Samsung Galaxy Camera Officially Announced : Price and Specifications in India

The new Galaxy Camera runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean camera features a 1/2.3″ 16MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a 21x optical zoom lens (23-480mm equivalent).The backside of the camera is all touch screen with a 4.8″ LCD that shows off camera apps and widgets, as well as other Android-powered widgets. You can also use popular Android-based camera apps like Instagram with Galaxy Camera. (Hopefully, the coming onslaught of Android-powered point and shoot cameras like the Galaxy Camera and recently announced Nikon S800c will pave the way for a more robust camera app base in the Google Play Store.) 

Android phone makers back platform but consider other options

Some phonemakers are quietly exploring alternatives to the Android operating system implicated in the Samsung-Apple ruling, industry watchers say, despite their public pronouncements they are sticking with the technology.

Last week, a U.S. court ruled Samsung's Android devices were violating Apple patents - a major blow to the leading mobile software platform because it could lead to sales bans and high licensing fees.

The impact could also hit smaller vendors that use Android like HTC , ZTE, and Sony. Android is used in more than two thirds of smart phones.

Huawei , Sony, Lenovo and ZTE - which all use Android extensively - told Reuters they were continuing to bet on the Google's platform despite the ruling.

"(The ruling) is not relevant to what we are doing," said Chris Edwards, chief of ZTE's business development in Europe.

10 security apps for your Android device

The Android smartphone market caters to every budget segment with its range of low-end budget-phones, mid-level feature-loaded smartphones and high-end power packed smartphones. And those who want to own the crème de la crème layer of Android will have to spend roughly above 20k, which is a huge sum. Now, you wouldn't want your expensive phone to be stolen or data to be misused either. Needless to say, if you own an Android, it better be safeguarded against the growing number of vulnerabilities in the Android Market aka Google Play too, which have almost quadrupled in the past one year. To safeguard your device against such threats, there are a plethora of apps for Android. We’ve picked 10 such apps for our readers.  

TrustGo Antivirus & Mobile Security - Free

The Android market is filled with vulnerabilities and if you are an app-happy person, then it may be difficult for you to look out for malicious app or website. The TrustGo Antivirus Mobile security is capable of scanning your phone and SD card to remove all the malicious content – viruses, malware, spyware and trojans.

Google makes Jelly Bean official with sculpture

Jellybeans sculpture in googles place

If anyone had any doubts on what Google would be calling their next major operating software, then this sculpture set up by Google on their campus has spilled the beans on what Google’s next Android update would be called. From the image, we can conclude that Google will in fact be naming their next operating system, Jelly Bean. And like in the past, wherein they set up sculptures to show off their operating systems, this year has been no exception. Google's unveiled their latest OS through a sculpture showing an Android filled with jelly beans. Last year, Google had put up a statue showing an Android looking like an Ice Cream Sandwich and right on cue, the brand announced their current operating system Ice Cream Sandwich. In the year before last, Google had set up a sculpture of a Gingerbread Android.

How to - run Android apps on your PC

Apps on popular mobile platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows Mobile are functional, compact and sometimes, very beautifully designed. Most of the features and information you get from them could practically be used on the desktop. Unfortunately, they aren’t available for the desktop so you’ll find yourself lifting your phone to check out the latest tweets or maybe play a game of Cut the Rope.

What if you could do all of these things on your desktop itself. You can using a remote desktop application installed on your phone or tablet. It’s more complicated and it requires you to use the resources of your devices. There’s a simpler way to run these apps directly off your PC and we’re going to show you how  dojust that.

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.

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.

Samsung Galaxy S3 launch: Samsung unwraps latest Galaxy rival to iPhone - Galaxy S3

Samsung Electronics unveiled a new top-of-the-range Galaxy smartphone in London on Thursday, updating the most direct rival to Apple's iPhone with a larger touch screen and more powerful processor.

The South Korean technology group, which overtook Finnish company Nokia as the world's biggest cellphone maker earlier this year, said the new Galaxy SIII model would go on sale in some markets in late May and around the world from June.

The blue lights in the launch venue downtown London, echoing the cold rainy day outside, and the background sounds of nature, which Samsung said inspired the design, resulted in a fairly muted atmosphere in the room.

Twitter updates its iOS and Android applications

Twitter has updated its iOS and Android applications and along with minor appearance changes, the services included in the apps are more streamlined with the services included on their website. Just like Twitter for web, where you have tabs for Connect, Discover and your homepage of tweets, the applications now include buttons that offer the same features. The Discover tab in the app allows you to find timely content that is interesting and that matters to you. In the Discover section, you'll see Activity, which, like the web counterpart, allows you to see tweets that are retweeted or favourited by the people you follow as well as which accounts your followers start following and if they've added any new accounts to any of their lists. Activity appears right below the redesigned stories in Discover. You can tap any story to see any trend or news article. You can then read the entire story or join the conversation by replying, retweeting or favouriting related Tweets. 

Top 5 Quad-core Phones

It is no secret that quad-core phones are in a vogue. Quad-core phones are the next best thing in tech. As phones advance like never before, their development ill be sustained only by strong processors which can support heavy softwares, better cameras and superfast Wi-Fi connections. Yes, the era of quad-core phones has begun.

