Google gifts Apple's Steve Wozniak a Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Just recently, Apple's co-founder, Steve Wozniak tweeted about having looked out for a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and then not finding it, probably because it wasn't available, yet, confirms a report in The Telegraph. That stated, and before he knew it, Google had already gifted him the smartphone. Wozniak, on his visit to a Google campus received the first phone running Google's Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

With love, from Google!

Wozniak's affection towards the Android platform isn't unknown. Reportedly in November 2010, although Wozniak claims to have been misquoted on this one, he told a Dutch publication, De Telegraaf that Google’s Android mobile operating system was better than Apple’s equivalent, iOS. Wozniak later cleared the air, stating he was misquoted and that he would "never" say that Android was better than iOS. 

The report further suggests that while Wozniak did not deny the popularity of the platform, he stated that every app he tried on Android was a better experience on the iPhone. It has also been reported that Wozniak also purchased the Nexus One, the same day as it launched.

HTC Ville's the slimmest HTC smartphone at 8mm

Earlier this month, it was reported that HTC had a new handset in the works, which is scheduled for a debut at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), next year. The upcoming handset is reportedly known as the HTC Ville and it will be the thinnest smartphone from HTC measuring at 8mm thin uniformly, unlike the Motorola RAZR, which features the bump. According to a report by Phandroid, the upcoming Droid will feature a metal unibody design and could be one of the first smartphones to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 platform.

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the HTC Ville:

• Android Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense UI 4.0
• 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display
• 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon Series 4 processor
• 8MP rear camera with a back-illuminated sensor that supports 1080p video capture
• Beats audio
• HSPA+
• 1650mAh battery

The handset will not feature NFC capabilities. If announced at MWC in February, the handset could possibly hit shelves by April. It appears that all manufacturers are jumping onto the thin bandwagon and judging by the looks of this handset, it seems that this is 'the' handset to look out for.

Nokia To Sell 2 Million Windows Phone Devices In Q4

Last week there were rumors that Nokia would only sell around 500,000 of their new Windows Phone devices before the end of the year, Nokia responded to the rumors saying that sales of the device had been very good, and had beaten previous Nokia launches in the UK.
Now according to a recent report, Nokia are expected to sell around 2 million of their Lumia Windows Phone smartphones before the end of the year, which would be a good start for Nokia and their new Windows Phone devices.

Nokia’s Lumia Windows Phone smartphones are only available in Europe at the moment, and Nokia will launch its first devices in the US in early 2012, which will probably include the Nokia Lumia 800 as well as some other smartphones.
It will be interesting to see what the official figures from Nokia are by the end of the year, and whether Nokia are able to start selling more smartphones than they have in previous years with their new Windows Phone devices.

HTC Ville Android 4.0 ICS Photo Leaked

We first heard about the new HTC Ville Android smartphone last month, the device is expected to come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and may feature a dual core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon series 4 processor.
Now we have a render of the device, which you can see below, and other rumored specification s include a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED qHD display, which will come with a resolution of 540 x 96- pixels.

The HTC Ville is also expected to feature a new version of HTC’s custom user interface, HTC Sense 4.0, plus an 8 megapixel backside illuminated camera, which will be capable of recording full high definition video in 1080p.
It will probably come with Beats Audio built in, like the recent new HTC devices, and we are expecting it to be unveiled it February at MWC 2012, with a possible launch date of around April 2012.
As soon as we get some more details on the new HTC Ville, along with the exact specifications and an official launch date we will let you guys know.

