Google Drive likely to launch in mid-April; will offer 5GB space

It appears that the initial rumours of Google’s online storage service are coming true, after all. We talked about a possible screenshot that showed the service in action. Now, there are fresh rumours that the service may be launched as early as next month. TalkAndroid has got their hands on a screenshot of the the new service. There’s a clear mention of 5GB of free space being made available with the service. There’s a Download Google Drive button as well, which suggests that a local OS installation is possible as well. Of course, the domain http://drive.google.com will also be accessible to mobile phones, tablets and desktop users using a web browser. The subdomain is currently active on Google’s site, but it throws up a 404 error, as of now. 

It's coming soon!

There was initial news that Google would be providing 2GB of space with the service, but that has clearly been upped to 5GB. The service should offer great integration between all of Google’s services as well as all the devices that their users use. Google should, however consider upping that space to above the 20GB mark as there are already services that offer much more storage space. Microsoft’s service SkyDrive offers 25GB of free space to its users. If Google Drive does launch in the next couple of weeks, it’s safe to assume that future releases of Chrome OS and Android - Jelly Bean will have Google Drive integrated into the OS.

Google’s Drive service should compete with other major free online storage services, such as Box.net and Dropbox. The last screenshot we had talked about included a software installation, which means that the service would be accessible directly from the desktop, possibly from Windows Explorer. The ability to quickly save files to the cloud without having to manually access a web page and use the web interface would be great. This would be a neat little feature to have on existing Google Android and Chrome OS devices. Being able to directly store documents and data directly through the operating system would be handy.

Nokia offers real-time traffic updates to users in Mumbai and Delhi

Nokia had decided to shut down their mobile money service in order to concentrate on their core areas. Looks like, location-based services are a part of their core business, for the company has launched a ‘Traffic Feature’ on Nokia phones for users across two of the nation's busiest cities - Mumbai and Delhi. This service aims at offering comprehensive, real-time traffic information to over 26 million people who can view the real-time traffic and plan their route, accordingly. These traffic updates are made available for Symbian phones on Nokia Drive and Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 on Nokia Maps. 

Real-time update

This service seems like a relief to all those irked by traffic issues. It would solve the traffic hassle that we face on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, its ability to offer real-time traffic information will enable its users to quickly decide on an alternate route, avoiding delay to important events. However, this would also depend on how efficiently the service works. The service is powered by Navteq Trafffic Pro real-time traffic service that provides detailed information on traffic speeds on motorways, main and secondary roads to ensure accurate estimated arrival times and more. It is offered by Nokia Location & Commerce keeping in mind diverse global traffic collection network. 

“Location is at the core of our vision for the future; we aim to empower people, via location-aware technology, sensor-rich devices, and the internet, to explore and enjoy the increasingly hybridised physical and digital world around us. Our aim is to introduce new services such as traffic update, which will make consumers early adopters of the latest technology for a stress free and productive life”, said Vipul Mehrotra, Director, Smart devices, Nokia India at the launch.

The company is also said to develop platform services for device manufacturers, application developers, Internet services providers, merchants, and advertisers. 

“The launch of this traffic feature on Nokia smartphones reflects the ever-growing consumer appetite for more interactive location based services beyond traditional turn-by-turn navigation. Going forward we will continue to introduce more location-aware services that represent the future of mobility for consumers in India”, added Rajat Tandon, Director Sales, Nokia, Location & Commerce.

LG Optimus Elite For Sprint and Virgin Leaked

It looks like both Sprint and Virgin Mobile are about to get a new budget Android smartphone on their networks in the US, the LG Optimus Elite, which you can see in the photos below.
According to the guys over at PocketNow, the LG Optimus Elite will come with a 3.2 inch HVGA display and a 5 megapixel camera with a built in flash.

Processing will be provided by an 800MHz processor, unfortunately that is all we know so far, and both devices are expected to retail for under $100 on both networks.

Hackers Can Easily Lift Credit Card Data From Old Xbox Consoles

It has been discovered by researchers at Philadelphia’s Drexel University, that credit card data on older Xbox 360 systems that have been traded in or sold on. may be vulnerable to being hacked fro the previous owners credit card information. The team has discovered that even restoring your console to factory settings won’t remove some of the data stored on the Xbox 360.

Using just a handful of common tools, almost any hacker or modders can remove the Xbox’s hard drive and recover credit card data or other personal information, which has been entered by previous owners. Speaking to gaming website Kotaku, researcher Ashley Podhradsky explained:
“Microsoft is doing a “disservice” to its customers by not doing a better job of keeping personal data protected. Microsoft does a great job of protecting their proprietary information. But they don’t do a great job of protecting the user’s data.”
Read the full article over on the Kotaku website.

Nintendo Wii U gains Green Hills partner

Nintendo has announced that it will partner with development company Green Hills Software to create and implement a development solution for its coming Wii U game console. The company will provide its MULTI integrated development environment to help third parties more easily and efficiently write code for the impending system. It will hopefully help third-party game makers to come on board and support Nintendo in the next generation.


“We selected the Green Hills Software solution because it generates highly optimized code, and Green Hills provides excellent global support,” Nintendo senior managing director of integrated research and design Genyo Takeda said. Nintendo has a great, storied history and of course has moments of industry innovation and record sales. But despite all that, it doesn’t have a super great record of developer relations.
A Nintendo console needs only a Mario game, a Pokemon game, and a Zelda game to be profitable. There are no other franchises in the entire industry like that. But it doesn’t mean Nintendo can not care about third-party developers. The Wii is a case study in the direction that a console takes when it isn’t receiving huge amounts of envelope-pushing support from other players in the industry. Hopefully this partnership with Green Hills Software is a point in the right direction.

