Nokia X with four-inch display, Android-based OS launched at Rs 8,599 in India

Noxia X is a dual SIM handset featuring a four-inch touchscreen, dual core 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and supports expandable memory up to 32GB. The smartphone was already available for pre-booking on electronics retailer. It has a 3MP rear camera and is powered by Android Jellybean OS.

The Finnish firm, whose handset business was bought by Microsoft last year, had unveiled its Nokia X range of smartphones -- X, X+ and XL -- powered by Google's Android operating system at the Mobile World Congress on February 24.

The phones are not pure Android phones but run a variant of Android. Nokia has taken the open-source elements of Android and added elements of Asha and Microsoft's Windows Phone to offer its users a different experience.

(JPN)

Source: Technology News

Lenovo, LG named as Microsoft’s Windows Phone partners

These new Windows Phone 8 partners will supplement the existing Windows Phone partners HTC, Samsung and Huawei, according to company officials who shared the updated list at the MWC show.

These changes announced on Monday will certainly add more appeal and higher volume to the platform around the world. The changes are good for Microsoft to indirectly address growing concerns that its upcoming acquisition of Nokia's device division would limit the interest of outside manufacturers.

Microsoft also announced details about the next Windows Phone update, presumably 8.1, which should be arriving in spring 2014. It is believed that it will bring support for low-end devices (such as those with 512MB of RAM and 16GB of storage), as well as better support for non-touch devices.

The new version of the platform will also support phones with Snapdragon 200 and 400 chipsets, as well as dual SIM devices, paving way for low and mid-range device makers.

JPN

Source: Latest Tech News

Top 10 criminally addictive free mobile games that are impossible to resist

Jagran Post brings to you a list of top 10 mobile games that will not only make you witness virtual reality but also enhance your mental skills.

Angry Birds: It is speculated to be one of the most popular mobile games of all times. In Angry Birds, the players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal the birds' eggs. This game has stayed at the top of the charts since it was launched.

 

Asphalt 8: Airborne: It is a part of the most exciting arcade racing game series Asphalt. The game involves high-speed aerial stunts in an intense driving experience powered by a lineup of brand-new dream cars.

Teen Patti: The game, considered to be Indian poker, is played with real gamers from across the globe. Each table has room for five players, who you win or lose chips during the course of the game. The inclusion of public and private rooms makes the game more lifelike.

Candy Crush Saga: Candy Crush was the most downloaded free application on iPhones and iPads in the year 2013, which surpassed Facebook, Google Maps and YouTube. The game is an addictive puzzle adventure that involves switching and matching of sweets through more than 400 levels.

Cut the Rope FULL FREE: The phenomenal puzzle game has already witnessed more than 400 million downloads around the world. In this game, users cut the rope in order to feed candy to little monster. Gamers can also collect gold stars, discover hidden prizes and unlock exciting new levels in this addictively fun, award-winning, physics-based game.

FIFA 14: This is an authentic football game that features pass, shot, and tackle options with new touch controls. The game possesses out-of-the-league graphics along with tons of real football leagues, teams, and players.

Fruit Ninja Free: It is a one of a kind action game which involves squishy, splatty and satisfying fruit carnage. The game is extremely simple to play and provides multiple game play modes to keep the gamers intact.

Temple Run 2: This game is considered to be users delight as it has already crossed 170 million download mark. Here, the user controls a character that is exhilarating running, jumping, turning and sliding all over through the map.

Jetpack Joyride: The game is loaded with style and adventure. The game includes a coolest collection jetpacks ever made and take to the skies as Barry Steakfries. It is a marvelous one-way journey that will make you get on toes at times.

Zynga Poker: It has become the world's largest online poker room. Here no money is on the stake but the ever exciting feel of poker joust keeps on multiplying with each and every passing moment of the game. The game can be played with friends and strangers as well.

(JPN)

Source: Latest Tech News

Micromax Canvas Power with 4000 mAh battery, 5-inch display launched at Rs 9,900 in India

Micromax Canvas Power A96 showcases an outstanding 4000 mAh battery that can deliver 450 hours of standby time and 5.5 hours of talk time in single charge. The device is installed with a 5-inch TFT display that possesses a resolution of (FWVGA) 480x854 pixels. The handset runs on a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582M processor along with 512MB of RAM.

The phone is powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box operating system. It contains 4GB of inbuilt storage that can further be expanded up to 32GB through a microSD memory card. Canvas Power boasts of 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. It also includes 3G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth on the connectivity front.

Key Specification

    4000mAh battery

    Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)

    Android Jelly Bean

    5-inch TFT display, 480x854 pixel resolution

    1.3GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM

    5-megapixel rear camera

    4GB expandable up to 32GBinbuilt storage

    3G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, Bluetooth

(JPN)

Source: Latest Tech News

ThinkPad turnaround provides blueprint for Lenovo’s Motorola handset business

Reporting third-quarter profit that witnessed an increase of 29 percent, Lenovo's chief executive warned the drive to turn around the Motorola handset business it bought from Google Inc and the computer server unit that it bought from IBM will squeeze earnings in the short term.

