Samsung Will Have to Pay Apple $120 Million

A US jury has recently ordered Samsung to pay almost $120 million to Apple for smartphone patent violations, though it is much less than iPhone-maker initially wanted and marked a big loss for Apple in the latest round of the two companies’ litigation.

Apple have accusing Samsung of violating patents on smartphone features for a while now, trying to claim it was Steve Jobs who invented everything. In response, Samsung denied warongdoing. In result of one of the trials, which took place in the United States, the jury found Samsung infringed two Apple patents.

The two companies have been fighting in courts across the globe for several years now. Jurors awarded Apple about $930 million after a trial in the US two years ago, but the company failed to persuade American district judge to issue a permanent injunction against the sale of Samsung phones in the United States.

Industry experts think that Apple is just trying to curtail the rapid growth of phones based on Google’s rival Android software. It is known that Samsung was by far the largest adopter of this mobile OS. Despite the fact that this verdict is large compared to others, it can’t be regarded as a victory for Apple. The matter is that this award is less than 10% of the amount Apple requested, and may even not surpass the amount of money the company spent litigating this case.

The latest lawsuit involves 5 Apple patents that weren’t at issue at that trial two years ago and cover such iPhone features as slide-to-unlock and search technology. The iPhone-maker had sought to ban sales of a number of Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S3, and demanded over $2 billion in damages.

Apple claimed that the recent ruling reinforced its stance that Samsung stole its ideas and copied its products. This situation led some experts to question if patent litigation was a viable strategy, as it can be abused and hinder innovation. The supporters of this point of view believe that litigation can help innovators protect their IP and benefit from it.

Samsung argued that Apple had exaggerated the importance of its iPhone features, while Apple argued that the Korean company couldn’t have competed in the smartphone market without copying iPhone.
In the trial two years ago, by the way, it was also found that Apple had infringed one of Samsung’s patents, and the Galaxy-maker was awarded $158,400
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: Socio-Economic impact of 3G/4G technology on Pakistan:

Socio-Economic impact of 3G/4G technology on Pakistan

 