SteelSeries 7H Fnatic Pro Gaming Limited Edition Headset And Mouse Unveiled

This week to tie in nicely with the launch of “Dreamhack Winter”, the world’s largest digital festival and LAN party. Team Fnatic, has unveiled their new SteelSeries 7H Fnatic Limited Edition headset and SteelSeries Sensei Fnatic Limited Edition mouse.
The Sensi Fnatic mouse is equipped with a 32 bit ARM processor, which has been installed to help power the SteelSeries’ ExactTech settings and customisation features. Sensitivity settings on the mouse can be changed from 1 to 5,700 CPI, and can be “overclocked” using the Double CPI feature, that allows you to go all the way up to 11,400 DCPI



The Fnatic Limited Edition 7H headset features 50mm dynamic driver units with new, sound isolating SNDBlock ear cushions, and scan be dismantled in to four separate pieces for transport.
Kim Rom, SteelSeries CMO
“We sponsor and work with a number of incredibly talented professional players and are proud to say that the Fnatic team is part of that family,” – “We have been supporters and collaborators with, as well as fans of, the talent that makes up the Fnatic squad for a long time now. We felt that it was the perfect time to introduce co-branded peripherals – that their players helped us design, regularly use and win with – to their immense and passionate fan following.”
The Limited Edition Fnatic 7H headset is now available to purchase from the Steelseries website for $140 or around €115 and the Limited Edition Fnatic Sensei mouse for $100 or €100

New technology to assist online apparel shopping

People loaded with baggage walking across shopping malls could be passé in near future, owing to the increasing trend of online shopping. However, shopping for apparel and getting that right fit, look and feel is troublesome. Online shopping for books or electronics has been on a rise, but the same cannot be said when it comes to apparel shopping. According to Reuters, Asaf Moses now displays newer ways to measure body dimensions. He is the co-founder of Upcload, a technology company working towards helping people size up at home.

The new technology by Moses is said to take accurate measurements in just three minutes. This technology will allow users to check their measurements at select retailer websites to ensure that the apparel gives the right fit.

Fits.me is using robotic mannequins posing in similar dimensions as shoppers. "Robots are a fantastic tool to see how garments look on differently-sized human bodies", said Heikki Haldre, co-founder and CEO of the Estonia-based company. The robot is photographed numerous times in various permutations, and the shopper views one of the pre-recorded images.

Forrester Research says that 10.9 percent of apparel and accessories transactions are conducted online, while it's 25 percent for books and 17 percent for consumer electronics. These personalized shopping options could lead to increase in online shopping.

Switched On: HTC goes back to the feature

Motorola's Droid RAZR takes enough pages out of the classic textbook of smartphone differentiation to assemble its own chapter. It sets a new standard for thinness in LTE devices, uses leading-edge display technology, resists flexing, glass breakage and water damage, has a striking design and thoughtfully selected materials, stretches battery life, matches with a bevy of optimized accessories, and enables remote file and media access via Motocast software . Who's it for? Just about any Verizon customer willing to pony up.

Its rival HTC has also long played the one-upsmanship game. It has invested in a software layer designed to have populist appeal. Moreover, it has catered to US carriers' priorities by being first out of the gate to support T-Mobile's 3G network (with the first Android phone, the G1) and Sprint's and Verizon's 4G efforts, as well as one of two to initially support AT&T's LTE network.

And the work has paid off. At its recent introduction of the Rezound, the company crowed that it had been named the best-selling smartphone brand in the US in Q3 and that it was the leader in 4G smartphones. (The NPD Group, my employer, supports the second claim but not the first.) HTC also noted that it had cracked the Interbrand 100 list of best global brands after only five years of brand promotion. The company's "partner" Beats Audio, in which the handset maker has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, also drenched its benefactor in praise. This was followed by expected statements of support from Verizon and Best Buy, which will sell the Rezound.

HTC may thus be losing the battle to be "quietly brilliant." However, one aspect of its marketing campaign on which it seems to be overdelivering on is the focus on "you," a word that merited its own slide early in the Rezound's unveiling. Unlike the tour de force of the Droid RAZR, the Rezound is the second recent HTC smartphone to have a loosely defined yet thoughtfully targeted user or specialty. Whereas the plum-coated HTC Rhyme was aimed toward fashion-forward consumers looking for a lifestyle-management handset, the Rezound -- with its Beats Audio tuning, bundled Beats headphones and high-definition display -- is focusing on a multimedia entertainment experience, one clearly anchored in music.