For Yang, the pain may only last "a couple of quarters" after the deals close, he said, and is worth it: though October-December personal computer sales were strong, the aggressive acquisitions are a key plank in Lenovo's search for future sources of growth as the broader desktop PC market shrinks and computer users go mobile.

"In the short term (the deals) will have a negative impact on performance," Yang said in a telephone interview after the earnings were announced. Lenovo, the world's biggest maker of PCs, later specified that it will likely take three to five quarters to turn around the Motorola phone business.

Analysts say it may take the company at least that long to turn around its acquisitions. Heavyweights like Samsung Electronics Co and Apple Inc, dominant in global smartphones, will also provide stiff competition as Lenovo seeks to build up the Motorola business.

"I'm expecting a slowdown in the underlying, organic business," said Jean-Louis Lafayeedney, a Hong Kong-based technology analyst at JI Asia, an affiliate of Societe Generale.

"It will be at least a year before Lenovo can turn around growth," he said, speaking before Yang's comments,” Louis added.

Deja vu

Investors might be experiencing déjà vu. Motorola Mobility and IBM x86 server unit currently lose money - Motorola alone lost more than USD one billion in 2013 - just as ThinkPad did when it became the Chinese company's way into businesses across United States in 2005.

After the ThinkPad deal, Lenovo's net income dropped sharply and only recovered after almost two years.

To bring the new acquisitions into the fold, Lenovo plans to revive its tactic of integrating ThinkPad through cost-cutting, lower material costs and merging the business with its own supply chain.

Lenovo will sell Motorola handsets and IBM servers through the same channels it uses for its own low-margin smartphones and its PC business, Yang said in a post-earnings call, without elaborating on financial targets.

Lenovo said it plans to re-introduce the Motorola brand to its home country - a smartphone market now beginning to become saturated - as well as expanding to emerging markets. A key part of its strategy for IBM's low-end servers is to surf on Lenovo's presence in China, where it said server demand remains strong.

But the sheer size of these deals - the price tag is close to half of Lenovo's market value - will weigh on the company for some time. Analysts don't expect the deals to be finalised until the third quarter of 2014.

"They did not have a choice, they had to acquire a business to take their smartphones to the developed markets," said Lafayeedney.

"They cannot waste the kind of time needed to grow organically into developed markets," the analyst said, speaking before the October-December earnings were announced.

Ahead of estimates

Lenovo on Thursday reported net income of USD 265.3 million for the October-December quarter, ended before the acquisitions splurge. That was well above the USD 204.9 million it posted a year earlier, as well as a USD 247.2 million consensus forecast.

Although Lenovo is the world's fourth-biggest manufacturer of smartphones by shipments as of the quarter ended December, according to data firm IDC, the company is still dependent on China for vast majority of its sales.

Of the 13.9 million handsets Lenovo shipped in that quarter according to IDC, Lenovo said on Thursday only two million or 14 percent of those were sold outside China.

Yang told analysts in a conference call that the smartphone unit does not yet contribute a lot to the overall profit of Lenovo, particularly in China, where margins are slimmer than in other markets. Overall China smartphone shipments fell for the first time in more than two years in the quarter that ended in December, declining 4.3 percent quarter-on-quarter to 90.8 million handsets, according to IDC.

The speed and scale of the buying spree - partly paid for by issuing new shares - spooked some investors. Earlier this month, Lenovo shares tumbled 16 percent in one day after a report said the company was interested in buying Sony Corp's Vaio PC division.

Lenovo shares have dropped 8.7 percent since the start of the year, compared with Hong Kong index's loss of 4.82 percent. By close of trading on Thursday, the stock was down 0.58 percent, while the index was off 0.54 percent.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest Tech News

Nokia Lumia Icon with 1080p display, 20MP camera launched

Lumia Icon is installed with a five-inch display that possesses breathtaking screen resolution. The phone has also got the ability to record videos in 1080p high-definition resolution. The device is powered by Windows Phone 8 operating system.

With the Qi wireless charging technology, Icon can now be charged with compatible devices such as the Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy. The smartphone boasts a camera that has got amazing capabilities to capture life-like pictures with superb details. As per the reports, the device is packed with a 2,420 mAh battery, which lasts 7 hours and 9 minutes.

Key Specification

• Four microphones

• 1080p HD resolution

• 20-megapixel camera

• Windows Phone 8

JPN

Source: Latest Tech News

Moto G launched in India for Rs 12,499, available on Flipkart

In the US, Moto G -- with no contract, no SIM lock and an 'unlockable bootloader' -- is priced at around USD 179 (about Rs 11,200) with 8 GB of storage and USD 199 (about Rs 12,400) for the 16 GB version.
  