The Government of Pakistan is going to auction 3G/4G spectrum on April 23, 2014. The 3G/4G will enhance the broadband proliferation in Pakistan. This service will generate revenue between Rs. 380 and Rs. 1180 up to 2020 for national exchequer of the country. By launching this service mobile users will migrate from text or voice based services to data driven services like video calling, live video streaming, e-education, e-banking, e-health, e-commerce and social media applications. The 3G/4G service will provide ubiquitous internet access to users through smart phones.
The debut of this service will open huge opportunities for entrepreneurs in Pakistan and generate million of direct and indirect jobs. This technology will improve productivity and efficiency of government, corporations and individuals. This technology will lay down digital infrastructure to cater governments, businesses and common people in 21th century. The 3G/4G service will boost growth in sectors like education, banking, media, retailing and health. By 2017 the market share of 3G/4G service will expected to increase by 53%. It has been forecasted that 50% of total connections will be running on 3G/4G service by 2017. The 2G connections are forecasted to decline to 50% by 2017 as user migrates to 3G/4G services. According to GSMA/Deloitte study, there will be enormous economic impact of migration to 3G/4G technology on economy and prosperity of countries and citizens.
It has been calculated that 10% shift from 2G to next generation technology leads to 0.15% increase GDP. With introduction of this technology Smartphone penetration will also increase in Pakistan, which stands currently on 15%. This technology will improve ways of learning’s, living and working in our country.  This 3G/4G services will provide speed, reliability, connectivity to internet users. 
There are many industries which will be transformed by introduction of 3/4 G technology but I will explain few of them.
UTILITIES:
The big beneficiaries of 3G/4G service will be utilities and their customers. The important applications of 3 G/4G service are smart grids, smart meters and electronic sensors. Smart grid is a network of millions of smart meters and sensors connected through 3G service that manage the power stations, energy transmission lines and electronic devices on that network. The smart meters will measure electricity every selected intervals and transmit energy usage to central energy management system through 3G/4G network. Furthermore, Smart meters will manage energy supply to selected appliances and share energy consumption information with home owners.
 The 3G/4G service will assist in automated meter reading, optimum energy consumption and dynamic pricing instead of fixed pricing as currently practiced by energy distribution companies in Pakistan. In the same way, smart grids and smart meters will be excellent solution for gas and water utilities. Providing energy to a growing population will require effective co-operation between the cellular companies, utilities companies, technology companies, governments and regulators.
TRANSPORTATION:
The automobile companies are preparing to launch 3G/4G enabled cars and these cars will support applications like cloud based video streaming, real time 3D navigation systems and other location based services. The 3G/4G service will support telemetry applications such as vehicle performance monitoring, driver performance monitoring by insurance companies and delivery of emergency services. This technology will introduce era of connected automobiles which will have potential to share real time information at the time of emergency, improve driving experience and modernize automobile entertainment and remote monitoring of automobile vehicles. The passengers in public transports could be able use high speed internet during traveling.
The automobile vehicles will be able to communicate with each other’s and with their drivers through this service. The 3G/4G service will revolutionize the public transports and supply chain systems by sharing real time information with companies.  By connecting automobile and sharing real time information, it could be possible to reduce road accidents, road congestions, and information about petrol stations, restaurants and hospitals on road.  This service will help logistic and freight companies to control their supply chain systems by tracking real locations of their vehicles, managing their routes and reduce fuel costs.
HEALTH:
The large population of Pakistan does have access to adequate health care services.
Telemedicine will be used to serve patients in remote and underserved areas of Pakistan. Video conferencing will be used by doctors for checkups, diagnosis, to give instructions to patients and clinic staff at remote location. The 3G/4G enabled ambulances will improve survival rate of stroke patients. These ambulances will be equipped with CT scanners on board operators can perform scan on patients transmitting images to nearby hospitals and receiving instructions for treatment. The real time diagnosis and treatment in transit will improve survival rate of patients in critical condition.
The 3G/4G service will facilitate development and delivery of innovative health care solutions like remote consultations, diagnosis, monitoring for disabled people and the elderly. The 3G/4G service will facilitate connection of ambulance and hospitals in order get on route expert diagnosis in order to reduce treatment time. The doctors and health care worker could remotely access patient health care record like CT scan and MRI report that will reduce treatment time up to 20-30%.
It is very difficult for government to provide health care services to every citizen of Pakistan due to its meager resources and high cost of delivery. The 3G/4G technology will be the most effective conduit for delivery of innovative health care solutions like dengue tracking system in Pakistan.  The government will be able to launch disease preventive measures like monitoring of health care service and improvement in curative measure. The patients living in remote area will able to connect with their doctors through mobile telemedicine units. The technology will help Government in effective delivery of emergency services like RESCUE 1122 through global positioning system (GPS) navigation. In future smart watches will be able to monitor the body temperature, blood pressure and warn patients if any unexpected change happen in body temperature and blood pressure.
EDUCATION:
The 3G / 4G service will revolutionize the education industry in Pakistan.
This service will improve education by providing access to high speed internet and delivery of educational content to students. The 3G/4G services will bridge the gap of missing facilities in schools of rural areas and facilitate students to access video lectures and study material via smart phones, tabs and laptops. Many organizations like Salman Academy, Coursera, Edx are providing free video lectures for students.
Students will be able to access their educational content on their tabs, laptops and smart phones through 3G / 4G services. Students could be able to make preparation of their exams, attend video lectures online, take exams online and make contact with their teachers by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Punjab government has launched E-learn Punjab project in which it has provided online interactive books of 9th and 10h class which will expand its reach by introduction of 3G / 4G technology.
INTERNET OF THINGS:
This technology will introduce the era of Internet of Things (IOT) in Pakistan. The estimated market of Internet of Things (IOT) market will be $20 billion globally by 2018. It is that technology through which electronic devices can exchange with each other in order to generate value for human beings. Internet of Things (IOT) intelligently connects people, electronic devices and systems. The WAPDA could be able to read meters of its customers by using telemetering devices instead of visiting their houses. The vehicles could be able to automatically detect nearest fuel station, service station and parking in congested areas. The sensors in homes could automatically shut off appliances, monitor security of home and share real time information with home owners. The doctors will be able to monitor their patients at home without requiring them to visit hospitals through specially connected devices. Internet of Things (IOT) will make make our lives efficient, safe and secure.
This technology will commence an era of mobile TV and online entertainment. Through this technology entertainment, infotainment and educational videos will be produced and shared by the people and for the people. This technology would weaken the power of middle man in manufacturing and service industries. The companies will be able deliver its products and services directly to customers.
This technology is bad news for internet service providers ISPs which are providing sluggish, poor and snail speed internet connectivity at high prices. In order to survive in cut through completion with 3G/4G companies, ISPs will have to provide better connectivity at lowest prices to its customers.
After introduction of this 3G/4G service, government of Pakistan is planning to establish telecentres in rural areas of Pakistan in order to provide services like registration of births & deaths, information of weather, commodity prices and farming of different crops. The government would be able to provide basic health service in rural areas through telemedicine centers. The government is also planning to establish NADRA centers in rural areas in order to make identity registration accessible for every citizen.

EnjOy..:)

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:Facebook To Buy Oculus VR, Maker Of The Rift Headset, For Around $2B:

Facebook To Buy Oculus VR, Maker Of The Rift Headset, For Around $2B In Cash And Stock

Facebook has announced plans to purchase Oculus VR, the company behind the Rift headset, for around $2B in cash and stock. This includes $400M, and 23.1 million Facebook shares. An additional $300M earnout will be paid in cash and stock if Oculus hits certain unspecified milestones.

“I’m excited to announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Oculus VR, the leader in virtual reality technology,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement today.

Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. For the past few years, this has mostly meant building mobile apps that help you share with the people you care about. We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we’re in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining and personal experiences.
This is where Oculus comes in. They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives.

Zuckerberg says that their efforts with Oculus will continue to focus on gaming initially, and that the company will continue to operate independently of Facebook. But after gaming, Zuckerberg says, they’re going to expand into a variety of other arenas.

