Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo with 4.8-inch HD display launched at Rs. 26,200

Samsung has quietly launched the Galaxy S3 Neo smartphone in India. The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is now listed at Rs. 26,200 on company's online store. However, there is no word on the availability of the device, with the page providing a 'Notify Me' option for consumers.

The smartphone was listed on Samsung's India e-store without pricing earlier in April. Notably, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo appears to be an India variant of the Galaxy S III Neo+ that was launched for the Chinese market in January.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is a 'lite' variant of the company's 2012 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. It's worth pointing out that the design of the Galaxy S3 Neo is identical to the Galaxy S III; however, the specifications of the former are much more basic than 2012's flagship.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. The Galaxy S3 Neo is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It features a 4.8-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display. The Galaxy S3 Neo is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, with no word on the chipset. Notably, the Galaxy S III Neo+ variant packs a 1.4GHz processor. The Galaxy S3 Neo comes with 1.5GB of RAM and supports expandable storage up to 64GB, while there is no mention of the amount of inbuilt storage.

It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and features CMOS sensor, while there is a 1.9-megapixel front-camera. Connectivity options on the Galaxy S3 Neo include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB and 3G. The smartphone measures 136.6x70.7x8.6mm and weighs about 132 grams.

The Galaxy S3 Neo packs a 2100mAh battery, and will be available in seven colour options - Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Maroon, Pink and White...

Source: Tech News in Hindi

From ndtv News

Twitter Acquires Android Lockscreen App 'Cover'

The creators of the popular Cover lock screen app for Android have announced that as of April 7, they are now employed by Twitter. Unlike the regular lock screen that displays a limited amount of information (weather, time, etc), Cover provides quick access to actual applications in an intelligent way. Much like other Android apps that affect the Android home screen, Cover collects information regarding which apps you access at what time and then places them on the lock screen.

This move obviously suggests that Twitter is at least contemplating how it can integrate into Android devices in a more pronounced way. Cover’s developers, Gordon Luk, Todd Jackson, and Edward Ho, are only handing over Cover and its development team. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see what Twitter does with the acquisition.

   So what does this mean for the Cover app? For now, Cover will remain available in the Play Store while we focus our attention on our work at Twitter. If that changes down the road, we’ll provide another update here. - Cover

Based upon the information that was provided in the announcement, the possibility for Cover to be changed or removed from the Google Play store is present. However, for the time being, people will still be able to download the application...

Source: Technology News 2014

From tapscape News

Researchers develop new optical device, could help build faster computers

Washington: Here comes an optical device that may lead to new and more powerful computers that run faster and cooler. Researchers at Washington University in St Louis have developed an essential component of new computers that would run on light.

“We believe that our discovery would benefit many other fields involving electronics, acoustics, plasmonics and meta-materials,” said Lan Yang, an associate professor of electrical and systems engineering at Washington University.

The team created an optical diode by coupling tiny doughnut-shaped optical resonators – one with gain and the other with loss – on a silicon chip.

This diode is capable of completely eliminating light transmission in one direction and greatly enhancing light transmission in the other nonreciprocal light transmission, explained lead author Bo Peng from Yang’s team.

“Coupling of so-called loss and gain devices using PT (parity-time)-symmetry could enable such advances as cloaking devices, stronger lasers that need less input power, and perhaps detectors that could ‘see’ a single atom,” Yang added.

To make the optical diode, the researchers used two micro-resonators positioned so that light can flow from one to the other.  One device is the “lossy” silica resonator. The other incorporates the chemical element erbium into the silica structure for gain.

When the rate of gain in one resonator exactly equals that of loss in the other, the “phase transition” occurs at a critical coupling distance between the resonators...

Source: Latest Technology News

From firstpost News

Is Android good enough to be a laptop OS?

With Windows 8, Microsoft wants one operating system that works well both on both desktop PCs and tablets. Google, meanwhile, has chosen Android as its tablet and smartphone interface while developing Chrome OS for laptops. So what happens when you put Android on a laptop with a touchscreen, like with the Lenovo Ideapad A10?

Not Quite Android

Many smartphone makers choose to put custom UI skins on Android. Usually, I’m not a fan of that. But on laptops, it’s a necessity. Android isn’t made for laptops, so to make it usable with this form factor, things need to change. Which is why Lenovo has introduced things like a custom dock which mimics the Windows Launch Superbar.

Android also needs a keyboard which steps away from the traditional Windows and Linux keyboards, with special buttons for common Android features like apps drawer, multi-tasking, etc.

But the downside of all this is that these are, in the end, cosmetic changes—the limit of what a company can do without moving beyond the core challenges Android faces as a laptop OS.

Apps, Apps, Apps

The big problem for Android is that its apps are not made for use in a laptop or desktop setting, they are made with the intent of being touched. While some of them translate decently to a keyboard+mouse interface, they still don’t match up to what you would get on Windows. And this is especially found wanting in the quality of the programs.