After being acquired by Google in May 2012, Motorola Mobility stopped introducing new products in India. However, the firm continued with its operation in the Indian market.
  
The smartphone, which the firm claims will give the users a premium smartphone experience for a third of the price of the current high-end phones, will be available exclusively through e-commerce marketplace player Flipkart from tomorrow.
  
Elaborating on the strategy behind launching affordable smartphones, Motorola Mobility General Manager EMEA and Asia-Pacific Magnus Ahlqvist said: "About 500 million people globally are looking at buying a new smartphone in 2014, which promises them an affordable price and good user experience."
  
India is on the brink of explosive growth in e-commerce, which will take products to the farthest corners of the country and Motorola wants to be a part of this growth story, he added.
  
Speaking on the launch, Flipkart co-founder and CEO Sachin Bansal said: "For the first time a global brand has tied up with an exclusive online partner in India. This exclusive partnership is also a continuation of our commitment to bring the best to our customers."
  
The budget-friendly smartphone, which underscores Motorola's plan to focus on emerging markets, was expected to have reached Indian shores by January 2014.
  
The Indian e-commerce market grew 88 per cent last year and at present stands at USD 16 billion and Flipkart with 1 crore registered users, over 10 lakh daily visitors and one million monthly shipments is the right platform for the launch of such an attention-grabbing phone, he added.
  
Moto G, which sports a 4.5-inch HD display, is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 graphics, 1 GB of RAM and has a dual SIM option.
  
The handset comes loaded with Android 4.3 Jellybean with a guaranteed upgrade to 4.4 KitKat in a the close future. Protected with Corning Gorilla glass, Moto G has a water repellent nano-coating inside and outside, which provides protection to the handset from light splashes of water.
  
Moto G has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. On the features front, Moto G has a revamped Phone app, which prioritises contacts based talk time and call frequency. The Photos app allows viewing and editing of locally stored and Google+ images.
  
Google is also offering 50 GB of Google Drive storage free for two years with Moto G in addition to the standard 15 GB available to every Google account user.
  
Last month, Google announced Lenovo will buy Motorola Mobility for USD 2.91 billion ending the Internet giant's unsuccessful run in the competitive handset business.

(JPN)

 

Source: Latest Tech News

Nokia X smartphone may be launched in March

The speculated Nokia X handset is installed with a four-inch TFT display having a resolution of 480x854 (FWVGA) pixels. Reports claim that the smartphone will be powered by 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor.

The device is likely to feature a five-megapixel rear camera. The handset is expected to run on Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. The key features of Android 4.4 KitKat include translucent menu bar, new caller ID, unified Hangouts messaging app, better Google Now integration, step counter and detector and more efficient screen recording.

It may also boast dual-SIM support and contain 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE, AGPS as well as Micro-USB as connectivity options. The phone is likely to be loaded with 4GB of internal storage capacity, which can further be expanded through the usage of a micro-SD memory card.

JPN

Source: Latest Tech News

Facebook wants to read your SMS, confidential info: Kaspersky

"Over the last few days there has been a constant scrutiny over Face book having access to your SMS. Buried within the latest update for Face book’s Android app is a feature that is causing growing concern among some users," Kaspersky said in a statement on Monday.
   
 No immediate comments were received from Facebook.

Face book is one of the companies that have been accused by US Whistleblower Edward Snowden of sneaking in to private information to help National Security Agency of US in spying at global level. The social media firm has denied that allegation.
    
The Face book application at the time of installation on Android mobile phones seeks certain permissions and the updated version now asks users to allow it "Read your text messages (SMS or MMS)".
    
The social media's logic behind seeking access to SMS is that "if you add a phone number to your account, this allows us to confirm your phone number automatically by finding the confirmation code that we send via text message".
    
The updated Facebook application now wants to "Read calendar events plus confidential information" which it justifies as it is required to allow "the app to show your calendar availability (based on your phone’s calendar) when you’re viewing an event on Facebook".
    
Facebook sends code via SMS that has to be entered when a user registers with the social media website which in a way helps the company verify the authenticity of users twice.
    
"Two-factor authentication provides an extra level of security, so it's good to see Face book providing this option ... As a final note, we'd urge people to carefully check the permissions requested by any app when you first install it," Kaspersky Lab's Principal Security Researcher David Emm said.
    
Kaspersky added the permissions also grants access to multimedia messages, for which reason is not explicitly given.
    
It expressed apprehension on the word 'automatic' used in the permission sought by Facebook.
    
"...the key, it seems to lie in the word 'automatically'. Surely the app doesn't need to do this automatically. Face book could simply prompt me to type in the code manually. Or, at the very least, provide this option," Kaspersky said.
    
It added that this may be an innocent feature "but in the light of growing concerns about online privacy, such an option would help to allay people's fears".
    
Face book is reported to have 93 million users in India out of which 75 million access it from their mobile phone as of December 2013.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest Tech News