Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits

Samsung's R&D department has been working overtime as it strives to break the idea it copies wholesale ideas from its competition. Yesterday we heard word about its planned new cloud service and today it's announced that it'll be unveiling a unique education-focused app for Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1. Learning Hub will provide free materials from 30 major educational establishments from elementary schools through to universities, although there's no word on what certificates you'll be able to earn at the end of your course. The program will expand to other devices in the Galaxy family later on, once the company's done showing off the software at MWC.

Retro Record Amp and Speaker

We have featured a number of speaker docking devices here on Geeky Gadgets. But Etsy maker “Hesslerk” has created a unique funky retro style speaker and amp which is supported by the iPod, iPhone, and other MP3 players, using an old record.

Around the speaker Hesslerk has fitted an old record and behind has fitted it with an amp system equipped with a 200 gain setting. Together with a 9v battery and input cord to connect your device for playback via  standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Allowing you to play tunes from any number of devices through the speaker.
The retro record speaker and amp system is now available to purchase from Etsy for $44.99 or £29.28. But there is only on available so don’t hang around if you fancy it to add to your gadgets.

Apple And Proview Battle It Out in Shanghai Court Over iPad Trademark

Yesterday we heard that Proview, the company who originally owned the trademark for the iPad, but sold it to Apple for around $55,000, although they claim this didn’t include the trademark for China, were ready to negotiate with Apple on the Chinese iPad trademark.
Now Apple and Proview are in court in Shanghai in China, which is China’s most populated city, and also Apple’s most popular market for the iPad and other devices.

Proview are asking the court in Shanghai to ban sales of the iPad in Shanghai, which would end up costing Apple a lot of money in lost sales, although Apple still maintains that when it purchased the iPad trademarks from Proview, these trademarks also covered China.
Apple’s lawyer in China, had the following to say about it, “Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China’s national interest.”

Acer Iconia Tab A100 And A500 To Get Android 4.0 ICS Update In April

Acer recently rolled out the android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for their Iconia Tab A200 tablet, and now we have some details on when ICS will be hitting some other Acer tablets.
Acer has announced on Twitter that the Iconia Tab A500 and Iconia Tab A100 will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update in the middle of April.

To all Acer Iconia Tab A500 and A100 users, please expect an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in mid-April! Thank you for your patience.
There is no specific date in April on when the android 4.0 ICS update will be released for the Acer Iconia Tab A500 and Iconia Tab A100, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know.

SanDisk Announces Worlds Smallest 128-gigabit Flash Chip

SanDisk is claiming to have created the world smallest 128-gigabit, 16GB memory chip. The tiny chip measuring just 170mm square or 0.26in square uses 19 nanometer, three-bit-per-cell storage.
The SanDisk mini storage chip is also fairly fast provided users with 144Mbps around 18MB per second, and can be stacked or positioned next to others to increase the required storage capacity.

SanDisk has revealed a roadmap for the development and production of its latest chips and sees production for its 19-nm NAND flash chip increasing in 2012. Followed by a 1Y-nm process lowering the cost of 128-Gbit memory ICs in 2013. The 128 Gb NAND flash memory chip was developed jointly by teams from SanDisk and Toshiba at SanDisk’s Milpitas campus
SanDisk has just started producing its 128Gb flash chips on a larger scale and on a basic level. But is yet to say when it will be rolling out the masses and filtering down to products we might use. As more information comes available we will keep you posted.
“Building a 128 Gb NAND flash memory chip with this level of complexity is an incredible achievement,” said Mehrdad Mofidi, vice president, Memory Design. “This innovation allows SanDisk to continue to be a leader in helping our customers deliver smaller, more powerful products capable of doing more at lower cost.”

LG X3 To be Called Optimus 4X HD

We have been hearing quite a lot about LG’s first quad core Android smartphone, the LG X3, and now according to a recent report from the guys over at Pocket Now the device will launch as the LG Optimus 4X HD.
The LG Optimus 4X HD is rumored to feature a 4.7 inch HD touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, processing is reported to come from a quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and it is also expected to feature the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Other rumored specifications on the LG Optimus 4X HD include a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video chat and a rear facing 8 megapixel camera for photos and video.
The LG Optimus 4X HD will also features  16GB of built in storage, plus a microSD card slot which can take up to 32GB cards, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, HSPA, Bluetooth and a 2,000 mAh battery.
We should have full details on the LG Optimus 4X HD when it is unveiled at MWC 2012 next week.

