Accidental post reveals Windows 8 Release Preview to debut today

If one was wondering when Microsoft would actually release the final public test build of Windows 8, then this accidental leak may just be their answer. According to a report by Neowin, Microsoft had accidentally posted on their Windows Hardware and Driver Developer blog that the build will be available on the 31st of May, 2012.

It was initially expected to be released during the first half of June and this accidental leak may be pleasing to all those waiting for the Windows 8 Release Preview. As per the report, the author states, “It looks like we're going to get what everyone's been waiting to get their hands on earlier than expected. A badly timed blog post (now deleted) today on the Windows Hardware and Driver Developer Blog pinned the release date of the next preview of Windows for May 31st.”

Non profits might soon use domain extensions .ngo and .ong

Currently, non-profit organizations use .org as their domain extensions when setting up their Internet presence. The group that manages .org domains is a non-profit, called the Public Interest Registry (PIR). To give non-profit organizations more options for domain names as well as options for being more specific with their domain names, the PIR has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for two more domain extensions: .ngo and .ong. According to Mashable, the application is a part of ICANN's efforts to increase the number of domain extensions, Internet-wide, by 2013. The .org domain extension is currently the third most used domain extension in the world, following .com and .net in first and second place, respectively.

The PIR wants to give non-goovernment organizations more options for their domain names and since, of course, there are differences between NGOs and non-profits, the domain extensions, .ngo and .ong should help them be more specific with their web addresses. .ong is essentially the same thing as .ngo, used in Spanish, Italian, French and other romance languages. Since NGO itself is a very well known three letter acronym, it only makes sense for it to be applied to web addresses.

RIM: What are its businesses really worth?

Research In Motion Ltd.'s latest profit warning and its move to hire bankers to explore strategic options have raised speculation the BlackBerry maker might consider a piecemeal sale of its assets.

Here is an overview of the assets of the one-time technology giant and some estimates on what the assets could be worth.

Leaked images show Apple's iOS 6 3D Maps feature

Apple is set to announce iOS 6 at the WWDC 2012 event this year and one of the major talking points at the event will be iOS 6. As of now, details about what Apple will include in the next major operating software is scarce but reports are floating around that Apple plans to revamp the Maps app and unveil a new app for Maps without the Google backend. As per a report by BGR, there are now leaked images to give us a glimpse of what this revamped app will look like.

Leaked image of iPhone 5 schematic reveals a 4-inch display

It seems that when it rains, it pours. Shortly after leaked images of what is believed to be the casing of the iPhone 5, another image has surfaced showing the schematics of the upcoming Apple flagship smartphone.

Dell Latitude 10, first Windows 8 tablet shows up

While Nokia shrugged aside reports about a Windows 8 tablet, calling it ‘misconstrued,’ a Windows 8 tablet unexpectedly emerged from Dell. As per reports by Neowin, the image (as seen below) is of the Dell Latitude 10 Windows 8 tablet. It’s a 10-inch tablet with HD capacitive multi-touch screen with 1366 x 768 resolution. The device is powered by Intel Clover Trail Atom Dual Core processor with 2GB RAM and graphics chipset from Intel. This Dell tablet wouldn’t come across as the lightest and slimmest in the market, as it weighs 710 grams and measures 10 x 7 x 0.4-inches. Dell, a renowned PC maker, hasn’t been able to make a mark in the smartphone market. Its Streak could not make waves like Samsung’s Galaxy Note, although both were intended to bridge the gap between tablets and smartphones.

New Android mini computer selling for approx. Rs.5,000

A Chinese company is currently selling an Android 4.0 running thumb drive that lets you use Android on any of your monitors. This miniscule thumb drive, dubbed the MK802, runs on Android 4.0 and has an Allwinner A10 or a 1GHz Cortex A8 chip with 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, a full sized USB 2.0 port and HDMI as well. It also has a microSD card slot that is expandable up to 32GB and because it is based on the AllWinner A10 chip, it allows users to insert a microSD card with Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution, giving you complete control.