LivingSocial Instant deals are dead

LivingSocial has abandoned its location-based “Instant” deals service before it ever made its mark. In addition, company co-founder and former president Eddie Frederick has left the site, and it’s assumed that his departure was not by choice. Frederick likely had an active hand in developing the Instant platform, which has been described as essentially being dead on arrival. Internet success isn’t as easy as it looks.


LivingSocial is the #2 deal website, behind Groupon, but it hasn’t managed to successfully turn itself into anything other than “another Groupon.” The Instant site was supposed to be something that could differentiate itself in the marketplace. However, while Groupon is an Internet success story on the scale of Facebook and YouTube, LivingSocial is just keeping its head above water for now.
In fact, last year it ended up with a $558 million net loss, with only $245 million actually collected in revenue. But there’s a lot of faith that the site can transform into something bigger. It has received more than $800 million in venture capital funding. Part of that was based on presentations LivingSocial made about Instant. These location-based deal services are all over the Web but few of them have become success stories. Now, LivingSocial Instant will be transformed into a local food and delivery service, another muddled market. We’ll see how that goes.

Microsoft Buys XboxFL Domain Names

It looks like Microsoft has acquired two new domains names which are related to its Xbox console, the domain names are XboxFL.com and XboxFL.ent, and were discovered by the guys over at Fusible.
There are no details as yet on what Microsoft has planned for the two domains names, and they are currently being redirected to Microsoft’s Bing.

It could possibly be some sort of new service from Microsoft, or maybe even the name of their next Xbox console although many of us are expecting it to be called the Xbox 720, which certainly sounds a lot better than Xbox FL.

RIM Says They Are Not Abandoning Consumer BlackBerry Market

Earlier today we head RIM’s latest financial results, where the company had made made a loss of $125m for their last financial quarter, And RIM’s CEO Thorsten Heins said that they would be concentrating on their core market of business customers.
This led to speculation that RIM would be abandoning the consumer market for BlackBerry devices, and now RIM has confirmed that they will continue to develop blackberry devices for consumers.


RIM’s MD of global sales and regional marketing, Patrick Spence said that ”We remain committed to all of our Customers (consumer & enterprise) and are enhancing our support/solutions for enterprise” and “[our] goal is to help our enterprise customers capitalise [sic] on the opportunities presented by consumerization while minimizing risks.”
It will be interesting to see what RIM has planned and whether they are able to turn their fortunes around.

HTC One X Lands In The UK April 5th

We finally have some information on the launch date of the HTC One X here in the UK, the device will be available from the 5th of April, and retailers will start shipping the handsets out to customers who have pre-ordered on the 4th of April.
The guys over at Unlocked Mobiles just sent us these photos of the HTC One X, and the handset will be available for £497.98 SIM free including taxes.

As a reminder the HTC One X features a quad core 1.5GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and it features a 4.6 inch HD Super LCD 2 touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.

You can find out more information about the SIM free HTC One X over at Unlocked Mobiles.

CSound Music Programming Language Arriving On iPad

Users of CSound music programming language who own an iPad might be pleased to earn that a new Csound iOS application called CSound Touch will be arriving on Apple’s iPad device very soon.
Csound is a programming language designed and optimised for sound rendering and signal processing. The language consists of over 1300 opcodes, the operational codes that sound designers use to build “instruments” or patches.

Csound Touch is a new app that lets you to render, process, compose, and perform with the Csound language. The Csound Touch iOS application comes supplied with a large library of synthesis, signal processing, and MIDI instruments which users can use or customise to their exact needs.
Csound Touch also includes tutorials, manuals, and examples to help new users learn the Csound music programming language if you have never used it before. Pricing and availability for Csound Touch are to be announced shortly.

Scepter Launches Cheap, Green 40-Inch HDTV

Sceptre makes a bunch of different TV sets that range from small screens to bigger screens. The company is particularly known for making brightly colored TVs sized more for small rooms or dorms than the living room. The company’s latest set is a 40-inch unit boasting ultra green status.


The set has an estimated yearly cost to operate of only $14. The power sipping TV has a 38.5-inch viewable area and sells for under $400. The TV is Energy Star 5.3 certified and has full HD resolution. It has three HDMI inputs and a single USB port.
The contrast ratio is 5000:1 and the TV has a 60 Hz frame rate. The LED backlighting is good for over 50,000 hours and the TV can be wall-mounted. The TV will be available at Target, Walmart, and at several online retailers.

Nokia Reader comes to Series 40 phones

Nokia Beta Labs has got a nifty new application for their existing Series 40 Touch and Type phones. Now you can follow your favourite local news quickly and easily from your phone's homescreen. The news is always fresh and you don't need to worry about your battery consumption, thanks to their new ‘Nokia Notifications’. And with only two clicks you can open a story in the browser to read and explore more. Nokia Reader is simple to set up: just start it and the nearby content starts to automatically flow in. You can also select your favourite news sources from the online directory of the major news sources.

Read on the go!