Intex 3G wireless data card launched for Rs.2,820

Intex has put on store shelves their first 3G wireless data card, which has been designed to provide multiple benefits of web access, browsing, e-mailing, social networking, sharing of photographs, downloading and uploading heavy files to music downloads and video streaming on-the-go. It promises a downloading speed of up to 7.2Mbps and up to 5.76 Mbps of uploading speed. This USB data card can be used with laptops or other devices for high-speed 3G wireless connectivity for Internet as well as phone calls. It offers compatibility with GPRS-enabled SIM cards on 2G platform.

Wireless data card

The data card comes with support for microSD card up to 16GB. It offers compatibility with operating systems - Windows, XP,Vista Win 7, Mac OS and Linux. One of the highlights of the data card is its ability to send and receive messages, along with managing phone book via laptop and PC. Talking about data cards, Reliance is supposedly going to launch the high speed 4G data card for as low as Rs.10/GB, sometime this year.

Commenting on the launch, Vikram Kalia, GM- Product Management, Intex Technologies said, "The data card allows users to access internet whenever and wherever they want without having to worry about Wi-Fi hotspots or the exorbitantly priced tariffs of hotels, etc. In today's world, being connected 24/7 has become a necessity, a way oflife. Keeping this in mind, Intex has launched this card with wireless access on both 2G & 3G Sim, making seamless and continued connectivity a reality for its customers."

As a promotional offer, Intex also plans to team up with 3G service providers and put forth combo offers. Priced at Rs.2,820, the USB card/stick is now available. The 3G data card will be made available at both IT and Telecom Channel Partners and also at Intex SQUARES (exclusive retail stores), across the nation.

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 now up for download

RIM needs some action going on at its end to keep up with the competitive pace of the mobile industry. As promised (with a couple of days delay), RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 will be available for download, starting today. The new OS upgrades claim to bring in an enhanced tablet experience. It brings into picture an integrated e-mail client with unified inbox that puts all your messages in one place. So, be it messages from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or your personal e-mail accounts, they all are consolidated under one roof to add to the ease and convenience of the user.

It's here....finally!

An array of new apps have been added to the BlackBerry App World, and the new BlackBerry Video Store is also being launched today. Information from social networks have all been brought under the built-in calendar and makes it easily accessible anytime, anywhere. For a consolidated view of contacts, contact cards are populated with updates from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The updated virtual keyboard comes with auto correction and predictive next word completion, while the device offers updated document editing functions, new Print To Go app and also increased control and manageability of corporate data using BlackBerry Balance. 

"Building on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's proven web browsing, multimedia and multitasking strengths, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support," said David J. Smith, SVP Mobile Computing, Research In Motion.

The BlackBerry Bridge app builds connection between the PlayBook and core apps on the BlackBerry smartphone, enabling users to view content on larger displays. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 touts to render quick, simple and optimized viewing and editing of documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on the PlayBook. The improvement in the BlackBerry Bridge allows using the Blackberry smartphone as a remote on the PlayBook. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 also promises to bring in improved web browsing. RIM is also announcing the initial release of the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion to support managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones.

The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Click here to know how to download/update your device with the new software.

Wipro launches the e.go Aero Ultrabook

Wipro Infotech has announced the launch of its e.go Aero range of ultraportable notebooks, which includes India’s slimmest and first 14-inch Ultrabook, called the e.go Aero Ultra. From the 11.6-inch ultra-light notebook to the slimmest 14-inch Ultrabook, the e.go Aero comprises of a wide range of mobile computing devices to suit the needs of the users. The range comprises of e.go Aero Alpha, e.go Aero Book and e.go Aero Ultra. The e.go Aero Alpha is an efficient, optimal and light notebook; just right for everyday workloads. Powered by Intel Core i processors, the e.go Aero Alpha comes in pristine white, with contoured edges and a clamshell design. The e.go Aero Book is a powerful, but light notebook. Powered by the latest 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 processors and a 11.6-inch LED HD display, this notebook has a very slim profile.  With a planner-book styling in a small size, the e.go Aero Book is for those who value style and substance.