Earlier, we came across a similar product that went by the name of Cotton Candy. Developed by Norwegian Company, FXI Tech, it had a dual-core 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos ARM CPU with Google’s Android operating system onboard. Connectivity options included Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-out and a microSD card slot. The major difference between this device and the others is that it has a female HDMI port requiring users to plug-in an extra HDMI cord. However, with this new Android thumbstick, all you need now is a display and it can be either an HDTV, or a Mac or Windows PC.

Google Project Glass - Jumping Video

The ability to digitize a part of our world for accessing all kinds of data based on location and what you’re actually looking at, i.e. augmented reality is no longer science fiction. While mobile applications have been available for some time now, based on AR technology, we as consumers are always “looking” for something more advanced and that’s where Google’s Project Glass (PG) comes into the “pictures” (pardon the puns).

Project glass has been an intriguing concept, since Google’s fascinating advertorial video for the prototypes made it out, about a month ago. The idea that we could have mobile technology combined with AR tech in a lightweight, wearable module naturally piqued the world’s curiosity. Within the span of its ‘debut’, test results of the Project glass prototypes have been making the rounds as Google employees take the technology to the field. There’s nothing like a field test to give you the right perspective.

Microsoft plans to launch Office for iOS and Android in November

M

icrosoft launched a set of apps, including Office for Nokia devices running Symbian Belle, last year, and this year it seems they're bringing office to iOS and Android. Boy Genius Report say they have a source close to the matter stating that the company plans to release a full Office suite to iOS devices as well as Android tablets, this coming November. It's is not clear whether the app will come only to the iPad or to other iOS devices, like the iPhone and the iPod Touch, as well. However, the loading screen on the app read -  "Office for iOS". BGR says thoughthat  their source has seen Microsoft Office on an iPad first hand. They say that the app looks almost exactly like the one that had leaked a few months ago, even though after that leak happened, Microsoft denied that that app was genuine.

R u going to use this.!!

 

Yahoo! Axis goes public

Yahoo!’s Axis browser is now out as the company has officially rolled out the service. Axis marks Yahoo!’s entry into the browser race amid its rather tumultuous period. Yahoo! Axis combines the experience of searching and browsing for the user. At the moment, Axis is available for the iPad and the iPhone and for the desktop computer.

Galaxy S III to launch in India on May 31

The Most awaited S3

We’ve just confirmed from sources close to us that Samsung is planning on announcing the Galaxy S III, their new flagship device, on the 31st of May in New Delhi. We are not too sure whether this will be a hard launch or one just on paper, but I guess we’ll find out in a couple of days. The Korean company already started with their pre-bookings for India a while back, so those who have pre-booked the phone will most likely be among the first to receive it. There’s still no word on the final price of the phone, although rumours floating around the Internet suggest a price tag of Rs.42,000. This could very well be the MRP of the device, so the actual street price could be a lot lower, and it better be if they want to compete with HTC’s One X. This will be the second quad-core handset to hit the streets and we’ll try and bring you guys the play by play of the event, as and when it unfolds. 

Google's official 7-inch tablet ready, to ship in June : Asus MeMO ME370T

Google’s got their official mobile handsets that have been co-developed with various handset manufacturers. Now, an official Google tablet is also on the way. We heard about the existence of such a device quite some time back. Digitimes now has a report that states that Google is quite definitely going to start shipping the device, as early as June. The tablet, which will sport a 7-inch display is being developed, along with Asus. Apparently some 600,000 tablets are being manufactured by Asus and these should hit markets soon after they are shipped. Digitimes expects the product to hit stores in July. When Digitimes asked Asus about it they refused to comment. 