Here are a few of the key features of Nokia Reader:

• View local and international news
• Easy access to Internet
• Battery-friendly
• Latest topics on home screen
• Online directory
• Cloud storage for your selections.
• Supports Nokia Browser

In case you're having problems getting Nokia reader on your phone’s homescreen, you can get help from a quick how-to guide that should suffice for this relatively easy install. The content of the directory is based on your location and the phone's language setting. Reader fetches the list of news sources from the backend server. It downloads and installs an add-on called Notifications. It then uses this optimized push notification mechanism for pushing the news from Internet to the Reader application.

Here’s how you can add the Nokia Reader on your phone's home screen:
1. On homescreen touch and hold on any area on display.
2. Select "Personalise view"
3. Select the place you would want to have the Nokia Reader.
4. Select "Nokia Reader" from the list.
5. Select "Done" and answer "Yes" when it is asked to save the changes.
6. Now Nokia Reader will always show the latest topics directly on the home screen


The application has been tested on a couple of phones. Nokia Reader is available for Series 40 touch and type devices and has been tested to work with the Nokia C2-02, Nokia X3-02, Nokia C3-01, Nokia Asha 303 and Nokia Asha 300. It’s part of Nokia’s Beta Labs, so there could be slight bugs with the usability of the application, but as of now, according to their Beta Labs, it works pretty neat on the above devices.

Belle Feature Pack 2 might be coming soon

There’s some pretty good news for Symbian smartphone users as there could be a chance that a new Feature Pack 2 update is in the pipeline for the newer models. The Nokia PureView will be part of the update, and that will be coming to the 603, 700 and 701 as well, along with a CPU speed increase.

Gigantic 41 megapixels sensor

As reported by GSM Arena, the Belle Feature Pack 1 update in itself ups the performance of the browser as well. It goes from 157 points to 212 points. With Feature Pack 2, there’s a further increase in the speed with the points tally going up to 242. Equivalent to that, Android 2.3 gets 181, Android 4.0 gets 256 and Safari gets a 305. Obviously iOS wins, but Belle isn’t that far off, which is definitely good news. Mango scored a lowly 141 points, as compared to the competition. This was part of the HTML5 test’s browser comparison tests. Also, Nokia Beta Labs is ending the Universal search that was currently existing on their phones. This might mean that the feature may be a part of FP2 as well. 

Symbian on its own was definitely a powerful platform. With the advent of the other operating systems, it did lose a lot of steam, but it's still chugging on with these updates. One of the main problems was the limited app store, but besides that, the interface, the media and everything else was pretty much top notch. Symbian wasn’t too optimized either and it did face a similar fate as Samsung’s Bada operating system. As compared to frontrunners, Google and Apple, it didn’t really impress that much, and Nokia themselves started looking at Windows Phone as their future operating system. With PureView 808, we might see it come back, though. The 41MP camera might just be an impressive feature that will make some heads turn. What do you guys think, Symbian Belle, a 41 megapixel camera phone and hopefully an affordable price tag would make this a good buy? Let us know in the comments section below.

LG Lucid Lands On Verizon

LG’s latest Android smartphone, the LG Lucid is now available from Verizon wireless in the US, and the handset costs $79.99 after a $50 rebate when you sign up to a new two year contract with the carrier.
The LG Lucid features 4 inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, plus a dual core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM plus front and rear facing cameras, plus Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

On the back there is a 5 megapixel camera which can record full HD video in 1080p, on the front there is a VGA camera for video chat, and it also comes with Bluetooth and WiFi.
LG have also said that the Lucid will get an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future, you can find out more details over at Verizon.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta Downloads Pass 500,000

In just a week since Adobe made a fully functional version of its new Photoshop CS6 Beta available for public download. Adobe has announced that the Photoshop CS6 Beta has been download over half a million times.

New features in the latest Adobe Photoshop 6 Beta release include CS6 Extended 3D editing features and quantitative imaging analysis tools together with tilt-shift creation tools, to name just a few.
“Photoshop CS6 beta includes all the features in Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CS6 Extended. Take this opportunity to try out the 3D image editing and quantitative image analysis capabilities of Photoshop Extended*, but note that—while these features will be included in the shipping version of Photoshop CS6 Extended—they will not be included in the shipping version of Photoshop CS6.”
You can download the latest Adobe Photoshop CS6 application from the Adobe website now to give it a try.

Android 4.0.4 comes to Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus

The Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus are already getting Android 4.0.4 treatment via over the air updates, as reported by the Google Plus page for Android. This new update promises a couple of improvements for the two devices, including better camera performance, smoother screen rotation and more stability related issues. In an official statement made by ‘Android’ on Google Plus, they have mentioned that, ‘We’ve started rolling out Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, to UMTS/GSM Nexus S, Xoom Wi-Fi, and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus devices, and we'll be rolling it out to more devices in the coming weeks. Some of you will be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others will be receiving an update to your existing Ice Cream Sandwich experience with stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.’ That definitely sounds like good news for existing Nexus owners. While a lot of the smartphones in the market are still to get ICS treatment, you can be rest assured that these phones will be among the first ones to get official updates. 

Android 4.0.4!