The e.go - in black

The e.go Aero Ultra is the ultra-slim Ultrabook that’s built with magnesium alloy. With about 19.3mm thickness, this is the slimmest 14-inch Ultrabook to make a debut in India. The feature-rich slim Ultrabook, e.go Aero Ultra sports a 14-inch LED backlit HD display and weighs just 1.7 kg. It comes packed with 4GB memory and a 500GB hard disk, and comes preloaded with OEM Windows 7 and Microsoft Office Starter kit. The laptop has an isolation keyboard and a large multi-gesture touch pad. It incorporates new Intel technologies, such as Intel Rapid Start, Intel Smart Response and Intel Smart Connect, which enables an always connected state. The e.go Aero range is aggressively positioned between Rs.39,900 to sub Rs.49,000 price points, depending on the configuration.

... and in white

Speaking about this, Ashok Tripathy, VP & Business Head, Wipro Systems & Technologies and IAS, said, “e.go is a product for the progressive Indian on the move. We recognize that there is an increasing need for a light-weight,powerful yet affordable laptops. e.go Aero is a stunning ultraportable range,packed with features which will appeal to the evolved user.”

“Intel is transforming the computing experience yet again with the introduction of Ultrabook devices. Ultrabooks offer a secure, immersive and responsive user experience and deliver no-compromise mobility all in thin, light and elegant form factors. We are delighted with the launch of the e.go aero range and especially the e.go Aero Ultra in India by Wipro, which marks the beginning of an exciting journey in personal computing” said Debjani Ghosh, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing Group, Intel South Asia at the event.

Acer Aspire One D270 is the first Intel Cedar Trail netbook in India

Acer is the first to launch Intel’s Cedar Trail netbook in India. Although we first got a glimpse of Cedar Trail in Lenovo’s leaked promo video for the S110, Acer is the first to launch the Aspire One D270 in India. The 10.1-inch netbook is priced at an affordable Rs.17,251 and should be available shortly.

Easy to mistake it for their older models

Under the hood, it’s your typical netbook configuration, other than the CPU that’s been swapped for the new dual-core N2600 Atom processor running at 1.6GHz. This is said to replace the existing Atom N455 CPU. The new chips are built on the 32nm fabrication process so power consumption is lower as well as the TDP. The GPU has now been integrated into the die and has support for DX10.1. Unfortunately, the chipset still uses the existing NM10 Southbridge so there’s no native USB 3.0 support, unless the manufacturer adds a separate controller. Other components include 2GB of RAM, 320GB hard disk, Windows 7 Starter and a 6-cell battery capable of 6 hours (claimed) of battery life. The netbook weighs 1.3kg, comes in a variety of colours and features the ‘water ripple’ design on the lid. We were hoping for a fresh new design from Acer, a way to instantly tell the new netbook apart from the old ones. Looks like we'll have to make do with this for now.

Connectivity wise, we get a total of 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA, HDMI, LAN,  Wi-Fi ‘n’ and Bluetooth 4.0. While this is not a bad launch price for the netbook, we would like to see more 11.6-inch or 12.1-inch netbooks at this price by now. Meanwhile AMD is also readying their Trinity APU netbooks which should spark another price war between the two chip giants, so the price may just drop after all.

Twitter for iOS and Android gets updated, gets Kindle Fire support

Twitter has brought updates to both its iOS and Android versions, bringing some pretty strongly demanded features with the updates. According to their blog, there are some new features that are common to both platforms, and others, which are exclusive to one platform or the other. Here goes.

Twitter for iOS and Android gets updated

The new features that are common to both the mobile platforms are the Swipe shortcut and Find Friends. On the home timeline, you can now swipe a tweet to either reply to it, retweet it, favourite it, share it or view the tweeter's profile via their post without leaving your timeline. The Find Friends feature is basically a confirmation alert when you choose to find friends using your phone's contacts. This follows the hot water that applications, like Twitter and Path have been in where they were found to store entire user address books without any notification to the user. If you choose to find Twitter friends via your contacts, you will now get an alert that states that you're uploading your contacts' telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to Twitter. Their details will only be uploaded, if they've chosen to be find-able via their contact information.

On to the exclusives. For iOS, Twitter's returned the copy and paste function. They had previously taken away the ability to copy and paste the text of tweets or user profiles, but now it's back. Just press and hold to copy. Twitter's also increased the share function where you used to only be able to copy or email a link to the tweet. Now if you see a link in a tweet, you can tweet it yourself, copy it, e-mail it or choose to read it later via the 'Read Later' service (which you will find under Settings > Advanced). They've also updated the way Direct Messages look and returned the ability to mark all DMs as read. Finally, iOS users can change the font size of their Twitter application under Settings > Advanced.