Gadgets are most popular online purchases, says eBay survey

Click and Buy

Over the last year, e-commerce set its foot firmly on the Indian terrain, owing to the increase in the number of PC and smartphone users. The trend has matured so much that today we can quickly name at least 5 companies that offer products online. eBay conducted a recent survey, which clearly states that smartphone users have been eagerly using online sites for making purchases and also to check deals and prices to help them make the purchase decision.

eBay India Mobile Commerce Survey findings say that 57 percent of the people surveyed check prices online before heading to purchase that product in a store. 30 percent users say that they always find better deals online, while 49 percent claim that they look for online deals in order to fetch a better deal. Gadgets have been said to make for favourite online purchases, as 68 percent mobile Internet users bought gadgets on their smartphones, 40 percent bought clothes and footwear, while 34 percent users purchased books. Probably 3G also has a meatier role to play here, and now we could expect these figures to rise even higher, as telecom providers slash 3G prices. According to the survey, 64 percent users have upgraded to 3G services and 80 percent claim to be always on the Internet, wherever they go.

LG announces 55-inch OLED TV for uncompromising picture quality

LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled the world's largest and slimmest 55-inch OLED TV. Based on the WRGB technology, this new offering by LG aims at delivering unrivaled picture quality, along with a slim and gorgeous design. The TV was unveiled in front of an audience of 400 dealers, journalists, along with special guest, F1 champion Sebastian Vettel. LG officials vowed to bring these TVs to European consumers in the second half of the year. "In the history of television, there have been very few innovations as impactful as the coming of OLED TV," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG's Home Entertain-ment Company. "We say the ultimate display because LG OLED TV is truly above all expectations and beyond everyone's imagination with uncompromising picture quality and beautiful design. This year, we plan to make OLED synonymous with LG."

Samsung selling Galaxy S II with ICS preinstalled in India

Samsung have recently unveiled the Galaxy S III and the entire world is waiting for it to be released. The handset has not even been launched anywhere across the globe but the model has already received over 9 million preorders. But what is it that makes this smartphone one of the most eagerly awaited handsets of 2012? Apart from the fact that it is ‘Designed for Humans,’ the upcoming flagship smartphone from Samsung is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S II, which is arguably one of the best handsets manufactured last year. So if one still fancies getting themselves this tried and tested handset that has been really successful in our review as well, here is some good news for you. As per a report by NDTV, the Samsung Galaxy S II will be available for purchase equipped with the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Samsung Star 2 Coming with Android 4.0

Recent study says Apple still dominates world's top brands

Apple has maintained its place as the world's most valuable brand over the past year, leading a group of technology-related companies that dominate the top 10, according to a study published on Tuesday. The iPhone and iPad maker has boosted its brand value by 19 percent in the past year to $183 billion, or 37 percent of its market capitalisation, according to the annual BrandZ study by leading brands and market-research agency Millward Brown.

Nokia Lumia 900 proves it's hardcore in a nail-biting test

Nokia is currently in that place where they need to prove their mettle to the vast and ever mobile increasing mobile community, if they wish to get back into the game. Currently, the once king of the mobile hill, is running behind the pack and just about managing to stay visible. While they seem to be doing just as well as before in the lower budget segment, their higher end smartphones have been neglected in lieu of Google’s more popular Android platform.

But to prove to the world that their products are just as good as anyone else's, if not better, the Finnish company decided to showcase just how hardcore they can be. With kid gloves off, and to prove that their upcoming Windows smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 900, was as tough as nails the company took things to a very literal stage. As a demonstration to show the world that the Lumia 900’s display was capable of all kinds of pressure, demonstrators took a hammer and nails to it. 

Zuckerberg lost £1bn in three days of marriage: Facebook shares slump after £65bn flotation euphoria

In the three days since his wedding – held the day after Facebook’s £65billion flotation on the stock market – the firm’s value has slumped by more than £12billion.

It meant Mr Zuckerberg’s personal fortune had fallen by £1.3billion in the middle of the day’s trading, as he saw his company’s share price tumble well below its £24 opening on Friday.

