Samsung Galaxy W to be priced at Rs.24,657

The Samsung Galaxy W first surfaced at the IFA 2011 and we haven’t really heard much about it, thereafter. It’s back in the news again with rumoured pricing. The phone runs on a 1.4 GHz processor and an Adreno 205 GPU and runs on 2.3.5 Android Gingerbread.

Here are few of the specs of the Samsung Galaxy W:

• 3.7-inch capacitive touch screen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS support and Google Maps
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, HS, USB 2.0
• 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

Few online sites like Flipkart, Naaptol generally get pricing for the latest smartphones that are still away from their launch dates, a little earlier than the rest, but none of them have disclosed the pricing of the Galaxy W, as yet. However, one blog source, claims to have got the pricing for the phone and they’ve put it at Rs.24,657.

HTC Rhyme launched in India

HTC Rhyme, one of HTC's much awaited smartphones has been launched in India with a refreshed HTC Sense UI, confirms an official statement from the company. The Rhyme is being touted as a "new kind of phone", which has been created to suit the needs of those who seek advanced features in a smartphone and also for those who while doing so want their smartphones to appear sleek. HTC Rhyme has been launched in the country with a price tag of Rs.29,990 (MRP) and MOP(Best Buy) price of Rs.27,499.

Nice looking handset with neat accessories

Here's a quick look at the specifications of the HTC Rhyme:

• 3.7-inch WVGA display with a 480 x 800 resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
• GPS with A-GPS support and Google Maps
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, EDR
• 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
• Secondary VGA camera for video calling
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket

The HTC Rhyme comes included with HTC Rhyme Charm, which will alert the user if he has an incoming call or a message and the handset's buried deep somewhere in his bag. In such a situation, the HTC Rhyme Charm, which is small light-emitting cube attached to the phone by a cord will dangle from the bag, and the user can pull the handset out of the bag immediately. Also bundled-in are a pair of earphones, which HTC affirms is tangle free. 

Among other features included in the smartphone is HTC Watch, using which users can watch a range movies and TV shows, which they can download. As mentioned above, HTC Rhyme features HTC's refreshed UI - HTC Sense. The homescreen, as per the official statement has undergone changes because of which offers a "clean and uncluttered way to interact with the essentials". There are also customized wallpapers to complement the HTC Rhyme.

Stop Carrier IQ from snooping in on your data

If you’re worried about downloading rogue apps from the app store accidentally then this may come as a bit of a shock. Apparently, a company called Carrier IQ has been installing rootkit programs that log your data and usage patterns in many smartphones like iPhones and Android phones. This company is one of the leading providers of mobile Intelligence solutions in the wireless industry and have stated that while they do look into the device’s performance, they are not recording keystrokes or providing tracking tools. This is mainly a concern in the U.S right now, since mobiles are usually purchased on contract basis with carriers. The thing is however, Carrier IQ also work closely with handset manufacturers, so irrespective of whether you’ve bought the phone on contract, you may have this rootkit in your phone.The solution is obviously to get rid of it, since none of us want any of our personal data to be shared by anyone. The solution is the simplest for the iPhone running iOS 5. Simply head to Settings > General > About > Diagnostics & Usage and select ‘Don’t send’. It’s a bit trickier on Android. For starters, you’ll have to install this app, ‘Logging Test App’. It’s not available on the app store and you’ll need a rooted Android phone. Once installed, click the ‘CIQ Checks’ button and in a short while, you get the result. If the white box is blank, this means you don’t have Carrier IQ. However, if you get a bunch of text then it’s present and the only way to get rid of it right now is to pay $1 for an Android market key and the app will ‘try’ to get rid of it. This is more of a 50-50 chance, which isn’t very reassuring, but that’s how it is. If you are paranoid about this then do give it a shot and holla in the comments on how it went.