“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face just by putting on goggles in your home,” he says. “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”

Facebook, of course, found early success with games. Social gaming is responsible for a lot of the growth and spread of Facebook as a platform, rather than just a social service. Acquiring Oculus could signal a variety of things, but being able to tap into what is potentially the next big gaming trend is likely one of them. In addition, Facebook has been aggressive about understanding and supporting mobile use cases but only after an initial period of foot-dragging and desktop focus. If VR is ‘what’s next’ then Facebook will want to tap the market early, to avoid any transitional gaffes this time around.

The purchase is expected to close in Q2 of 2014. Oculus has taken over 75k orders for its virtual reality headset so far. Those headsets have both been developer editions designed to get developers interested in playing around with VR technology. The most recent ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype features a full 1080P display and more sensors to detect and position users in virtual environments.

Of course, if you pull the thread of virtual reality out really, really far you could see a future where we’re not talking about the percentage of time people spend on mobile vs. desktop. Instead, we’re talking about the amount of time that people spend in virtual reality vs. actual reality. In that kind of landscape, Facebook starting in on VR early makes painfully obvious sense.

The company has received a total of $93.4M in funding so far from Spark, Matrix, Founders Fund, Formation 8, BIG Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Oculus got a big boost in legitimacy recently when one of the founding fathers of 3D gaming..

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Spectrum auction for 3G‚ 4G technologies on April 23

 

Dar says PTA should ensure the best quality service for the consumers.

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Spectrum auction for 3G and 4G technologies is scheduled for 23rd of next month and the sealed bids will be submitted to PTA on 14th of next month.

This was stated during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Spectrum Auction held in Islamabad on Thursday under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Chairman PTA Dr. Syed Ismail Shah briefed the committee on the progress made so far on the auction of 3G and 4G licenses.

 

Dar said that PTA should ensure that quality service of the best international standards is provided to the consumers.

The minister emphasized that the whole process should be completed with transparency.

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Flickr Co-Founder Launches Findery App

Caterina Fake is the mind behind the massively popular Flickr photo-sharing site and is looking to eliminate that historical chain with a new location map-based social discovery platform, called Findery.

Findery is currently available on iOS, it becomes clear that the world is meant to be viewed by the user as a blank canvas that is ready for you to fully explore.  You can explore geo-tagged notes on a map to learn about places through experiences from different people from across the planet. Users of the app can post public or private notes with historical data, personalized stories via text, images, videos, and sound clips. The app will then cleverly annotate and then organize the information based on the location.

The social network side of the app, uses your current location to bring up appealing notes in the user’s immediate vicinity, thereby making it simple to find stories and pictures relevant to your own experience.  For example, you are exploring the historic city of Edinburgh in Scotland or you are visiting the Grand Canyon in the USA, all you need to do is open the Findery app to find out what previous visitors found of interest in those areas.  ”Every place has a story, or a thousand stories…Findery brings places to life, be they where you stand or where you hope to go,” Fake said in a statement.

Members are also able to create something called ‘Notemaps’ whih is a collection of notes about a location, topic or theme such as “Stag Party Blackpool” or “Blues in Chicago”.  This can then serve as either a travel diary or simply a record of your journey.  The app launches initially in English, although Findery have said they will support more languages this year. Findery is available now for free to download in the Apple iTunes Store.

If you have any sensible comments regarding this story, please leave your comments in the section below.

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Apple expected to release iOS 7.1 next month(March)

Apple brought a brand new version of its popular operating system last year with iOS 7.0, but shortly after the release it was obvious that the company was going to have to do some fixing as users complained right away about bugs that caused some devices to reboot randomly.  Apple listened, as it should and sent out a few smaller updates over the next couple weeks and while some of the bugs were fixed, others were brought forward as more users downloaded and installed the new software.  It has been a few months now, but it looks like the company is ready to release version 7.1.

Apple typically releases its new software in a series of beta testing phases and that allows the company to get valuable feedback about new features before it is sent out to the public in a mass rollout.  Even though an online source claims that Apple will be releasing the new iOS 7.1 next month, the source also claimed that Apple does not have any surprises set up for this version of the software.  Basically, what that means is the software that was revealed in the first 5 beta testing stages is exactly what is going to be seen once you download and install the software next month.

Apple is looking to set up a huge month for the company with the arrival of the iOS 7.1 and reported updates that are coming to the Apple TV as well.  Because there seems to be a few things that Apple wants to get to the public, there is a good chance that the company will do all of this with an event, but that has not been confirmed at this time.  Coming along with iOS 7.1, users will see new features, a couple of tweaks to the user interface and apps, plus an improved Calendar app.  Enhancements to the performance and fixes for some bugs that have been reported are also expected with the new software.

Judging by what was reported with the last beta version of the software, there are no major features coming with the new software, but the fifth stage is the last one before the official update and that is just as exciting to know.  There is a chance that one more beta round will be released with the Gold Master edition following shortly after that.