Google Chrome Overtakes Internet Explorer

Google’s Chrome is now the most popular Web browser worldwide, surpassing Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for the first time, according to the latest figures from StatCounter. After years of slowly chipping away Internet Explorer’s market share, Chrome took the lead with 32.76 percent share, while IE dipped to 31.94 percent.

Just a year ago, Internet Explorer was leading the Web browser market share with 43 percent, followed by Mozilla Firefox with 29 percent, and Chrome was third with 19 percent. Twelve months later, IE has lost 12 percent of the browser market share while Chrome gained 13 percent to the detriment of IE and Firefox, which also lost about 4 percent of its users and now comes in at just over 25 percent.

Apple fixes Siri to show iPhone 4S as the best smartphone

Apple has tweaked the Siri application of iPhone 4S, after facing an embarrassing moment when the virtual assistant app reportedly termed the Nokia Lumia 900 as the best smartphone in the world.

Last week, The Next Web reported Apple's Siri terming Nokia Lumia 900 as an answer to the question - What is the best smartphone ever? But now if the users ask same question, Siri responds - the one you are holding i.e. iPhone 4S.

Apple introduced the virtual assistant dubbed Siri with the iPhone 4S last year and clearly stated that it is in beta stage. In simpler terms, the Apple's Siri service is a smart machine-driven service that collates its results using the information already on the device and by search through various third party search services. However, the unique aspect of this Siri was the humour in the response thrown back.

Samsung's reason for using PenTile on SGS III is longer lifespan

The design of Samsung’s latest flagship phone is not the only disappointment among the tech community. Mobileburn reports that people were quite unhappy about the fact that Samsung have used the much older PenTile technology in their AMOLED screen, rather than the newer Super AMOLED Plus, which resides in the S II. The newer version of the screen features the standard RGB pixel layout which provides more accurate colours. At CTIA 2012, Samsung’s spokesperson finally came clean and said that the only reason they went with the PenTile was that it lasts longer and is more durable. They further went on to explain that AMOLEDs tend to deteriorate a lot faster than standard LCD panels and it’s actually the blue pixel that dies out the fastest, compared to the red and green. Apparently, this was the only reason they went with PenTile and it wasn’t related to the supply of the newer Super AMOLED Plus.

Nokia 808 PureView to sell in India at Rs.29,999

For those of you who are eagerly awaiting the launch of the flagship Symbian handset, the Nokia 808 PureView and have already started saving up for this super shooter smartphone, then here is a price that you can expect it to feature once it's launched. According to a report by AndroSym, the handset that stole the show at the Mobile World Congress event that was held in Barcelona earlier this year will be available at a price of Rs.29,999. The website has received this information from a page source from the Nokia India store and it can be viewed on the Google Chrome browser. As per the report, “Today we stumbled upon this rather little secret – Nokia India’s online store has priced the 808 PureView at INR 29,999 (or 30,000 as a round figure). That’s about $561 at the current exchange rate.” This is probably the most concrete bit of information we have heard regarding the pricing of this Symbian smartphone.

Siri says Nokia Lumia 900 is best smartphone ever

Siri, Siri on the wall, Who's the best smartphone of them all?

Wait for it... Nokia Lumia 900! That's right, if you ask Apple's speech recognition software, Siri, what the best smartphone ever made is, the software betrays its maker and answers Nokia Lumia 900, the Windows Phone device. Siri's answers are based on search results from Wolfram Alpha, which gets its own information from user reviews. The Nokia Lumia 900 is a recently launched device, so it makes sense that there is a plentitude of sources for Siri to say that it is the best smartphone ever. Siri interprets the question as 'best mobile phones by customer review average'. The result even specifies the 4G version, a colour 'cyan' and AT&T.