In some ways, this approach recalls the heyday of feature phones, ironic given that HTC has the least history in those devices among major smartphone OS licensees. In contrast, Sony Ericsson, for example, long emphasized "imaging phones" borrowing the Cyber-shot brand and "music phones" with the Walkman label. Smartphones raised the bar for these and many more tasks, apparently rendering such focus irrelevant since apps could make any smartphone capable jacks-of-many-trades.

But like all retro phenomena, the nod to the past does not exactly recapture it. HTC's approach is not as strictly defined by features. Even the music-centric Rezound has continued an emphasis on higher-quality imaging features recently extolled by Apple and Nokia. The targeted smartphone is more about persuasion than purpose, with HTC's crafted customers a hybrid of specific demographics, behaviors and personality.

HTC's tailoring may not be noticed or appreciated by its intended audience and, in any case, two phones do not a strategy make. Yet, as smartphone saturation continues to grow in the US and app libraries clear a baseline of selection and quality, many of these devices have become rungs of specifications in manufacturers' chosen ladders of operating systems. In an age when more people than ever can afford a smartphone, new opportunities may lie in recognizing that it's no longer just about how much smartphone one can afford.

How would you change Motorola's Droid 3

Believe it or not, Motorola's Droid 3 shipped back in July. That feels like about eight centuries ago, but for those who've spent the last few months toying with what used to be Verizon's latest and greatest, here's your chance to voice your opinion. Are you pleased with the keyboard? Satisfied with the software? Would you change up the form factor any when dreaming of the Droid 4? Tired of that "lip" just beneath the board? Go ahead and toss your thoughts in comments below. Just take a deep breath first, okay?

Data of 13 mln S.Korean online game subscribers hacked

South Korea's communications regulator said on Saturday that personal information of more than 13 million subscribers of a popular online game of Nexon Korea Corp, a leading game developer in the country, had been leaked in a hacking attack. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said in a statement Nexon reported to the commission late Friday afternoon that the company on Thursday discovered the leakage of personal data of its online game Maple Story's 13.2 million subscribers.

The information was leaked weeks before the unlisted company's planned initial public offering of its Japanese affiliate on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Dec. 14. Nexon aims to raise more than 95 billion yen ($1.2 billion) through the IPO, which would be the largest on the Tokyo bourse this year. KCC said it, jointly with police and computer security experts, is investigating the hacking case. The leaked data included user IDs, names, resident registration numbers and passwords, it added. A Nexon official said the leaked data covered no information on financial transactions and bank account numbers.

It's just another hack

And it did not affect overseas subscribers of the online game. The company has asked game subscribers to change passwords to prevent additional damage, although the leaked resident registration numbers and passwords were encrypted. The entire subscription membership of Maple Story is about 18 million, the company official said. Nexon, which has gained a global reputation through Maple Story and online game Kart Rider, is one of the two leading online game developers in South Korea, along with NCsoft Corp.

The incident is the largest such security breach case since late July when information of up to 35 million users of an Internet portal and blogging site operated by SK Comms was attacked by hackers from China, exposing the vulnerabilities of networks in the world's most wired country. Accusations against China over hacking incidents have mounted this year, with allegations it intruded into the networks of Lockheed Martin and other U.S. military contractors and tried to gain access to the Google email accounts of U.S. officials and Chinese human rights advocates. South Korea has drawn up a cyber security master plan after a wave of hacking attacks against global agencies, companies and its own financial firms.

In April, government-funded Nonghyup, a large commercial bank, suffered a massive network failure that affected millions of users. Seoul prosecutors at the time said North Korean hackers were responsible for the attack. In May, hackers breached the personal information of 1.8 million customers of Hyundai Capital, which is owned by Hyundai Motor and GE Capital International.