EnjOy..:)

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Google: All New Android Phones Must Ship With KitKat

According to MobileBloom, a leaked memo has been identified, stating that all Android smartphones will have to run KitKat or else Google will not endorse the handset.  The Android memo is the first sign that Google is finally sorting the problem it has with fragmentation.  Because Google offers hundreds of phones to customers from many manufacturers across the world, Google’s operating system is swiftly becoming fragmented.  This issue is one of the top objections the operating system receives from application developers.

Apparently, the memo was sent from the Android team to its top OEM partners: Sony, Samsung, HTC, and LG who are all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for Google.  “Starting February 2014, Google will no longer approved GMS distribution on new Android products that ship older platform releases,” the memo states. “Each platform release will have a ‘GMS approval window’ that typically closes nine months after the next Android platform release is publicly available.”  Any handset that does not get approval from Google Mobile Services (GMS) will not be able to ship with Google’s main applications which include Now, Maps and Google Play store.

Does this mean the end of all budget Android phones?  It could be! If real, the memo could mean an end to cheap  Android handsets and increase the price of middle of the road smartphones.  KitKat also has higher minimum specifications than foregoing operating systems.  This may mean that phones like the Samsung Galaxy core are no longer possible.  It has been said that KitKat has been coded to work better on lower powered smartphones. However, this could still have enough of a knock on effect to possibly  give the developing market to opponents such as Mozilla’s FireFox and Tizen.

Last year, Android CEO Sundar Pichai said him and his team were working on solutions for Android fragmentation. Figures showed, at the end of January 2014, that approximately 1.4 per cent of all Android smartphones were running the latest version of the operating system. While in contrast, over 80 per cent of iPhones were running iOS7, Apple’s latest operating system.  Android released KitKat just weeks after iOS 7 was released for Apple’s devices.  It is uncertain how Nokia will be affected as they use older versions of Android. We will just have to wait and see. 

As always, if you have any sensible comments regarding this story, please leave your comments in the section below.

 EnjOy..:)

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WhatsApp Goes Down Following $19 Billion Facebook Buy-Out

Last week Facebook announced that it is acquiring the messaging company WhatsApp for an approximate total of $16 billion. Included in the deal is $4 billion in cash, $12 billion of Facebook shares and an extra $3 billion in restricted stock units which will be granted to WhatApp’s founders and employees.

In spending so much money you can only imagine Mark Zuckerberg’s frustration when, on Saturday afternoon WhatsApp went down for over three hours, leaving its users unable to access the app.

WhatsApp was quick to respond to the issue and announced that it was suffering from “server issues”. However after the prolonged period of time users took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, with some comments saying: “Mark Zuckerberg please do us a favor. Never buy Twitter,” and, “Thanks Zuckerberg for re-uniting families tonight!”

This is not the first time that the messaging giant has gone down, with reports claiming that crashes occur nearly once a month. Yet with the spotlight shining brightly on the app since the acquisition announcement, this occurrence has certainly received more press than any other incident.

WhatsApp currently has over 450 million users, with 70 percent of these actively using the service every day. In a blog post Facebook outlined the reasons for the deal, saying that the two companies have a “shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably.”

The announcement also outlined plans to allow WhatsApp to continue to operate independently whilst retaining the brand. “WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.

EnjOy..:)

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:Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in MWC 2014:

Live: Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in MWC 2014

 

Live updates of the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch from MWC 2014:

1.20 am: The Galaxy S5 has a larger screen than its predecessor, at 5.1 inches (12.95 cm), instead of 5 inches, and a sharper camera, with a resolution of 16 megapixels, up from 13 megapixels.

1: 15 am: Davind Park of Samsung briefing about technical specifications of Samsung Galaxy S5.

01:00am: Jean-Daniel Ayme of a European telecommunications body speaking about Samsung Galaxy S5 features on stage.

00: 45 am: The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch display with a 1080x1920 pixel full-HD resolution. Powered by an unnamed 2.5GHz quad-core processor, it also have 2GB RAM, and runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Sony unveiled a new waterproof phone that can take ultra-high-definition video. Nokia introduced three Android smartphones aimed at emerging markets. And Lenovo announced one with an all-glass exterior.

Yet most of the attention will be on Samsung, is expected to announce a successor to its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone at MWC 2014. That's bad news for all the other phone makers trying to get noticed at the Mobile World Congress wireless show, which opened Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

"It's increasingly difficult to get attention for your mobile device in a very crowded marketplace," said Dan Hays, US wireless advisory leader at the consulting firm PwC.

It's even more difficult when one of the competing devices comes from Samsung Electronics Co., which already announced two new computerized wristwatches on Sunday. Apple is the only company that might be able to overshadow Samsung, but it isn't attending or announcing anything at the show.

Samsung is "going to take the oxygen out of the room," said Roger Entner, an analyst with the Recon Analytics research firm in Boston.

Entner said the S4 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, were both blockbuster phones and have helped Samsung surpass iPhone maker Apple Inc. as the world's largest smartphone maker. According to Gartner, Samsung had a 31 per cent market share last year, compared with 16 per cent for Apple. No other company had more than 5 percent.

More important than having well-made phones, however, "is that they are spending a significant amount on advertising," Entner said.