 

So, here we have for you the top 5 quad core phones that you might want to look out for. 

HTC One X
HTC One X is an exciting offering from HTC. It is currently doing pretty good on popularity charts and has opened to good reviews worldwide. Even our own review of the handset is coming soon. Give the features a glance to get your heartbeat going:

 

• Size: 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm, 130g
• Display:  4.7-inch Super IPS LCD 2 display, 720 x 1280p 
• Memory: 32 GB Inbuilt
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
• OS: Ice Cream Sandwich 
• Processor: 1.5 GHz Tegra 3 quad-core, ULP GeForce GPU
• Camera: 8-megapixel primary, 1.3-megapixel secondary
• Battery: 1800 MHz

 

Although we are trying our best not to spill the beans, but still, here is the thing; the camera is simply sexy. There are so many things you can do with it, it feels like you are clicking in real time with a powerful snapper, may be one of the best cameras on a phone. The processor works like a charm; you can do all smartphone-sy stuff, from browsing the net and chatting to watching trailers and what not. Quad core processors create enough power so companies can fit better cameras and features into a phone – the HTC One X is a fine example of this. 

Price: Rs. 37,899

Samsung launches Galaxy S Advance and Galaxy Pocket

New Phones From Successful Galaxy Series

Samsung Electronics announced the expansion of its Galaxy smartphone range with the launch of the Galaxy S Advance (GT-I9070) and Galaxy Pocket (GT-S5300). For its Indian smartphone users, Samsung has made available several interesting apps in its application store. Through the My Reader app, Indian consumers can access over 3,00,000 books from Landmark, get 26 Newspapers and 28 Magazines, and access popular comic titles such as Amar Chitra Katha etc. The My Music app allows Samsung Smartphone users to download and listen to more than 1,00,000 songs from Hollywood and Bollywood as well as popular regional titles. Handy is a single point application where users can search, book and pay for flights, trains, buses, and movie tickets. Users can also create their own stock portfolio, get real time stock prices and stay updated on the latest in business news. Furthermore, users can search a restaurant by cuisine and even reserve a table for themselves. The Mobile TV app allows users to watch their favourite TV shows while being on the move while the My Movies app gives users access to movies, videos, and trailers of their choice. The S Advance is priced at Rs.26,900 and the Pocket is priced at Rs.8,150.  

iBall launches dual-SIM Android smartphone Andi 2 for Rs. 9,999

iBall has launched a dual-SIM Android-based smartphone, Andi 2. Priced at Rs. 9,999, the iBall Andi 2 runs on Android 2.2 Froyo OS and is powered by an 800MHz processor.

The iBall Andi 2 sports a 3MP rear camera,front facing VGA camera. It also has microSD card slot, dual-SIM standby mode and is equipped with a 1450 mAh battery. For connectivity, the iBall Andi 2 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS and 3G. You’ll also get a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Check out the full specifications of the new Andi 2 here.

iBall is a well known name in India's computer accessories market. The company recently forayed into tablet market with iBall Slide. Following footsteps of Micromax, iBall has launched a range of affordable phones. iBall's Andi 2 is going to be pitted against other affordable Android smartphones in the market such as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman and Micromax A75.

Nokia N9 runs ICS - Going to be First Nokia's Android Phone

When Nokia first announced their collaboration with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, it’s safe to say that the Android community, in all probability seemed a little disappointed. Most mobile users appreciated the overall build quality and design sense of Nokia, but the Symbian and MeeGo OS just didn't seem to make a too big an impact. Symbian refused to change too much with the times and MeeGo didn’t really appeal to the masses. Hence, handsets like the Nokia N9 never really made it to our side of the pond. But for those who managed to get a device and aren’t too happy with MeeGo, here’s some good news - the guys down at the NitDroid Forums have a little trick that they’ve been working on, code named "Project Mayhem". 

Project Mayhem entails porting Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich onto a MeeGo running Nokia N9. SO far the port has been reported as successful, however it's still in Alpha phase, so cannot be used as a daily driver. This was not an easy task as finding the Android drivers for Nokia N9 was tough. There aren’t any  Android-powered phones with similar hardware specs from whom the developers could have taken the code for the drivers from.

Apple vs. Android: A courtroom war of attrition

B

efore his death, Apple Inc's Steve Jobs famously promised to go "thermonuclear" against smartphones running Google's Android software, saying they use technology ripped off from the iPhone. The massive legal attack he launched, now in its third year, didn't destroy Android. Instead, it's turned into a costly global war of attrition. In case after case involving dozens of patents, Apple has won small victories that force rivals into temporary retreat by requiring them to remove minor features from their devices. Apple has, in turn, lost some rounds and been forced to rework some of its products.