As far as Ice Cream Sandwich is concerned, it’s already looking delicious on the phones. With these few improvements, the whole experience is only going to get sweeter. We’ve already used it on a couple of phones, and while we are waiting to get our hands on 4.0.4 and see how different it is from the previous updates, we can definitely say one thing – it’s quick, fluid and pretty stable. The whole look and feel of the user interface is something we were always yearning for, from an Android smartphone. To think of it, the custom ROMs that other manufacturers are placing atop Ice Cream Sandwich, pretty much ruin the plain raw experience that you’d get and that is one section where the Nexus devices definitely win over the competition. For example, a couple of popular manufacturers have still not updated their top end existing smartphones to ICS. That’s definitely a downer for those of us who have paid big bucks to get these devices in the first place. Anyway, Android 4.0.4 on the Nexus S is definitely good news.

HTC One X may launch on April 2 in India

The mystery that shrouded the launch date of the HTC One X seems to have been lifted finally, as the brand recently announced the availability of the handset across Europe and a select few pockets in Asia. A report by GSMArena, who have obtained the information via The Unwired states that this highly anticipated smartphone will be hitting shelves on Monday, the 2nd of April, 2012. A few days ago, HTC updated their official Facebook page with a teaser video of the One X and in the process confirmed the rumours that it would be launched in April. 

HTC One X quad-core handset coming soon

According to GSMArena, the One X will not be the only handset that will be launched on the 2nd of April, but two others will make an appearance, too. The handsets that will make their debut apart from the One X will be the HTC One S and One V. The website states, “The hotly anticipated HTC One trio is just about to hit the shelves. The HTC One X and One S flagship devices and the HTC One V mid-ranger will be available across Europe and in some parts of Asia starting Monday, April 2.” The report goes on to read, “It's unclear what Asian markets will get the HTC trio on launch day, but Singapore and Taiwan have already been confirmed.”

However, one avid reader of the site had pointed out that the handset had already been listed on the hugely popular online retail website Flipkart, but it appears to be have since been taken down. This could indicate that the flagship HTC handset may in fact debut as soon as Monday. 

Here is a quick look at the specifications of the HTC One X

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 UI
• 1.5 GHz quad-core processor
• 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720
• 8MP camera with AF, LED flash, BSI sensor and 1080p HD video recording
• F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens
• 1.3MP front camera with a resolution of 720p for video chat
• 32GB Internal memory
• 1GB RAM
• Beats Audio
• NFC, Wi-Fi, DLNA, micro-USB 2.0, HDMI
• 1800 mAh battery

For those who missed it, here is the teaser video of the One X.

Gmail iOS App Now Allows Alternate Addresses

Google has rolled out a new feature for its iOS Gmail application this week which has added the ability to view email from alternate addresses. The latest addition has been released for both the iPad and iPhone versions of the Gmail iOS application, and has been added with the need for users to make an update to the app.

If you use either the native Gmail iOS app or the HTML5 web app you can now choose to use any of their configured From addresses when sending a new e-mail message or replying to an existing message. The addition has been requested for some time by users and will be an appreciated addition to the applications.
Users of the native app should see the option appear over the next few days. If you don’t already use the Gmail iOS application is can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store for free.

Rumor Says Apple HDTV Won’t Surface until Next Year

Analysts and rumors have been pointing to Apple launching its first Apple TV this year. By Apple TV they don’t mean a little set top box we already have, they’re talking about an actual Apple TV set. A new rumor has surfaced that contradicts that prediction.


A research group going by the name CLSA issued a note this morning that predicts the Apple TV sample, in 2013. The research group cites Foxconn parent company Hon Hai’s investment in Sharp is evidence of the Apple TV is coming.
Sharp is a big maker of large panel LCD displays. I’m still not convinced people will buy an Apple TV set. Unless it offered clearly better features at a reasonable price compared to normal TV set and Apple TV set-top box, it would not make sense to many people.

Samsung DA-E750 Hybrid Digital, AnalogTube Speaker Dock

The Samsung DA-E750 is a new speaker dock which has been added to Samsung range this week, and is hybrid amp that is equipped with both analog vacuum tubes together with a digital amp.
The combination of both the tubes and the digital amp which has been added to reduce noise distortion, has been designed to create a much more natural sound.

The Samsung DA-E750 is fitted with a dock that has been designed to accept both the Apple’s iOS devices as well as the Galaxy S II. Other features of the Samsung DA-E750 include Apple Airplay and Samsung’s Allshare Play support, together with connectivity via Bluetooth and analog connection.
The Samsung DA-E750 speaker dock will be shipping in the next few weeks and will be available to purchase for around $800.

Apple Offers Australian’s iPad Refunds After Misleading 4G Advertising

Yesterday we heard that Australian government were planning to take Apple to court over the 4G claims of their new iPad in Australia, where the device had been advertised as being 4G capable, although it wouldn’t actually work on Australia’s 4G networks.
Now Apple is apparently going to offer any customers in Australia who bought the new iPad a full refund if they are not happy with the device, and they have also updated their website in Australia to confirm that whilst the iPad has 4G it can not run on the Tesltra LTE network in the country.

The iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G model can roam worldwide on fast GSM/UMTS networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA. When you travel internationally, you can use a micro-SIM card from a local carrier. You can also connect to the 4G LTE networks of AT&T in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada.
It isn’t clear as yet whether this will be enough to satisfy the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and whether they will continue with a court case against Apple.

Sony PlayMemories Launches On PS3 Consoles

Today Sony has launched its new PlayMemories application on to their PS3 gaming console. Providing you with a range of tools to interact with digital photos and HD video clips.
The new PS3 PlayMemories is now available to download an provides support for editing, sharing and viewing your photos and videos. Allowing you to now plug your camera, USB drive directly into your PS3 to view videos and photos, enabling you to “harnesses the huge processing power of PS3″, says Sony.