For Android users, Twitter's added support for new devices, including the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Barnes and Noble Nook Color and the Nook Tablet, which will release on the 23rd of February. The app is also updated to support other Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich. To download or update Twitter for your iOS or Android device, go to the iOS App Store or the Android Market.

LG unveils the Optimus L3, L5 and L7

LG Electronics made a fresh move in their strategy to attain smartphone leadership with the launch of their new design identity, L-Style, up ahead of the 2012 Mobile World Congress (MWC). Bold move? Well, it’s because they’ve announced three smartphones in three different price brackets, to stack up against the competition. "Design is consistently the top or second most important factor for customers when choosing a mobile phone," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. "With smartphones, we sometimes took a more functional approach to design but with L-Style we're going back to our roots as a company focused on how our products fit into the lifestyle of our customers."

L stands for LG?? We guess..

The three new smartphones that are to be unveiled at MWC will feature the L-Style look. The Optimus L3, with a 3.2-inch display will first launch in Europe, this March. This smartphone will be followed by two other devices in the first half of the year running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: Optimus L5 with a 4.0-inch display and Optimus L7 featuring a 4.3-inch screen.

Market availability and additional hardware specifications of all three models will be announced at a future date. From what has been divulged, the Optimus L3 looks like the affordable handset with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and a 3 megapixel rear camera. As reported by Phone Arena, the Optimus L5 features in the mid range budget section with a nice large screen and ICS goodness. The last one, the L7 will be their top tier handset to compete against the current high-end smartphones. 

In the recent past, LG had been kicking up a lot of dust with their smartphones, but the company hasn’t had as much success with its phones, as the other manufacturers. With the arrival of their L series, they do have some hope of reclaiming some lost ground from rivals. We’ll just have to wait and watch as to how this turns out to be for LG.

Ubuntu has come to Android phones! Before you go, ‘Does that mean I can boot Ubuntu on my Android phone? Or, does that mean I can get dual booting on my Android phone?’ let's clear out a few things. Canonical has announced Ubuntu for Android and the full scale deployment will be displayed at the Mobile World Congress. Here’s what you’ll get to see. If your Android has Ubuntu installed, you can boot the Ubuntu operating system onto your monitor every time you connect the smartphone using a dock. On its own, the OS is neatly hidden under the hood, so when you’re using your phone, you’ll have your regular Android stuff loading up. It’s somewhat similar to what Motorola has tried in the recent past, with their Webtop accessories, but this is on a more universal level. Ubuntu FTW! Ubuntu FTW! Also, whenever your phone is connected, it’s not a stripped down version of Ubuntu that you’ll get to see, but, it will be the exact same thing that you see on a desktop running Ubuntu, with no compromises, whatsoever. Browsers like Chrome, Firefox and their Unity UI, everything will be available on your desktop. What’s interesting to note is that your core details, including SMS, voice calls and contacts will be shared between the two, so there’ll be some good amount of consistency. If you’re having a desktop PC running Windows, Ubuntu will also be able to boot into a virtual environment, which may be of great help to a lot of companies. They’ve also managed support for connectivity options, including, USB, HDMI, Google Docs and 4G LTE, so you can have seamless interaction between your phone and your desktop. So, what’s the limitation? Of course, the most obvious one will be the minimum spec requirements – Ubuntu will, at a minimum require a multi core smartphone. Dual cores are already existent and quad cores are coming soon, so if you’re buying one of the top-end smartphones in the near future, there’s a lot you can look forward to. What do you guys think about Ubuntu being announced for Android? Let us know in the comments section below.

Top Notch Infotronix has further expanded the Zebronics range of Surround Sound Speaker Systems, this time with new 5.1 channel multimedia speakers - ZEB-SWT9200RUCF (140W), ZEB-SWT9100RUCF (140W), ZEB-SW8500RUCF (110W), ZEB-SWT8300RUCF (95W) and ZEB-SWT8200RUCF (95W). The Sound Monster line-up of speakers have been designed to add style to modern computers and enhance the style quotient of your home décor, says the company. The full-range speakers and front-firing subwoofer put listeners in the center of the action, while cabinets have been crafted for resonating full bass for surround-sound performance. The full-function wireless remote control has been designed to adjust bass, volume levels, mute and more, anywhere in the room. 