Two upcoming cases in the United States - one against Motorola and the other against Samsung - have the potential to strike deeper blows on either side. The trials involve the legal rights to the core technology behind smartphones and tablet computers and whoever loses could face large damages and increased costs. That could raise prices for consumers. If Apple wins, Android manufacturers will have to come up with critical fixes or pay Apple a hefty fee to keep using its technology, according to several technology and legal analysts. Apple's foes, however, say the iPhone and iPad maker is just as vulnerable to claims it took ideas from other companies. Both Motorola and Samsung have countersued Apple.

At a January court hearing in the Motorola case, the judge suggested that, regardless of the outcome of the trial, neither side is going to achieve total victory.

Apple Vs Android

Nexus Tablet the next step in Android’s evolution

We are at that time of the year again when the iPad’s latest avatar is about to be unveiled and the entire tech world is rife with rumors ranging from whether it will have a Retina Display and LTE to whether it will have the quad core A6 processor or something else entirely. And why shouldn’t people be excited about the iPad 3’s release? After all it was the original iPad's release that created a market for tablets and since then the iPad has ruled the roost when it comes to this segment of mobile computing devices.

But in 2011 when HP decided to clear its stock of the Touchpad by offering it on sale for $99, the entire inventory of tablets was lapped up in a matter of hours. The launch of the no frills Kindle Fire as a cheap multimedia consumption device for $199 showed that there was indeed a market for these low cost devices that served their core purpose. The sale of these devices has brought about a change in the market with every major seller beginning to offer a midsize tablet under $200. Those like Barnes and Noble took up this challenge and began offering their tablets for $199 backed by their online content stores. Whereas those like BlackBerry resorted to fire sales for their PlayBooks to ensure the presence of their devices in the hands of the consumers.

Google with its Android operating system now currently rules the smartphone arena. It has been the tablet market that has remained elusive to Android. Though the bestselling tablet after iPad has been the Android-based Kindle Fire, it is not really Android in the real sense because it does not offer access to all Google’s services and restrict’s content to Amazon. Thus the sale of Kindle Fire doesn’t do Google any good. So the tablets which are Android in the real sense like ones from Samsung or Asus are usually a hit and miss and haven't really tasted the success like that of the iPad or the Kindle Fire.

ViewSonic announces three dual SIM ICS smartphones ahead of MWC

ViewSonic is doing all that it takes to get noticed and how! A few days ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, they’ve announced their upcoming smartphone line-up consisting of three dual SIM Ice Cream Sandwich smartphones and a singular tablet. Also, in what looks like quite a confusing move, they’ve got seemingly similar names to their smartphone to Apple’s iPhone line up. They’ve announced the ViewPhone 4S for starters. They’ve also got the ViewPhone 4E, the 5E and the G70, which is the tablet. Check out the specs for each of these tablets after the break.

ViewPhone 4S -Dual Sim Android Phones

How to Run Android apps on Windows

Most Android-based smartphone users would agree that they would prefer testing an app before downloading it to their phone. The reason behind this is usually to avoid unnecessary space hogging apps. Some users might also wish to play some of the cool mobile games available for the Android platform on their PC i.e. on a larger display. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how can your favorite Android apps on your Windows-based PC using a simple and free software called BlueStacks.BlueStacks is an app player for Windows, which can play Android apps faster than it can run on a phone and that too, on a full-screen. The app includes 10 pre-loaded apps and one can add up to 26 more apps of their choice. Favorite apps can be pushed directly from the phone onto the PC using an Android app via internet route.

Google Glasses may Launch in India Costing About Smartphone Price

It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. Search engine giant Google is developing a pair of electronic glasses that can stream information directly to the user’s eyes in real time.

The glasses, to be launched by the end of the year, will be more like smartphones with the lenses serving as a kind of see-through computer monitor.

Loaded with a low-resolution, built-in camera, the Google glasses “will be able to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings and friends who might be nearby,” a New York Timesreport said.

“You will be able to check in to locations with your friends through the glasses,” a Google employee told the Times. Google would not confirm whether the ultra-modern eyewear is in development.

The report also says that the state-of-the-art spectacles, not designed for constant wear, will display information via a heads-up display “in an augmented reality view, rather than as a Web browser page like those that people see on smartphones.”

Ubuntu comes to Android

Ubuntu has come to Android phones! Before you go, ‘Does that mean I can boot Ubuntu on my Android phone? Or, does that mean I can get dual booting on my Android phone?’ let's clear out a few things. Canonical has announced Ubuntu for Android and the full scale deployment will be displayed at the Mobile World Congress. Here’s what you’ll get to see. If your Android has Ubuntu installed, you can boot the Ubuntu operating system onto your monitor every time you connect the smartphone using a dock. On its own, the OS is neatly hidden under the hood, so when you’re using your phone, you’ll have your regular Android stuff loading up. It’s somewhat similar to what Motorola has tried in the recent past, with their Webtop accessories, but this is on a more universal level.

Also, whenever your phone is connected, it’s not a stripped down version of Ubuntu that you’ll get to see, but, it will be the exact same thing that you see on a desktop running Ubuntu, with no compromises, whatsoever. Browsers like Chrome, Firefox and their Unity UI, everything will be available on your desktop. What’s interesting to note is that your core details, including SMS, voice calls and contacts will be shared between the two, so there’ll be some good amount of consistency.