Editing features for photographs added by Sony include eleven quick one-button picture effects including: sepia, toy camera, soft focus and monochrome to name just a few. On the video side features allow you to splice, tag trim and edit clips using your PS3 controller.
Sony has released a 30 day trial version of PlayMemories Studio, available to download now from the PlayStation Store. But PlayStation Plus subscribers get full, lifetime access at no extra cost as part of their annual subscription.

Asus Transformer Prime To Get New Feature Update This Week

It looks like the Asus Transformer Prime will be getting a software update this week that will bring a range of new features to the popular Android tablet.
Asus has posted on their Italian Facebook page that the update will bring lock screen notification management, plus the ability to delete notifications and also the ability to go directly to that particular app.

The Transformer Prime will also get Face Unlock, and Asus will also update their Vibe music software for 1.0 to 2.0, with improved content, services and a new user interface.
They will also be adding a few tweaks to existing features, like HDMI out which will now support orientation and cropping options, and more.
We don’t as yet have an exact release date for this new update to the Transformer Prime, according Asus Italy it will possibly go out tomorrow in Italy and may be released internationally on Friday.

Clarion Announces Android Powered Car Stereo

Clarion has announced a new car stereo which is powered by Google’s Android OS, the Clarion Mirage, and the company describes the device as a ‘smart car stereo’
The Clarion Mirage is in the prototype stages at the moment, but the company has announced that it will be tested over the next couple of months, and the device features a 6.5 inch touchscreen display.

As well as being powered by Android, the Clarion Mirage will also be compatible with Apple’s iOS device which will be able to connect to the device via Bluetooth or USB.
On top of that you will be able to play videos and music on the Clarion Mirage via USB and it will also feature an SD/SDHC card slot which can be used to playback content.

It certainly looks very interesting from the photos, and it will come with a range of applications built in, like satellite navigation which has been provided by Navigon AG, and the devices runs a customized version of Android 2.2 Froyo.
Clarion are apparently in talks with a number of car manufacturers in Malaysia about integrating this new Android powered car stereo into their vehicles.

Asus launch their GTX 680 at a wallet melting price

Now that Nvidia have made the GTX 680 official, manufacturers are slowly beginning to launch their versions of the card in India. We’ve already seen ZOTAC’s rendition of the GTX 680 and now it’s time for Asus to show what they can do. The company launched the GTX680-2GD5, which is primarily based on the reference design from Nvidia. However, what’s not reference is the pricing. Asus has priced their card at Rs.46,000, excluding taxes, which is an incredibly absurd amount and I sincerely hope for their sake that it’s not the street price. This is way more expensive than their flagship AMD offering as well.

Sell your and arms and kidneys for this one

Based on the 28nm “Kepler” architecture, the ASUS GTX 680 delivers superior DirectX 11 performance and full readiness for the next phase of PC entertainment. Due to its ample processing power, the GTX 680 can handle ultra HD or 4K resolutions in games and video, extending visual finesse and quality beyond current standards. At the same time, 28nm GPU fabrication means reduced power consumption, leading to a modest 195W TDP under load. With its 1536 CUDA cores, the GTX 680 offers enhanced general processing GPU output to speed up overall system performance. It ships with a 256-bit memory interface and 2GB of GDDR5 clocked at 6008MHz actual. Dynamic NVIDIA  GPU Boost modulation means the card can alternate between the base 1006MHz and the sped-up 1058MHz mode when extra frames per second are needed in the most demanding games.

This flexible design is further improved upon by ASUS through the presence of exclusive GPU Tweak. The GTX 680 serves as the launch vehicle for new NVIDIA  Adaptive Vertical Sync technology, which automatically compensates for frame rate fluctuations in-game via use of intelligent VSync activation and moderation. Based on actual frame rates, the GTX 680 can turn VSync on or off, ensuring smoother visuals and reduced stutter in even the most intense games, as a result of better GPU resource management. The technology also frees gamer from the need to manually turn VSync on and off in different games.

Verbatim offers high performance internal SSDs from Rs.5,500

Verbatim, one of the Japanese IT companies have announced the launch of their SATA II Internal SSD in the Indian market. This newly launched internal solid state drive claims to be rugged, fast and quiet in its operation. It is equipped with a SATA II interface, which offers speed up to a good 3GB/sec. Verbatim SATA II solid state drive aims to be the ideal storage solution for users who demand maximum performance in data storage and computer efficiency.  It is capable of reading up to 270 MB/sec for data storage purposes. It has a low power consumption, which makes it a good choice for your personal laptop as it, in turn, conserves laptop battery life.  

Announced!

According to the company, with Verbatim’s SATA Internal SSD, the user can experience an improved system responsiveness as the drive enables faster system boot-up, with quicker application launches and shutdown times. This internal SSD also offers TRIM support for Windows 7, which enables the user to wipe out unused data in the SSD internally. Verbatim’s SATA Internal SSD has a MTBF rating of one million hours, whereas typical disk drives for personal computers have MTBF ratings of about 500,000 hours. This internal SSD is available in 128GB and 64GB storage capacities. Along with internal SSD, the package includes a 3.5-inch drive bay adapter plate and power cable for optional desktop installations.