Samsung spent nearly 4.6 trillion won ($4.3 billion) in advertising in the 12 months through September, about four times the $1.1 billion Apple spent in the same period, the latest for which figures were available. Although Samsung also makes TVs, refrigerators and other products, analysts believe much of the marketing is for newer products such as phones.

In a November interview with The Associated Press, Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside said Samsung has shown "that marketing can really create a product and create a phenomenon. We're never going to have the money that they have to market our products."

The only other company that comes close to matching Samsung's muscle is Apple. The iPhone's debut in 2007 showed the world that phones can do much more than calls and messages. Since then, each new iPhone release has taken on an aura of a rock concert, with the most devoted Apple fans lining up at stores for hours or days to buy one.

Apple typically skips trade shows, however, and prefers holding its own events.

In fact, Samsung also typically holds its own events. Last year's Galaxy S4 announcement came in New York a few weeks after the Barcelona show. But timing this year's unveiling to the show is a good opportunity for Samsung to make deals with wireless carriers and other partners.

Sony Mobile president Kunimasa Suzuki said that with Apple and Samsung so dominant, the real battle is for No. 3. He said that means marketing that is focused by country and product line.

"It doesn't mean we just directly compete with the big giants," he said in an interview Monday.

Despite all the marketing power, Samsung will have to give people a reason to upgrade. It must shatter the notion that phone improvements these days are incremental rather than innovative, said Will Stofega, program director for mobile phones with research firm IDC.

In the past, Samsung has tried to appear innovative by packing its Android phones with a slew of features, such as automatic scrolling of content when the phone or user's head is tilted. But these features don't always work as promised and come across as disjointed from one another.

People will be looking for Samsung to "really redesign and create an experience that feels less packed," Stofega said.

Samsung also has been updating phones by making their screens larger. The S4's display measures 5 inches diagonally, compared with 4.8 inches on the S III and 4 inches on the original S from 2010. The iPhone's screen has stayed steady at 4 inches since 2012.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/live-samsung-galaxy-s5-launch-in-mwc-2014/1/345384.html

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Microsoft announces nine new manufacturing partners for Windows Phone

There will likely be a deluge of new Windows Phone handsets hitting the markets as Microsoft announces nine new manufacturing partners.

When Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft’s strategy going forward would be mobile first, he wasn’t kidding. Microsoft today announced nine new manufacturing partners to Windows Phone, which brings the total list of manufacturers to thirteen.

Among the new partners are LG and Lenovo, two of the biggest names in manufacturing. Microsoft is also focusing its attention on markets like China and India by bringing Foxconn, Gionee, Karbonn Mobiles and Xolo on-board. Manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE have manufactured Windows Phone handsets before, but have since weaned off the platform, like most other manufacturers.

With Nokia’s acquisition in the final stages, Microsoft needs a strong presence in these countries. In China, Windows Phone is well-catered to, as it now has Foxconn, Gionee, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE in addition to Samsung and LG as manufacturers set to launch new handsets. However, the lack of Indian manufacturer Micromax from the list is disconcerting, considering that the other two biggest Indian manufacturers, Karbonn Mobiles and Xolo (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lava Mobiles) are included. Micromax is said to be working on a Windows Phone device that was scheduled to launch later this year. Whatever the case might be, it Microsoft is widening its reach by adding new hardware manufacturers.

In addition to new vendors, Microsoft also announced that Windows Phone devices will now support Qualcomm hardware like the Snapdragon 200, 400 and 400 LTE. Furthermore, the platform is said to add functionality for dual-SIM devices, with Live Tiles for each SIM. The first dual-SIM Windows Phone device will likely be the Nokia Lumia 630. With an increased focus on low-end dual-SIM based devices, it is clear that Microsoft is targeting emerging markets.

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iPhone 5S battery balloons and catches fires unexpectedly

An iPhone 5S user has posted pictures online of his device that caught fire while in use and eventually exploded.

Only recently it was reported that a student’s iPhone 5C caught fire when it was doing absolutely nothing in her pocket, causing her second degree burns in the process. Photos of a somewhat similar incident have been posted online, the source claims that he was using the iPhone 5S to browse Facebook when out of the blue the battery started to inflate. He also claims that the phone wasn’t open, wasn’t being charged and that it had no damage prior to this incident.

Apparently as soon as the battery started to inflate, it pushed up the screen so much so that he was able to grab a hold of it and rip it off with a fair bit of force, with the screws ripping out of the threads. He claims that smoke billowed from the battery for a good three minutes while he took the EMI shields off in a bid to disconnect the battery to remove it and take it outside.

One might question just how he was able to take pictures when all this was happening. The source says that he doesn’t use the iPhone as his primary device, ”I use the iPhone for everything else other then (sic) texting and calling,” he says. Apple hasn’t commented on this incident as yet but apparently they did request him to take pictures and sent it to them. Its unclear what may have caused this incident, previous cases have often been triggered by faulty chargers or unauthorized accessories, that doesn’t appear to be the problem this time around.