Karbonn officially launches the A9 Android smartphone

SmartPhone at Decent Price

Karbonn mobile is, like the rest of the local handset makers, cashing in on the Android boom and has only recently launched yet another addition to their Android range of budget smartphones. The Karbonn A9 that’s available on Infibeam.com has just made it out and comes equipped with interesting features that could make it a worthy competitor in the lower budget smartphone segment. Loaded up with a 1 GHz processor, the Karbonn A9 will come with Android Gingerbread aka v2.3.6 as the operating system. Keeping the competition in mind, Karbonn has also incorporated a dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality with the A9 smartphone allowing users to have two numbers run simultaneously on the handset. 

China approves Google-Motorola deal, wants Android to remain open

Authorities in China have approved Google Inc.'s bid to buy phone maker Motorola Mobility, clearing the way for the $12.5 billion deal to close early next week.

But Chinese regulators attached a big condition: That Google's Android operating system for mobile devices remain available to all at no cost for the next five years.The approval brings the Internet search giant closer to sealing its biggest acquisition ever. Buying Motorola allows Google to expand into manufacturing phones, tablet computers and other consumer devices for the first time. The deal also gives Google access to more than 17,000 Motorola patents. The Chinese government approved the deal on Saturday, Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick said. "We look forward to closing the deal," she said.

The deal was announced last August and had received all necessary regulatory approvals except in China, where Google's government relations have been strained since it moved its search engine out of the country two years ago in a dispute over censorship and computer security.

Google's Android software powers more than 250 million mobile devices made by a variety of manufacturers, including Motorola Mobility. The latest versions must be made available free of charge for the next five years, apparently in response to concerns that competition could be hurt if Google gives updated versions to Motorola Mobility and withholds them from others. Google doesn't currently charge for Android.

Google earlier had pledged to make Android available to all its mobile partners. Even if Google were to discriminate, cellphone makers still could rely on mobile software from Microsoft Corp., Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co., among others.

Google prizes Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.'s patents as a crucial weapon in the intellectual arms race with Apple, Microsoft and other rivals maneuvering to gain more control over smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.

Earlier, the U.S. Justice Department found no evidence that Google's ownership of Motorola Mobility would lessen competition in a mobile device market that is becoming increasingly important as more people connect to the Internet on smartphones and tablet computers instead of desktop and laptop computers.

The union with Motorola Mobility will open new opportunities and pose potentially troublesome challenges for a management team that so far has concentrated on Internet search, ad sales and other software-driven online services.

Motorola Mobility's expertise in mobile devices and set-top boxes for cable TV will allow Google to play an even more influential role in shaping the future of hand-held computing and home entertainment.

The $12.5 billion price paid by Google is more than the combined amount that Google has paid for the 185 other acquisitions that it has completed since going public in 2004.

Google is based in Mountain View, California, while Motorola Mobility has its headquarters in Libertyville, Illinois.

Apple opens nominations for best apps in 2012 Apple Design Awards contest

Come across a really cool app for your Apple mobile device or computer recently? If so, be sure to nominate it in Apple's design contest, the winners of which will be announced in May at the Cupertino company's Worldwide Developers Conference. 

Nominations are now open for the 2012 Apple Design Awards, a celebration of the best iOS and OS X apps available today.According to the Cupertino company’s Design Awards webpage, judges are interested in apps that are well designed, inviting, engaging, intuitive, compelling and easy to use. 

Lava Launches First Intel-powered Smartphone For Rs 22,000

Lava International Ltd has launched XOLO X900, the first smartphone with Intel inside. The mobile phone runs on the Android operating system (OS) and will be available for Rs 22,000. The partnership between Lava and Intel was first announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona early this year. Let’s have a look at the specifications of the device. The mobile phone has a 4.03 inch TFT LCD capacitive touch screen display (1024×600 pixel resolution) and it runs on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS (later upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich). The highlight of the device is its processor, which is a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor with Hyper Threading that the company claims will provide faster speeds and better multi-tasking performance. XOLO X900 has 1GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of internal memory.