“Verbatim’s SATA II Internal SSD has received wide appreciation from all over the world. In India over the past decades we have witnessed significant growth in the IT product market. We are seizing this opportunity and looking forward that internal SSD will repeat the same success in the Indian Market too. It can handle large amount of data quickly and provide maximum computer performance,” said,Ramesh Tuli, Country Manager, Verbatim India.

Verbatim Marketing India Pvt. Ltd., a group company of Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation, Japan, has been one of the front runners in data storage technology and they are intending to cement their position with their upcoming line-up of products. This solid-state drive has a sturdy design and is resistant to shocks and vibrations. This reliable solid-state design features a 1500G shock rating. These SSD are backed by a 3-year limited warranty and are available at a price starting from Rs.5,500 onwards.

Windows Phone SDK gets updated to support 256 MB phones

Microsoft rolled out an update to the Windows Phone SDK to include support for applications on 256 MB phones. The update is version 7.1.1 and it also allows developers working on Windows 8 machines to develop using WPSDK 7.1. Microsoft wrote on their developers' blog that this update isn't a huge one aside from the above mentioned functions. What it also updates the current SDK install to do is:

• The Visual Studio IDE is patched to enable selection from a list of emulators, and launching it (note that the WPSDK can only support connecting to one at a time, though)
• The Windows Phone [512 MB device] emulator image is updated to use build 8773
• A second, new emulator device image is included, allowing you to emulate running your app on a 256 MB device
• The Microsoft Advertising SDK is updated to the latest version (previously only available as a separate install), which fixes some issues devs were encountering at runtime
• IntelliSense now supports specifying the 512 MB device requirement in your manifest file, should you choose to opt your app out from running on the new 256 MB devices
• Language support is again consistent both in the IDE (the 7.1.1 Update supports all 10 of the WPSDK 7.1 languages) and in the emulator OS (Malay and Indonesian have been added)

Downloading the patch is a three step process - you accept, install and then finish. It is a pretty heavy patch at just under 300 MB. 

Devs can support 256 MB phones

Microsoft and Nokia want the developer base for Windows Phone to increase and flourish. They've put together an application development program at Finland's Aalto University. The two companies are investing $24 million in the project, which is called AppCampus. Will adding app support for lower end phones increase their chances at becoming a major OS, to compete head on head with Android and iOS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Novatech nFinity 14 Inch Ultrabook Announced

UK computer retailer Novatech has announced a new 14 inch ultrabook, the Novatech nFinity which comes with a 14.1 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and an Intel Core i3 processor.
There are also other models available with Intel core i5 and Core i7 processors and you get up to 4GB of RAM and a choice of either a 64GB or a 128GB solid state drive (SSD).

Other specifications include a 1.3 megapixel web camera, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Bluetooth and a multi format card reader and they come with Windows 7.
Pricing for the entry level core i3 version starts at £430 which works out at around $687, and the core i5 and Core i7 models are a bit more expensive.

LG Lucid For Verizon Gets Official, Lands 29th March For $79.99

We have been hearing about the new LG Lucid over the last few weeks, and now the device is official and is headed to US mobile carrier Verizon Wireless.
Verizon will be offering the LG Lucid on a two year contract from the 29th of March for $79.99, and the device comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with a promise of an ICS update in the future.

The LG Lucid features 4 inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, plus a dual core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM plus front and rear facing cameras.
On the back there is a 5 megapixel camera which can record full HD video in 1080p, on the front there is a VGA camera for video chat, and it also comes with Bluetooth and WiFi.

Samsung HMX-QF20 WiFi Camcorder Announced

Samsung has launched a new camcorder in South Korea, the Samsung HX-QF20, which comes with a range of new features over the previous model, including an enhanced switch grip function.
The Samsung HMX-QF20 feature built in WiFi, plus an accelerometer than can automatically adjust the menu depending in which hand you are holding the device or if you are holding it vertically.


It is capable of recording HD video in 1080-i and comes with a Schneider-KREUZNACH that has 20x optical zoom and 40x digital zoom, it also feature a 5 megapixel backside illuminated 5 megapixel sensor for taking photos.
Other features include optical image stabilization, and a 2.7 inch touchscreen display, it will go on sale in South Korea for 449, Won which works out at around $395.

Nokia, Microsoft pump $24m into Windows Phone app development

Last week, Rovio Mobile made a statement with Angry Birds Space that could have potentially left Nokia and Microsoft shuddering in their shoes. Rovio's Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Vesterbacka said that the company had no plans on releasing Angry Birds Space for the Windows Phone platform. He said that they want to be on all screens, but Windows Phone takes a lot of work to technically support the platform. While Mikael Hed, the CEO of Rovio later contradicted Vesterbacka's statement by saying that Angry Birds Space will indeed come to Windows Phones, Nokia and Microsoft want to encourage application development for their new platform.

Needs more developers

According to TechCrunch, the two companies are now pushing 9 million Euros, which amounts to about $12 million into a mobile applications development program at Aalto University in Finland. The program will be called AppCampus and will focus specifically on funding application development for the Windows Phone platform. The program will also develop apps for some Nokia specific platforms, like Symbian and Series 40. Aalto University will also provide significant funding towards the program, which will begin on the 12th of May. Windows Phone currently has 70,000 apps and about 5 percent of the smartphone platform market share. It competes, of course, with Android and iOS which have about half a million apps each and have been around for a lot longer.