5.1 channel speakers from Zebronics

These new speakers are capable of delivering dialogue and ambient sounds, clearly. The speaker set promises powerful, deep bass from the subwoofer and recreates varying sounds. The tonal balance is maintained efficiently, even at low listening levels, which is ideal for users who listen to music in areas where louder volume could distract others. Music is said to maintain depth and clarity, even if it is played softly. It has a memory card reader to directly play stored audio content, and built-in FM tuner with preset function. Both FM radio and memory-card play are controlled using remote or using the on-system touch panel, with a front-mounted digital display of the settings.

Commenting on the new lineup, Pradeep Doshi, Director-Sales, Top Notch Infotronix said, “Our latest 5.1 Sound Monster speaker systems provide an immersive experience – so you can lose yourself in whatever you’re into. For movie aficionados, music enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, the new range delivers influential audio for your room.  Engineers from Zebronics have worked closely, conducting several tests covering frequency response, power output, distortion, noise and overall performance.”

The new Zebronics audio system models are made available at varying prices starting at Rs.6,200 to Rs.4,500. They will be available for purchase through IT stores in India.

Ubuntu comes to Android

Ubuntu has come to Android phones! Before you go, ‘Does that mean I can boot Ubuntu on my Android phone? Or, does that mean I can get dual booting on my Android phone?’ let's clear out a few things. Canonical has announced Ubuntu for Android and the full scale deployment will be displayed at the Mobile World Congress. Here’s what you’ll get to see. If your Android has Ubuntu installed, you can boot the Ubuntu operating system onto your monitor every time you connect the smartphone using a dock. On its own, the OS is neatly hidden under the hood, so when you’re using your phone, you’ll have your regular Android stuff loading up. It’s somewhat similar to what Motorola has tried in the recent past, with their Webtop accessories, but this is on a more universal level. 

Ubuntu FTW!

Also, whenever your phone is connected, it’s not a stripped down version of Ubuntu that you’ll get to see, but, it will be the exact same thing that you see on a desktop running Ubuntu, with no compromises, whatsoever. Browsers like Chrome, Firefox and their Unity UI, everything will be available on your desktop. What’s interesting to note is that your core details, including SMS, voice calls and contacts will be shared between the two, so there’ll be some good amount of consistency.

If you’re having a desktop PC running Windows, Ubuntu will also be able to boot into a virtual environment, which may be of great help to a lot of companies. They’ve also managed support for connectivity options, including, USB, HDMI, Google Docs and 4G LTE, so you can have seamless interaction between your phone and your desktop. So, what’s the limitation? Of course, the most obvious one will be the minimum spec requirements – Ubuntu will, at a minimum require a multi core smartphone. Dual cores are already existent and quad cores are coming soon, so if you’re buying one of the top-end smartphones in the near future, there’s a lot you can look forward to. What do you guys think about Ubuntu being announced for Android? Let us know in the comments section below.

HP launches Folio 13 Ultrabook in India

HP launched its first Ultrabook, the HP Folio 13, in India today for a starting price of Rs. 69,990. It features a thin and light design, superior battery life (up to 9.5hrs), good security options and a responsive solid state hard drive to boot. Measuring less than 0.75-inch thin and utilizing an ultra slim 13.3-inch (33.782 cms) diagonal high-definition (HD) BrightView display, the Folio 13 weighs just 1.5kg, making it very portable.  

Slim and lightweight

The notebook will be powered by Intel’s newest Core processors and will also include Intel Rapid Start Technology, which provides ultra-low power consumption when not in use and a fast resume time, when needed – saving time, while extending battery life and stand-by time. You also get a backlit keyboard for mobile users who work in low-light conditions. A full array of ports, including RJ-45 and USB 3.0, allow users flexibility, while the solid state drive (SSD) with 128GB of storage provides fast response times and increased reliability.

The Ultrabook also comes with some of their own features, like HP CoolSense technology, which uses advanced hardware and intelligent software for a noticeably cooler notebook. The notebook also includes an HP Imagepad for accurate advanced multi-touch gesture support. Additional features include an HP TrueVision HD webcam for brighter, cleaner HD images, and Dolby Advanced Audio. The HP Folio 13 also can be configured with a range of Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems, including Windows 7 Professional. Finally, a three-year limited warranty is also available through an optional HP Care Pack.

Users who need a desktop-like environment or additional audio, video, network and USB connectivity can connect the HP Folio 13 to the HP USB 2.0 dock that’s sold separately.