Google vs. Facebook: A comparison by numbers

Facebook is the hottest Internet company to hit the stock market since Google went public in 2004. The Silicon Valley companies, located seven miles apart, also happen to be locked in a bitter battle for Web surfers' allegiance and online advertisers' money. The duel is likely to intensify now that the IPO has provided Facebook Inc.'s social network with the means to pay for efforts to battle Google Inc.'s dominant search engine. 

 

Here's the two rivals stack up, based on the latest available data:

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg richer than Google co-founders

NEW YORK: Facebook Inc (FB)'s $16 billion initial public offering has made 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg the 29th richest person on Earth.

Facebook, the world's most popular social networking company, sold 421.2 million shares for $38 each. At that price, the 503.6 million shares and options Zuckerberg owns are valued at $19.1 billion, making him wealthier than Google Inc co- founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. "Zuckerberg doesn't think about his wealth," David Kirkpatrick, author of "The Facebook Effect," a history of the company, said in an May 17. "This is a huge success for everybody. There's no way it can be seen otherwise."

Facebook's chief executive officer started the Menlo Park, California-based company for Harvard University classmates as a 19-year-old in his dorm room. It now has more than 900 million monthly users and generated $3.7 billion in revenue in 2011.

7-year old wins Doodle for Google 2012

 

114,000 submissions and millions of public votes later comes the announcement for the winner of 'Doodle for Google 2012'. Dylan Hoffman, a second grader hailing from Caledonia, Wisconsin has been declared this year's U.S. Doodle for Google National winner.

According to the announcement via Google's blog, the young doodler, a student of Prairie School in Racine, Wisconsin doodled a beautiful pirate scene featuring a vibrant parrot, a swashbuckler and a treasure chest filled with jewels and gems adding the letter 'e' to Google's logo.

iPhone 5 to come with 4 inch screen to beat Samsung Galaxy S3

A Wall Street Journal report says that iPhone 5 will come with 4 inch screen size to beat Samsung Galaxy S3

A new report on Wall Street Journal backs many previous rumors regarding the display size of iPhone 5. It is no more a rumor that iPhone 5 will get a large display. Wall Street Journal, referring to some anonymous sources, has presented it as a done thing. The top business newspaper confirms that iPhone’s next edition will come with a bit larger 4-inch display panel. Some previous rumors had even gone on to predict 4.5-inch or plus displays for iPhone 5, the 2012 upgrade of the handset, which is said to find light later this year.

The WSJ says that the new iPhone is expected to come with a larger display than its present models that come with 3.5 inch screen. The Cupertino based tech company has evidently ordered bigger screens from a set of Asian display suppliers, the report says referring to what it claims ‘people familiar with the matter.’ Yes, there have been a plethora of rumors regarding a large display for iPhone for a long time. Even though, every rumor hits at Apple’s strict privacy policy regarding its new products.

26/11 attacks planned using Google Earth, says U.S commander

Technology s Tragedy

Although a lot of water has flown under the bridge, the scars of the 2008 terror attacks Mumbai experienced still remain fresh in the minds of many. Post the attacks, however, several theories came in - each trying to decode the nature of the attack in their own way. One such question that undoubtedly must’ve crossed the mind of anyone who heard of the attacks, or worse was a survivor of it was the capabilities of the gunmen and the kind of technology at their disposal. Speaking at the sixth annual 2012 Joint Warfighting Conference at Virginia Beach, this week, Marine Corps Lt Gen George J Flynn discussed the current trend of democratisation of technology and its repercussions, and his reference was the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, reports The Times of India. Flynn pointed out that the heavily-armed terrorists used Google Earth to aid themselves during the planning of the mission. “All the mission planning was done via Google Earth. There was no investment in technology of [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] platforms or anything like that,” he was quoted as saying at the conference. 

44% of users say they never click on Facebook sponsored ads

A global survey undertaken by an independent digital marketing agency, Greenlight, reveals 30 percent of people 'strongly distrust' Facebook with their personal data, whilst 44 percent say they would ‘never’ click on Facebook sponsored ads, all of which indicate Facebook's advertising programme has an upward struggle. Greenlight’s global “Search & Social Survey (2011-2012)” asked 500 people – from students, law enforcement professionals, medical staff, accountants, lawyers to the unemployed, how they engage with online advertising, search engines, and social networks, in order to gain insight into how consumers engage with marketers today, and to formulate views on what the future might hold. 