Digital Storm Unveils Monster Aventum PC Range

If you are in the market for a new PC and are ready to pull out all the stops on specifications. You might be interested in the new Aventum PC range which has been announced by Digital Storm this week.
Specifications include options to pack in dual six-core Xeon processors, 32GB of RAM, a trio of GTX 680s, and a 180GB SSD/1TB HDD.

All combined in a chassis which is fitted with Aventum software that is capable of monitoring 5 thermal zones and controls 13 fans to keep your gear as cool as possible when pushing ti to its max.
“Designed by Digital Storm engineers from the inside out, Aventum’s chassis boasts a proprietary thermal exhaust chamber, intelligent 5 thermal zone regulation and exclusive Aventum software that controls 13 customizable fans to effectively dissipate performance inhibiting heat. Together with the Cryo-TEC liquid cooling system that chills liquid below 0ºC, Digital Storm has designed the industry’s first truly custom high-performance PC.”
Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm’s Director of Product Development explains:
“Unlike any other chassis, Aventum’s intelligent design enables it to exceed the demands of the most power hungry enthusiasts, gamers and creative professionals,” - “We’ve spent months analyzing every conceivable way to effectively eliminate heat from Aventum and as a result, our engineers devised new systems that have never been attempted. Every integral component and every zone is constantly being monitored so our customers can ensure their dream machine is always delivering optimal performance.”

Logitech's business webcam is an eye on a stalk, and it's pointin' at you

Resembling a surveillance unit from a sinister dystopia, Logitech's newest webcam is strictly for the corporate environment only. The BCC950 Conference Cam holds a Carl Zeiss-lensed HD webcam atop a motorized stalk that can pan across 180 degrees. The camera itself has a 78 degree field of view, ending the era of huddling around a laptop. Its full-duplex speakerphone has a range of eight feet and will also happily let you Skype from the middle of a crowded bullpen. It'll be exclusively available to suited-and-booted customers at a cost of $250 (£200 in the UK) from May -- perhaps a tad too expensive to wheel around your office trying to catch someone napping at their desk.

Watch The Future, Smartphone Wrist Control Concept

A new watch concept has been created by F.Bertrand called the “Watch The Future”, which has been designed to enable you to link to application on your smartphone. Enabling you to control and receive updates directly on your wrist.
The “Watch The Future” concept wrist watch can display the weather, your contacts, stock exchange information, SMS messages, Facebook updates, your GPS location and more. As well as keeping you update-to-date with the current time.

The innovative watch concept would keep the application you use most at easy access, and would even change the icons location on the strap according to the position of your wrist.
Other options that would be available to add to the watch include the possibility to track your pulse and even your emotions. It even enables you to keep track of your phone by ring it when you can’t quite remember where you put it.
Unfortunately due to the watch being just a concept don’t expect it to arrive in stores soon. But do expect the technology to start to making its way to wrist style devices over the coming years, allowing you to interact with your smartphone in new and exiting ways.

Onkyo Announces TX-NR 717 and TX-NR 818 Mid-range Receivers

Onkyo has unveiled the 7.2 Channel network AV receivers that offer all kinds of advanced technology inside. The new receivers include the Onkyo TX-NR717 and TX-NR818 and they share many of the same features. The 818 has Audyssey MultiEQ XT32 three-dimensional sound processing inside.


The tech allows the receiver to calibrate the speakers to the room. This receiver also has DTS Neo:X sound mode and uses the Onkyo dual core video engine. That video engine uses a HQV Vida VHD 1900 video processor for 1080p upscaling and a Marvel Qdeo processor. The 717 offers the Qdeo processor alone. Both of the receivers use InstaPrevue that allows users to view screen with full thumbnails of content that are showing on each available input.
Both receivers have multiple sound modes and multiple room zones. The receivers have eight HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs and support 3-D video. The 717 will sell for $999 with 818 selling for $1199 with both set to be available in May.

HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV

It's been a while since we've heard the name SyncTV 'round these parts, but perhaps we'll be seeing a bit more of it now that HTC has a stake in the streaming video company. As part of a deal with Intertrust, HTC has purchased 20 percent of its new partner's subsidiary. In addition, the Taiwanese manufacturer has licensed a broad portfolio of patents from the Sunnyvale firm, primarily dealing with DRM. Unfortunately we have no specifics about how HTC plans to leverage its new media property, but hopefully they're working on some fun surprises even as we speak. (Though, most likely, we're just looking at one more piece of manufacturer-installed bloatware.) Check out the brief, and ultimately not very informative, PR after the break.

Nandamuri Balakrishna has completed dubbing for the film ‘Adhinayakudu’ today at Prasad labs and the movie is on track for an April 1st week release. The film ran into some issues since the last couple of months but sources say things have been sorted now. Saloni and Lakshmi Rai are the main female leads in this movie Balakrishna will be seen in three unique looks. Paruchuri Murali has directed the film and M.L.Kumar Chowdhary is the producer. Kalyani Malik has scored the music for this movie.

Sony’s newest Walkman phone has received a pretty hefty price cut on eBay.in and a couple of reputed distributors are already selling this Android smartphone for Rs. 11,150. Though other online sites like Flipkart and Letsbuy haven’t deviated from the Rs. 14k price tag, a lot of buzz has already been generated about this latest price cut on eBay. 

In case you have forgotten, here’s a look at the specs of the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman:

• 3.2-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• 1GHz Scorpion processor, 512 MB of RAM
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 320MB internal storage
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi ‘n’
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• 5MP auto-focus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• 3.5 mm handsfree socket
• 1200 mAh Li-ion battery

Wanna buy?