No office suite, for example, matches up to what you get in Microsoft Office on Windows or Mac. Kingsoft Office and others are decent, but the mobile versions are not as robust as desktop alternatives. Try working with tables in the word processor or try a spreadsheet file with macros and the limitations of mobile office suites come to the fore.

Then there’s the complete lack of support for professional applications. Adobe Photoshop Touch or any other image-editing app on Android doesn’t hold a candle to their desktop counterparts.

But perhaps the most damaging thing for Android is that its mobile browsers aren’t as good as Chrome or Firefox on desktop. By default, these mobile browsers are set to load pages in mobile mode. With a few small hacks, you can set it so that the browser always fetches the desktop version of any website, but what makes Chrome and Firefox so great on desktop are the many extensions and plug-ins that make them a flawless.

Source: Technology News 2014 

From financialexpress News

Moto X review: Puts the smarts in the smartphone

Motorola is a bit late to the smartphone party in India but it seems to be enjoying the most, what with Moto G turning out to be a big hit in the country. Moto G offered what consumers really wanted — good build, quality display, fast processor and a price tag that doesn't break the bank — from a well known brand.

But while the low-cost offering was lapped up by buyers because it provided the best bang for their buck, Moto X is a different story altogether. The phone costs Rs 23,999 for the plastic variants and Rs 25,999 for the wood-panelled models.

It does not have cutting-edge hardware, only a 10 MP camera when most big league phones have a minimum 13 MP, and no big battery or premium-looking metallic body. But it comes with a unique always-on touchless control system and the latest version of Android OS.

Moto X leaves a lot of boxes unchecked, but still carries a medium range price tag of Rs 23,999. Is it worth the money? Is it a better option than Moto G at its price? Is Moto X's user experience better than that of an iPhone? We answer these questions and more in this review of Moto X...

Looks
Moto X is a pretty compact phone despite the 4.7-inch screen. According to Motorola, the display takes up 70% of the space on the front panel of Moto X. In fact, this phone is only slightly bigger than iPhone 5S (whose screen size is only 4-inch) and is actually smaller than Moto G. The back has a slight curve, which makes Moto X feel more natural when held in the palm.

Unlike the premium iPhone 5S and 5 as well as HTC One, Moto X's body is made of polycarbonate plastic. However, the plastic is of high quality and makes the device feel solid in the hand...

Source: Technology News in Hindi

From TOI News

Top paid app on Google Play Store uncovered as fake

Android has developed a bit of a reputation for malware, so it's not too surprising that people want to protect their smartphones. Unfortunately, no one was watching the watchers, and the number one paid app on the Play Store was nothing but fake anti-virus software.

This highlights one of the big problems with mobile app stores, and while it's more obvious on Android, iOS isn't exempt from the criticism - in March the team behind the official Tor Browser said that a fake Tor Browser filled with adware and spyware was available on the iTunes App Store for several months before being finally removed.

Virus Shield, which is no longer available on the Play Store, launched about one week ago, for $3.99 (approximately Rs. 240) and was the top paid app. In the description, the app claimed to be preventing harmful apps from being installed; scanning apps, settings, files and media, and protecting your personal information. Add to that no advertisements, no permissions, and low impact on battery life, and you have thousands of users paying and downloading Virus Shield.

Except... the app didn't do anything at all. Most experts say that anti-virus software does nothing but provide the illusion of safety, and the Virus Shield developers clearly took that to heart - users who analysed the source code of the app learned that all it did was change an icon to tell you that your phone was insecure, but is now protected! The details are available on GitHub.

In a Google+ post, Chris DiBona, Director of Open Source at Google had in 2011 written about his scepticism of anti-virus software...

Source: Tech Guide 2014

From ndtv News

Samsung Galaxy S5 adds two new anti-theft features: What you need to know

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone will launch in India on 11 April. The price for the device is not yet out and according to Samsung it is likely to be between Rs 51,000 to 53,000.

The S5 has hit the headlines once again thanks to two new anti-theft features that have been announced by the company. The two features are called “Find My Mobile” and “Reactivation Lock”.

According to Samsung, they will come pre-installed on Galaxy S5 versions which are sold in US by Verizon and US Cellular.  As  far as the features themselves are concerned, Find My Mobile and Reactivation Lock, they will be available to download as well.

Find My Mobile works on the same principle as Apple’s Find My iPhone. It is an online service that will track and lock a stolen phone, wipe it clean, and alert users if someone tries to insert a different SIM card.

Reactivation Lock is a feature that detects any ‘abnormal’ attempt to reset a device to factory settings. It will prompt users to login even after a successful reset, which should ensure that if someone does steal your phone, they at least won’t be able to log back in.

Users should note that both features need to be activated on the smartphones, so as to keep the device safe.

Source: Technology News

From firstpost News