Apple owned IPHONE5.COM

When Apple announces a product, they usually obtain the domain name that resembles the product name. In the past, Apple has been proactive in securing domains, such as iPhone.com and a host of others. The brand however, had a difficult time securing the iPhone4S.com domain, as it had been associated with a pornographic website. As is the case with most claims, Apple won it, allowing them to secure that domain name, too. This year Apple is set to debut their next-generation flagship handset that is expected to be called the iPhone 5. However, this domain had already been used by a fan forum site. Earlier on this month, Apple sought to gain access of this domain by filing a case with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as it could be the probable name of their next handset. The brand aimed to gain access to it, so that if a fan typed the name in a browser, they would not be directed to a porn site or a malicious website. As per a report by The Next Web, Apple has secured the web domain - iPhone5.com.

Beginning of the end of feature phone: TMI survey

Among the top 25 most searched handsets, a whopping 21 models are smartphones.

There seems to be a growing interest and awareness among Indian consumers about smartphones, the Handset Hotlist survey (May, 2012) suggests. In the survey, brought out by The Mobile Indian (www.themobileindian.com), 21 of the 25 handsets that made it to the list are smartphones.

Almost every month, two smartphones are being launched in India and one of them is usually an entry level or mid-level phone. Notably, today smartphones are available in the market for as low as Rs 3,000 and they offer better utility than feature phones.

Disney Research develops Touché to sense hand gestures on objects

Disney Research has put forth its new sensing technology, called Touche, which employs Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing technique that is capable of detecting touch and also recognizes complex configurations of human hands and body while interacting. This technology allows controlling devices by touching parts of their body. Along with sensing hand gestures of the human body, it also applies to everyday objects and liquids, reports HeraldSun.

Facebook gathers all its Policies onto one page

Facebook, currently the biggest social network in the world, has a large policy list which it changes so often that keeping up can become tough. To make life (or rather, social networking) a little easier, Facebook has gathered all its policies into one place so you can have all your questions answered. Furthermore, the page is divided up into sections to help you get to the specific information that you're looking for. If you're looking for the terms you agree to when you join and use Facebook, you go to the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. If you want to know what information Facebook receives and how they use it, you go to Data Use Policy, and finally, if you want to know what type of content is not allowed and how to report abuse, you go to Community Standards. The idea behind the page is "Everything you need to know in one place".

India takes fifth spot in cyber crime affected nations

India in Top 5 in cyber crimes

The number of cyber crimes in India has risen over the year, and several instances will vouch for that. Last year, the targets seemed to have been government websites. According to a report by the Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) and McAfee, India takes the fifth spot in cyber crime affected nations in the world. The report says that the premium on Internet privacy is quite low in the country. The report also says that India is aware that such cyber crimes would affect its reputation, and says there is lack of a single operator to effectively control Internet, telecom and power sectors. Ernst and Young points out that companies may lose about 5 per cent of their profits due to cyber crimes.

Facebook promises mobile improvement post IPO

Facebook's prepping for its big IPO and the company is on the road trying to woo investors for the big day. The company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg spoke to around 200 investors in Palo Alto about Facebook's plans for 2012 and beyond as well as answering questions. One thing Zuckerberg made very clear was that Facebook is focusing very closely on improving its mobile platforms. However, as some of us would hope, he's not talking technical where the bugs that the various Facebook apps have would be faced. The announcement is more importantly regarding monetization from Facebook mobile platforms. When Facebook filed for its IPO back in February, the issue that has come up over and over again, ever since is that Facebook just does not monetize its mobile applications, like it does its desktop equivalent. There is no advertising in those apps.