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LG L Series III Announced

The hugely popular smartphone manufacturer, LG has just announced, not one, but three new smartphones for the lower end of the market.  LG are releasing these Android OS smartphones as part of their L Series III models. It is expected that people can get close up and personal with these new models at this year’s MWC.  The new models are named the L40, L70 and L90 respectively.  For a low-end smartphone, they offer huge value for money.  LG are target marketing this device for the first-time smartphone buyers market. It will also be aimed at people looking to maybe change to Android OS on a budget.

Here is a brief overview of the 3 new models:

LG L40

1.2GHz dual-core processor

3.5-inch (480 x 320) screen

512MB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage

14.4Mbps HSDPA & Wi-Fi connectivity

3-megapixel rear camera

1,540mAh or 1,700mAh battery, depending on market

Size: 109.4 x 59.0 x 11.9 mm

LG L70

1.2GHz dual-core processor

4.5-inch IPS screen with WVGA (800 x 400) resolution

1GB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage

21Mbps HSPA+ & Wi-Fi connectivity

8- or 5-megapixel rear camera (market dependant), VGA front-facing one

2,100mAh battery

Size: 127.2 x 66.8 x 9.5 mm

LG L90

1.2GHz quad-core processor

4.7-inch IPS screen with qHD (960 x 540) resolution

1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage

21Mbps HSPA+ & Wi-Fi connectivity

8-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing one

2,540mAh battery

Size: 131.6 x 66.0 x 9.7 mm

Additionally it is worth noting that all three models will run Android 4.4 KitKat and also they will sport a refined User Interface that is “more beautiful and immersive.” There is no word on any availability as yet, but then again you wouldn’t expect any as LG have only just announced them!  No doubt more information will become availalable at MWC.

If you have any sensible comments regarding this story, please leave your comments in the section below, thanks.

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:Nokia X A110 Normandy - Nokia's first android phone:

Nokia X A110 Normandy - Nokia's first android phone.

After the Microsoft take over, Things are getting hotter. Presenting the Nokia X A110, Finnish giant's very 1st Android smartphone. External design and looks are pretty much similar to the already applauded Lumia family, with poly-carbonated shells in bright colours but Nokia's X A110 has got 4.4.2 KitKat inside, the latest of Android OS rather than Windows Mobile. Nokia Normany AKA X A110's full specs are still a mystery but leaks confirms a solid build, packing a 1GHz Dual-Core processor under the hood. Bundled with an impressive 4 inches TFT Capacitive display, X A110 by Nokia supports a WVGA resolution of of just 480 x 854 pixels. Other features include a 5 megapixel Camera, 512MB of RAM and an extendable memory card slot, supporting microSD cards up to 32 GB. if you are thinking that Nokia X A110's specs are strikingly reminiscent of Nokia Lumia 520? You might be right but in contrast, Nokia A110 is a Dual-SIM and runs on the latest Android OS. Having a 1500mAh battery, 3G network support is not yet confirmed but it's for sure that the Android experience on X A110 will not be the same as you are used to experience on other brands. Considering a tweaked android OS providing a windows similar look and feel, Nokia will incorporate it's own App store instead of Google Play. The same goes for the Maps as Nokia X A110 will be featuring it's own Nokia Maps instead of Google.

EnjOy..:)
Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

::WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes::

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes - See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

WhatsApp Goes Down Indefinitely, Social Media Explodes
I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

I was in the middle of a conversation on WhatsApp just an hour back when I realised that the messages had stopped going through. While I was led into believing that my internet connection was probably messed up, I went on to Twitter. Only to find #R.I.P WhatsApp trending worldwide, which proves it that WhatsApp indeed is down indefinitely as of right now.

The social media has exploded over the situation as we speak. Everyone has an opinion of their own, rather conclusions, towards this situation. A majority seems to be believing that Facebook intends to meddle with WhatsApp’s operations and quite possibly harm them, or according to the masses, shut them down. Let’s show you some of the more interesting, and outrageous Tweets and posts over Twitter and Facebook.

- See more at: http://techeclipse.com/news/whatsapp-goes-down-indefinitely/#.UwoRYKKbfcu

EnjOy..:)
Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Facebook buying messaging app WhatsApp for $19B

NEW YORK: Facebook is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, by far the company's largest acquisition and bigger than any that Google, Microsoft or Apple have ever done.

The world's biggest social networking company said Wednesday that it is paying $12 billion in Facebook stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp. In addition, the app's founders and employees — 55 in all — will be granted restricted stock worth $3 billion that will vest over four years after the deal closes.

The deal translates to roughly nine per cent of Facebook's market value. In comparison, Google's biggest deal, Motorola Mobility, stood at $12.5 billion, while Microsoft's largest was Skype at $8.5 billion. Apple, meanwhile, has never done a deal above $1 billion.

The price stunned Gartner analyst Brian Blau. ''I am not surprised they went after WhatsApp, but the amount is staggering,'' he said.

Facebook likely prizes WhatsApp for its audience of teenagers and young adults who are increasingly using the service to engage in online conversations outside of Facebook, which has evolved into a more mainstream hangout inhabited by their parents, grandparents and even their bosses at work.

