenamed Whistler, this is what we know as XP.

In April 2000, Microsoft formally showed an early build of Whistler, which showed some of the new features, such as user switching, native CD burning support, digital media features in Windows Media Player and of course that familiar Start Menu, but in a completely revamped avatar.

Brand XP

In February 2001, the company made the Windows XP name official. The XP as many would have guessed stands for experience, which, Microsoft would like us to believe, is what they were delivering. But it rolled off the tongue so well and had a catchy sound. It was a name that was destined to be liked. It was loved so much by Microsoft that it carried the name to Microsoft Office as well, naming it Office XP for this specific release. XP would be released in different versions – Home and Professional – with slightly different elements according to the needs they met.

Starting XP

When clicked, the Start Menu on XP threw up a newer launchpad for all your software and applications. Firstly, it featured a mysterious two-column layout, and you could ‘pin’ apps that you wanted on one column and the other greatly eased what settings and parts of the computer one wanted to access. The Start Menu is so second nature to most users that Windows 8 became the subject of ire for dropping it. Now that it’s back with the latest update to the OS, Microsoft is paying XP a tribute as it leaves official support...

Source: Technology News 2014

From firstpost News