Fuel Cell aims to charge your smartphone for two weeks

A new portable USB fuel cell has been developed by Lilliputian Systems that aims to keep your smartphone powered for close to a fortnight, without the need for you to go to a wall socket to juice your phone up via a charger. This new fuel cell will be able to charge your smartphone close to a dozen times, before it runs out of battery – following which, you need to purchase a replacement cartridge.With 4G and quad-core madness entering into the arena, the single most important aspect of smartphones that is taking a hit is the battery life. This exact concern is addressed by this new fuel cell. While it cannot keep your phone battery running longer, it definitely can ensure that you can charge it on the go, without the need of finding a power socket.  

No tie-ups with local handset makers for Windows Phone

Over the last couple of years, the Indian market has shown significant growth. There have been several new players, who’ve cashed upon the openness of the Android platform. In India, we still have a slew of Java devices too. But maybe not everyone is looking to extent the reach of mobile phones to every segment. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman Microsoft India revealed in an interview that the company isn’t looking to tie up with local phone makers for its Windows Phone. “The Windows Phone requires a specification for the user experience. We want to give the same kind of experience that Apple has. This limits the number of manufacturers who can build a product around that,” Mr Pramanik said.

"Nano" dual-SIM phone spotted for Rs.1,200

Tiny and Efficient

In a world where specs mean everything, we came across a mobile phone from a Chinese handset manufacturer going by the name Ken Xin Da and the phone is among the tiniest you can find in the market today. The M2, as it's called, may not be super slim, but is tinier than the palm of your hand, tinier than your wallet and in all certainty, tinier than your current phone. Surprisingly, despite such a small footprint, it boasts of some good features. The phone comes with a company rated talktime of 240 minutes. It supports WAP 2.0 and a couple of audio and video formats, including MP3, MP4, AVI, 3GP. The M2 comes with a dual-SIM dual standby option, which in that small form factor is a pretty impressive feat on its own. There’s a directional keypad along with a numpad and two call buttons. 

Embed Angry Birds into your Facebook Timeline, blogs

You can play Angry Birds on Facebook but up until now, what the game on Facbeook lacked was the ability for your friends to compete with you on a very basic level. Rovio Mobile announced in a blog post that if you are particularly proud of a score or the number of stars you got on a certain level of the game, you can embed that level into your Facebook Timeline, calling out to your friends to beat your score. You can share and embed the level to your Timeline, blog or webpage, and once embedded, the level can be played instantly in its new home. Rovio says that they're happy to be the first developers to bring gameplay directly to Facebook feeds, Tumblr and Wordpress blogs or any other locations you would like to share and play with your friends (anyone sharing on LinkedIn?). Check out the video below for some pig popping embedding.

Next iPhone may be 2mm thinner than iPhone 4S

The biggest news of the day has undoubtedly been the unveiling of the latest smartphone from Samsung, their Galaxy S III. The handset boasts of features that could certainly leave the current competition in the market biting the dust. The biggest competition to this Android smartphone is believed to be the next generation iPhone, aka the iPhone 5. Like the rumours surrounding the Galaxy S III prior to its launch, there have been countless rumours surrounding the next flagship smartphone from Apple. The latest bit of information comes from iLounge, wherein sources have informed them that the new iPhone will feature a 4-inch screen, metal rear, a smaller dock connector and will be around 10mm longer and 2mm slimmer than the current generation iPhone 4S.

New range of accessories for Samsung Galaxy S III announced

After months of waiting and possibly close to a million rumours later, Samsung, at an event in London, finally raised the curtains on their Galaxy S III - the brand’s flagship smartphone. Although there had been a lot of speculation over the features of the smartphone, among other details, the brand still managed to wow the world by claiming that this handset was inspired by nature. Samsung has adopted the styling of a pebble with the phone coming in a pebble blue and white option. Though the Samsung Galaxy S III was the highlight of the show, the brand reserved a tiny share of the spotlight for accessories that can complement the handset.