''This is a bet on the future for Facebook,'' Blau said. ''They know they have to expand their business lines. WhatsApp is in the business of collecting people's conversations, so Facebook is going to get some great data.''

In that sense, the acquisition makes sense for 10-year-old Facebook as it looks to attract its next billion users while keeping its existing 1.23 billion members, including teenagers, interested. The company has said it will develop a ''multi-app'' strategy, creating its own applications that exist outside of Facebook and acquiring others.

''Facebook seems to be in acknowledgement that people are using a lot of different apps to communicate,'' said eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson. ''In order to continue to reach audiences, younger in particular, it needs to have a broader strategy...not put all its eggs in one basket.''

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Instagram Finally Released On Windows Phone

Is it worth the wait? After all, it has been a long time coming but Instagram has finally released a native app for Windows Phone. The long suffering of you out there that use Windows phones (sorry I’m an iPhone man myself), will finally be able to share pictures in new and interesting ways, just like the rest of us.  Well, kind of anyway.

 

The new Instagram app has most of the great features that iOS and Android users have come to appreciate. All the photo filters are there and you are able to see your feed, complete with all of your friend’s snaps and “heart” and comments too.  However, all is not rosey in the Instagram world as a few things are peculiarly absent.  The most important of which is the fact that the Windows app cannot take photos or upload video from within the app?

Windows users can still upload photos from their camera roll and Instagram for Windows Phone will launch the native camera app to take new photos.  Currently, there is no option for video, but apparently it is all in the pipeline. As Instagram has finally made the leap over to Windows Phone, we should all be grateful, even if the app is still ironing out the flaws.

For more information regarding the release, please check out the following release notes:

Over 150 million users love Instagram! It’s a simple way to capture and share the world’s moments on your Windows Phone.  Customize your photos with one of several gorgeous and custom built filter effects. Transform everyday moments into works of art you’ll want to share with friends and family.Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see – and follow your friends’ photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you’ll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.

Main Features Include:

100% free custom designed filters: XPro-II, Earlybird, Rise, Amaro, Hudson, Lo-fi, Sutro, Toaster, Brannan, Inkwell, Walden, Hefe, Nashville, 1977, and others.
Video recording with breathtaking cinematic stabilization
Linear and Radial Tilt-Shift blur effects for extra depth of field.
Instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare
Unlimited uploads
Interact with friends through giving & receiving likes and comments
Full front & back camera support
And much much more…

You can get Instagram for Windows Phone at the Windows Phone Store.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Spotify Connect Available For Android

Recently, online music service Spotify, introduced Spotify Connect for iOS devices.  The company has now provided the service to their Android app, this now ticks all the boxes and makes it a multi-platform feature from Spotify.

Spotify Connect allows you to stream music over WiFi to select speakers. Unfortunately the system only works with streaming content and not localised MP3s. In addition to this, it will need a premium account for it to work. Right now it only allows you to send music to a single device, but that could change in the not too distant future.

Spotify Connect is not really a lot different from what you can already do with nearly all Bluetooth-enabled speakers. What it does do, however, is it eliminates the need for you to pair the devices together. Which can become tedious, if you use the same Bluetooth speaker on many different devices?

The better features of the product are that because Spotify Connect uses WiFi, it has much further range than what Bluetooth can provide.  The upshot of this is that your friends can share their own music, as long as they have the Spotify app and your wireless password to connect.

This is very similar to the streaming functionality of Apple’s AirPlay system. But it appears to be easier to initialize as once you have pressed the Spotify Connect button on your Android device, you’ll be free to do complete whatever you want to do on your phone.  This is unlike Apple‘s AirPlay system, where once you start, you are locked in?

Spotify Connect is available on Android through the Google Play Store.  As always, your comments regarding the Spotify Connect app are appreciated in the comments section below.

[Image via amobil]

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

How To Install Android 4.4 KitKat Launcher On Any Jelly Bean Device

Last year’s Nexus 4 was an awesome device that proved LG can definitely make goodlooking phones. This year’s Nexus 5 is no different, offering the best specs and the most svelte design a $350 phone has ever offered. But it’s not just the hardware where Nexus 5 really shines; the new Android 4.4 Kitkat that it ships with is every bit as impressive. We’ve already covered a summary of new features in Kitkat, so you might want to check that out as well. Those who’ve been eyeing on the latest version of Android would be aware about its new Google Experience Launcher. The search engine giant has kicked up another notch by presenting the best looking stock Android launcher yet. If you can’t wait to get your hands on it, we’ve got some good news for you. The launcher files have already been uploaded to the internet, and you grab them to try it on your own device running any version of Jelly Bean. Just follow our full guide to get it up and running.

It’s worth noting that Google Experience Launcher may not work on all phones, and you may face force close issues. In our own testing, the launcher didn’t face any problem whatsoever on the international variant of Galaxy S4, but your mileage may vary depending on your device. We advise that you create a backup before proceeding.