Impressive, isn't it? If you’ve not already read our review on the Live with Walkman, here’s a brief note on what you can expect from the phone. It’s lightning quick and though the screen may be a little small for some people, with time you’ll definitely get used to it. The Walkman media player brings Sony’s A game to the table and guess what, this is included in Sony’s Xperia line-up of phones that is going to receive Ice Cream Sandwich goodness. This is one of the few phones in that price bracket to have 720p video recording and though a 1200 mAh battery isn’t the strongest of them all, it’s pretty much good for your everyday usage. Like the other Walkman phones (like the W700i, the W800i), Sony has retained the orange ring that lights up while playing music. Overall, it was a fantastic phone at 14k and this price cut only makes the deal even sweeter. Though not many people may trust third party sellers on eBay, it’s the top rated distributors that are selling it at this price tag and not a handful, so reason to worry is virtually non-existent. 

Future proofing. Done. Price cut. Done. Would that make you buy the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman? Let us know in the comments section below. 

Cooler Master Launches New Storm Sentinel Advance II Gaming Mouse

Most computer enthusiasts will be familiar with Cooler Master thanks their long history of designing cool gaming cases for computers and cooling devices. The company also has a line of accessories and peripherals including gaming mice and mouse pads. The company has announced its latest gaming mouse called the Sentinel Advance 2.


The new mouse uses an advanced laser sensor is capable of over 8000 dpi sensitivity. That should be plenty for gamers that like high sensitivity when playing games. The mouse also has an ultralow liftoff distance to provide gamers the ability to perform actions very quickly. When mice are too slow, the cursor ends up flying around the screen.
The mouse is 128 kB of onboard memory for storing profiles and customizable LED colors. It’s also a modular weight system and can be adjusted for DPI settings on the fly. Cooler Master also has an HD RX synthetic mesh mouse pad to go along with new mouse. Pricing and availability will vary depending on the country you live in for the mouse and the mouse pad.

TiVo Premier DVR Updated with 500 GB of Storage

A new part number for the TiVo Premier DVR has turned up on Amazon and other websites. The new part number is TCD746500 it seems the only difference between this and the original is the price and the amount of storage inside. The new TiVo Premier has 500 GB of storage.


The new 500 GB unit sells for $149 compared to the $80 that the original TiVo premiere sold at. However, the original TiVo Premier had a 320 GB hard drive. The extra storage space is enough for about an additional 30 hours of HD programming.
I think that extra cash is certainly worth the upgrade for more storage. No other differences are noted and the new model hasn’t been officially announced. We expect to hear more soon.

Galileo is Your iPhone’s Remote Motion Control

It takes two to video calling, and one may not have control over the two devices being used, but remote iPhone controller Galileo is here to better the overall experience.

The Galileo is an iPhone platform that allows panning and tilting of the iDevice (iPhone or iPod) on the other side of the video chat. With infinite 360-degree rotation and 200-degree per second speed,  one can always follow the action, whether it’s classroom lecture, baby monitoring, time-lapse photography, or even real estate showcase. The dock also works as a charging station for the device. It can be controlled by iPhone 4 and above, iPad 2 and above, iPod Touch 4th generation, and web browser.
Makers of the Galileo also provides SDK, which would allow integration of the Galileo’s features with other apps or creation of new apps based on these features.
The Galileo is up for funding at Kickstarter, with a target of $100,000 of pledges. As of writing, it has achieved a little more than half of its target, with 27 more days to go.

Motorola XOOM WiFi To Get New Update Soon

Owners of the Motorola Xoom can look forward to a special treat soon. According to some reports, the Motorola XOOM WiFi Android tablet will be receiving an update very soon. It looks like some testers have started receiving emails about a new update that is coming.

We have no idea what it is, so it is likely the usual, like fixing bugs and adding some enhancements to the operating system. Probably nothing major. We should know soon enough. After testing, the should be pushed out to the public right after.
Does anyone care to guess what this update is all about? If you are part of the Motorola XOOM testing group, maybe you can let us know. Don’t keep us in suspense.

VAIO to Release Its Own Chromebook

What is missing from this keyboard? If you guessed the Windows key? Then you are right. This right here is Vaio’s version of the Chromebook.

Pictures and a manual of Sony’s version of the Chromebook was released in the internet this week. The model is part of the Sony VAIO VCC111 Series.
The lack of the Windows key and the “start Chrome OS” on page2 of the manual leads to a viable confirmation that this model will indeed run on Chrome OS.
Here’s a little tour on the Vaio Chromebook:
The left side sports the power jack, HDMI port, microphone jack and headphone jack while the right side holds the SD card reader and two USB 2.0 ports.
A green light on the front indicates when the laptop is on or off. The bottom view shows a removable battery and Chrome recovery method: inserting a pin into the small hole a la wifi resetting.
Here are some other specs deduced from the leaked pictures:

• Processor: Nvidia Tegra 250 T25 1.2GHz ARM based processor
• Screen: 11.6” diagonal, produced by Samsung
• OS: Chrome OS
• Memory: 2GB RAM
• Ports: two USB 2.0, SD card reader, headphone port, microphone port, HDMI
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth
• Storage: SSD – 16GB

Before this announcement, Samsung and Acer were the only Chromebook manufacturers. Now we only have to wait for the official announcement. Ah waiting, always the painstaking part of knowing things in advance.