IPCom to ban sales of HTC smartphones in Germany

First, it was a show of poor scores for HTC, as they made their Q4 revenue numbers public. Now, a post on FOSS Patents and a subsequent Reuters report confirms that there is some more bad news in store for the Taiwan-based smartphones manufacturer. Reportedly, IPCom - a Germany-based patent firm is fast moving towards putting into action an injunction put forth by a Mannheim court, which was originally passed in February, last year.

Banned in Germany?

HTC, according to IPCom's claims had infringed on their patents pertaining to UMTS 3G technology. The hearing for this was scheduled to happen next week, but, HTC withdrew its appeal, thus giving way to the enforcement of the ban in Germany. In a quote provided by IPCom to Reuters report it was stated that, "We will use the right awarded by the courts, likely resulting in HTC devices disappearing from shops during the crucial Christmas season."

Now, with the Christmas season already underway in full swing, a sales ban on HTC smartphones will prove to be a cruel blow to the future prospects of the fourth-largest smartphone brand, globally. Further according to the post on FOSS Patents, "At this stage, HTC's German resellers, especially some of the major carriers, probably have enough merchandise in their warehouses that they can meet demand for some more time. However, those mobile devices are fast-moving goods, and they are frequently updated (such as to fix security holes). Those supplies won't last too long."

Now, if things go as per IPCom's plans, then a sales ban of all HTC smartphones in Germany is inevitable.

Genius LuxePad Bluetooth keyboards for iOS and Android 3.0

Cutting on the clutter of wires, Inspan brings new Bluetooth keyboards to the Indian market.
Inspan brings two new Genius Bluetooth keyboards for Android 3.0, iPad and iPhones. The LuxePad A9000 has been crafted for Android 3.0 devices, Luxepad for iPad and LuxePad 9000 supports iPad and iPhones. These low power consuming, sleek keyboards can be charged through the mini USB cable.

Cut the clutter

These Bluetooth keyboards work within a range of 30 feet of the iPad, iPhone or Android devices. They utilize the built-in Bluetooth technology. Needless to say, these space saving devices are highly portable. They employ a scissor-type key structure, which delivers good tactile feedback. Several iPad, iPhone and iPad features can be accessed using certain key functions. The on/off switch can be used even while away from the device.

Official images of the Motorola Droid 4 leaked before launch

Motorola is building up on their Droid army. After recently unveiling the Droid RAZR across the globe, images and specifications of Motorola’s next handset have been leaked online through Droid Life. This time around it does not come in the form of blurry cam images, but rather official shots of the smartphone. The Droid 4 looks very alike to the Droid RAZR with the only difference being that the former has a slide out keyboard. The layout of the keyboard appears to be really good with the keys appearing to be well spaced. From the image, we can see that there is a white backlight that glows between the spaces of the keys.

Strikingly similar to the Droid RAZR

Apart from images, the specifications of the Motorola Droid 4 have also been revealed. The handset will run on Android Gingerbread and powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Here is a quick look at the rest of the highlighted specifications:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread with added Motorola features
• 1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4.0-inch qHD display with Corning Gorilla glass
• 8 Megapixel rear camera with 1080p video recording
• HD front facing camera for video calling
• 4G LTE
• 1,785mAh battery

The white backlighting on the keyboard looks stylish

In a related report by tech website CNET, the handset is set to be announced on the 8th of December, 2011, but there is no confirmation regarding the same from Motorola. As for the global debut, we will have to wait until an official announcement is made. Hopefully, the wait won't get longer

Top 5 Wi-Fi plus 3G phones under Rs.10,000

With 3G penetrating all major parts of the country and Wi-Fi slowly becoming a common household sight, these days, having a Wi-Fi and 3G capable handset can finally be put to some good use, although we still have to find some use for that front facing camera. Till a couple years ago, you’d have to shell out quite a bit of money if you wanted both these features. Today, however, you can grab a 3G plus Wi-Fi enabled phone for well under Rs.10,000. While there are a whole bunch of them in this price bracket, we’ve picked the top 5 that we’ve tested and know for a fact are worth a look.