Requirements

• A phone running Android 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3 Jelly Bean
• Google Experience Launcher files. The archive contains:
  1. PreBuiltGmsCore.apk (Google Play Services 4.0)
  2. Velvet.apk (Google Search)
  3. GoogleHome.apk (Launcher)

  

Procedure

1. Again, to be on the safe side we recommend that you create a backup first to avoid any issues
2. Next up, download the ZIP fie provided in the link above and extract its contents to an easily accessible location. You can download the file to your PC and transfer them to your device, or you can download it straight to your Android device and extract the archive using any file extraction app.
3. Now, install all three files available in that folder one by one by simply tapping on them, or sideloading them via ADB form your computer.
4. Once done, simply press Home and select the new Launcher as default.

   

Note: If you face Google Search Force Close issue, just long-press the home screen in the new launcher, select Settings and then tap Voice. Select Language to change the default. You can change to any another language and then again back to your own language by following the same procedure

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Android 4.4 KitKat: A Summary Of New Features & Improvements

All the regular leaks and rumors have kept the Android community abuzz for the past few weeks, waiting for the next major update to Android. Well, Google announced Android 4.4 ‘KitKat’ some time ago, but they just formally detailed all the new features a few hours ago. In this article, we’ll be covering all the new changes you should expect when your device manufacturer ultimately rolls out Android 4.4 to your device.

All Recent Nexus Devices Except Galaxy Nexus Will Support Android 4.4

Most probably due to its weak chip, the Galaxy Nexus will not officially receive Android 4.4 from Google. However, one can expect the active developer to rise to the occasion, and launch custom ROMs built on top of KitKat. It’s a shame considering how Apple has been able to support the three-year-old iPhone 4, while Google isn’t able to support a phone released just a year and a half ago.

Nexus 10, Nexus 7 2012/2013, Nexus 4, Google Play Editions of HTC One and Galaxy S4 will get Android 4.4 soon. Google used the words, “in the coming weeks.”

“Ok Google”: Quick Access To Voice Commands

Remember the “always listening” Touchless Control feature in Moto X? Android 4.4 packs something quite similar but very limited in comparison. You can use the “Ok Google” voice command to gain quick access to Google Now actions, but only if you’re on the home screen or within Google Now. Also, it is currently only supported on the Nexus 5.

Project Svelte Drastically Reduces RAM Consumption For Low-End Devices

The single biggest reason why Android caught up and subsequently leapfrogged iOS in market-share is because of its ability to run on low-end smartphones and tablets. The experience of using Android on these devices is often drastically different than high and even mid-end devices, so Google has announced ‘Project Svelte’ as part of 4.4 KitKat, which makes some clever optimizations to reduce the amount of RAM Android apps use. Low-end devices will get the most out of this, but higher-end devices will see benefits in the form of improved multi-tasking and generally better performance.

Apps Can Now Natively Go Full-Screen

The biggest advantage of using virtual buttons is that they can go away when you don’t need them, which gives you more screen space to enjoy games and videos. On Android 4.4 KitKat, it will be easy for developers to make their app take over the entirety of the screen. If you want to see the status bar or navigation bar again, swipe up or down (respectively) to see it momentarily. It is somewhat similar to how Notification Center and Control Center work on iOS.

Translucent Status & Navigation Bar

We’ve discussed tweaks to achieve this and ROMs that support this by default. From Android 4.4 onwards, both previously mentioned bars will be completely transparent, giving you a sense of extra space on your homescreen. Not a huge difference per se, but it’s a welcome one.

Smarter Phone App

Getting a call from an unknown number? The Phone app will automatically search for the number on Google in the background, and update it with the name of the restaurant, bank, or shop if found. This also works the other way: you can start typing the name of a nearby location on Google Maps and you’ll be presented with the phone number. Additionally, the app will remember who you call the most and show these contacts higher in the list when searching for them.

Hangouts Replaces Messaging App

After replacing the AOSP Camera app, Keyboard, Email, Browser etc. with its own proprietary solutions, Google has now replaced the terrible AOSP Messaging app with the latest version of Hangouts. As most of you already know, Hangouts now supports texting over SMS, and conversations over SMS or Google Hangouts are displayed seamlessly – it’s a long-awaited feature, but you should understand that it is another big step by Google to lock down Android by close-sourcing as many important parts of the system as possible.

Native Support For Printing

With Android 4.4, you will be able to connect to remote printers through Google Cloud Print and nearby printers over the same WiFi network to print the documents you carry with you on your device. This goes well with Google’s move to acquire Quickoffice.

Emoji In Google Keyboard

Though not that groundbreaking an addition, it is certainly one that has been deemed missing from the OS for a long time. Emoji will now be available everywhere, right from within the stock keyboard.

IR Blaster Support

Both HTC One and Galaxy S4 came with IR blasters for controlling your TV remotely, but the hardware didn’t work in Google Play editions of the same phones because of lack of software support. In Android 4.4, support for sending control signals over IR is built in.

Screen Recording

App reviewers and developers rely on screen capture tools to enhance the products of their labor, and there’s no better way to enhance app reviews and development than with recording a video of the screen. Previously, you had to rely on third-party apps, however, you can now record screen activity using Android 4.4 itself. It can be accessed over ADB, and we’ll show you how as soon as we get our hands on KitKat.

EnjOy..:)

Bugs Of Techn0l0gy