Micromax Q80 - Rs.4,900
The Q80 might not be a smartphone, but it’s a marked improvement over the Q75 and with added 3G and Wi-Fi support for almost the same price, offers really good value. The Java-based phone comes with a host of built-in apps like Nimbuzz, Newshunt, Ngpay and Bloomberg.

Feature rich budget phone

The keypad is fairly comfortable to type on and the optical trackpad is a welcome change from the trackball used in the Q75. Overall it’s a good phone for the price with plenty of features to boot. Here are some of the highlights of the Q80:

• 2.4-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• Bluetooth and USB 2.0

• 3 megapixel camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• VGA resolution secondary camera

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 8GB

Micromax A70 - Rs,6,200
Next up is another offering from Micromax, but this one’s a proper smartphone, and a rather good one, too. On paper, the A70 might seem a little weak with just a 600MHz processor, but don’t let that put you off, since the phone is actually pretty quick and fluid to use. The handset is comfortable to use, doesn’t heat up too much and sports a decent 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen that responds well to touch. We also found the battery life to be really good, despite the phone still running on Froyo.

Good bang for buck

Finally, it features expandable memory up to 32GB, and has a front facing camera. It comes pre-loaded with a bunch of useful apps. Here are some of the highlights of the phone:

• 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel autofocus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• VGA resolution secondary camera

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 32GB
   
• Lava S12 - Rs.9,999
  Lava may not be a brand on the top of your shopping list, but the S12 is certainly worth a look. The phone sports a unique design and texture, not often seen on Android phones. Despite only having a 600MHz processor and running a fancy 3D UI, the interface is pretty slick and not sluggish. Jumping between homescreens engages cool 3D transition effects that add to the visual appeal. The phone also comes pre-loaded with India specific apps like SAAVN and Times of India news app, among many others. It even has a decent camera, even though it lacks auto-focus.
  
  A good option under 10K
  
  
  
  The most impressive bit, though is the battery life, the S12 will easily last you two days without a charge, which is very good in the work of Android. Below are some of the highlights of the phone:
  
• 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 32GB

Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670 - Rs.9,100
The Galaxy Fit from Samsung is another good contender with a slightly larger screen and Android 2.2. The bundled music player features DNSe sound enhancements along with SWYPE pre-installed. The phone also features a 5MP auto-focus camera with plenty of settings to choose from like Shot Mode, Photo Effects Smile Detection, etc.

Fit enough to make the list

Samsung has also thrown in their TouchWiz 3.0 UI, which makes the phone simpler to use with plenty of shortcuts and tweaks. Below are some of the main features of the Fit:

• 3.3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with hot spot creativity

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera, video capture up to 320 x 240 resolution

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 32GB

Nokia E5 - Rs.8,700
The Nokia E5 may have launched about a year back, but it’s still one of the best phones under 10K and fits our needs perfectly. With both 3G and Wi-Fi support onboard, the Symbian v9.3 running smartphone sports a very comfortable QWERTY keypad and a simple, yet functional design.

Still going strong

Some of the standout features include the audio quality, which is crisp and loud, a good selection of productivity apps right from MS Office to a PDF and ZIP file reader and a very good battery life that seems to resonate with most Nokia handsets. Other features include:

• 2.3-inch TFT display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution

• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi

• GPS with A-GPS support

• Bluetooth v2 with A2DP and USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera, video capture up to 640 x 480 resolution

• 3.5mm earphone socket

• Expandable memory up to 32GB

You may notice that some of the newer phones did not make it to our list, like the Samsung Galaxy Y for instance and that’s only because we haven’t had a chance to review it yet. Many times, a phone may look like a winner on paper, but in reality, it doesn’t really come together always. The Motorola Fire and Fire XT is one such example. So, let us know what you think and feel free to discuss this further in our forums.