Motorola RAZR Gets Update In Europe

Motorola has released an update for the European version of the Motorola RAZR, unfortunately the update isn’t the Android ICS one, instead they have released a firmware update for the handset.
The latest update is SPU15 and it can be applied directly from the settings menu on your Motorola RAZR, the update is available in the UK, Span and Italy.

The update comes with a range of bug fixes, including some new enhancements, and additions to Motorola’s Smart Actions which now include text messages, WiFi, VIP callers and more.

HTC One V Headed To Virgin Mobile

HTC announced a range of new smartphones last month, one of those was the HTC One V and now it would appear that the handset is headed to Virgin Mobile.
The HTC one V is expected to retail for less than $200 when it lands on Virgin Mobile some time this Spring, and the device comes with Android 4.0 ice Cream Sandwich and the new HTC Sense 4.0.

Other specifications on the HTC One V include a 3.7 inch  WVGA display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, and processing is provided by a single core 1GHz processor.
The HTC one V features a 5 megapixel camera with a BSI sensor, auto-focus and an LED flash which can record HD video in 720p, the device also comes with Beats Audio and HTC’s Media Link for streaming of HD content, plus 4GB of built in storage and a microSD card slot.

Commodore Amiga Mini PC revealed: Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive

Yeah, an optical drive. You know, for folks who still appreciate the passing fads of life. Bitterness aside, Commodore is following up its retro-fabulous C64x with a new small-form-factor PC, the Amiga Mini. While not much of a looker, this box houses a potent 3.5GHz Core i7-2700k CPU, 16GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 430 (1GB), a WiFi radio and a 1TB HDD that can be swapped out for a 300GB or 600GB solid state drive. There's a slot-loading Blu-ray drive by default, internal space for a pair of 2.5-inch drives and a predictable Amiga logo burned right onto the front panel. Unfortunately, the well-specced base model tips the pricing scales at $2,495, but that does include a copy of its Commodore OS Vision. The company's also revealing the C64x Supreme, the new VIC mini and a more powerful VIC-Slim keyboard computer (which now includes an HDMI output), all detailed in the presser past the break.

Crux360 keyboard case for the new iPad ships May 12th, preorder now for $150

Looking to grab a keyboard case for those heavy typing duties on your new iPad? CruxCase has revealed the latest version of its Crux360 built for the most recent Apple slate with some new features to boot. First, the clamshell now features a snap in front design that allows for quick access when the case isn't needed. There is also a "window cover" that now fully protects the rear panel of the iPad; however, if you really want to show off that Apple logo, the cover can easily be removed to do so. Connecting should be quick and easy too, as this model's power and Bluetooth buttons are one touch instead of the usual press-and-hold type deal. Magnets keep the folding kit shut -- preventing the case from opening up and exposing that precious Retina display to potential hazards. Keep in mind: the Crux360 features a hinge that allows you to rotate your slate all the way back on the keyboard for regular ol' tablet mode and everything in between. Need a bit more info before dropping your $150 on one? Hit the source link below, where you can preorder a unit for before the May 12th ship date.

LG Optimus M+ For Metro PCS Announced

LG and Metro PCS are releasing a new version of their LG Optimus M smartphone, the LG Optimus M+ which comes with some upgraded hardware over the previous version.
the LG Optimus M+ will feature a 3.5 inch touchscreen display as opposed to a 3.2 inch display on the original handset, and it will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

It also gets an upgraded camera for a 3 megapixel version to a 5 megapixel version on the Optimus M+, and Bluetooth 3.0, there are no details on pricing or availability as yet.

Sony Xperia S Starts Shipping Globally

Sony’s has announced that their latest Android smartphone the Sony Xperia S has now started shipping globally, which means the handset should shortly be available from carriers and retailers around the world.
The Sony Xperia S comes with a 4.3 inch HD multi-touch display that features a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, processing is provided by a dual core 1.5GHz processor.

The handset comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, although Sony has promised that it will get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update in the near future.
Other specifications include a12 megapixel camera on the back which will be capable of recording full HD video in 1080p and it also features Sony’s Exmor R sensor, plus a front facing 720p HD 1.3 megapixel camera, and DLNA, HDMI and NFC.

New iPhone 5/6

Now that the new iPad has been launched, it’s time to move on to the next order of business when it comes to Apple rumors, the new iPhone, or Apple’s sixth-generation smartphone.

You may also find these recent news items of interest:

iPhone 4S Battery Life Significantly Improved with iOS 5.1

iPhone 5 To Have Bigger Screen?

ZTE Score M Smartphone Now Available With MetroPCS

Today we have an interesting Reuters report claiming that the new iPhone will come with an unexpectedly large “4.6-inch ‘retina’ display,” much bigger than we would have anticipated, and that the phone is going to hit stores at some point in the second quarter, instead of Q4 as different reports suggested.
The news comes from a South Korean media reporter who has learned that Apple is apparently already ordering displays for the new iPhone:

Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed industry source.

Last year, various “iPhone 5” rumors suggested the device will sport a brand new teardrop design, a thinner profile than its predecessor and a 4-inch edge-to-edge Retina Display. But Apple only announced an iPhone 4S last October, an iOS device that quickly became a bestselling handset for the company, even if it lacked such interesting new features.
Now the iPhone 6 – which is probably what Apple won’t call it – could come with such features, and maybe this time around Apple will be forced to increase the size of the display.
Apple may not be necessarily interested in making a bigger iPhone, although some will say that this would be the way to go to compete against Android flagship handsets that keep getting bigger and bigger. But since the device will almost certainly come with LTE support and a Retina Display, the company will have to make sure it offers great battery life, a feature the first LTE smartphones were not exactly able to deliver.
If that means increasing the size of the battery, then the overall size of the iPhone also needs to be increased, which means the device will require a bigger display. And let’s not forget that those iPhone 5 rumors and leaks featured plenty of cases that suggested the device will be thinner, longer, and overall bigger than the iPhone 4. In fact, at some point it was even calculated that the diagonal of the iPhone 5 could be bigger than 4 inches.

RIM Says Jailbreaking Your PlayBook Will Void Your Warranty

Users of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet have been able to jailbreak their device for a while now, although there has been no official word from RIM until now on how this will affect your device.
RIM’s Adrian Stone who is the Director of the BlackBerry Security Incident Response Team, has released the following statement, which clarifies RIM stance on jailbreaking the tablet.

“To be clear, RIM recommends against installing any jailbreaking tool. Customers who use a jailbreaking tool on BlackBerry products void the manufacturer warranty and also increase the long-term risk of negatively impacting the stability and user experience of their BlackBerry products.”

Air Display App Receives HiDPI Support For New iPad 3

Air Display has announced that its now added HiDPI support to its application for the new iPad 3 to support Apple’s new retina screen, which has been fitted to the new iPad.
The new support has been added the latest Air Display update which is currently making its way through Apple’s approval process and is expected to shortly land in the iTunes App Store ready to download.

If you have not heard of HiDPI before t refers to the new support built into Apple’s OS X ready for new retina display Mac systems that are expected to start appearing in the near future. Watch the video after the jump to see how to enable it on your OS X Lion to see what it will provide on the new screens.

iPad gets new credit card reader from Eventbrite

If you’re an iPad user that wants to be able to take payments at the door of a special event, Eventbrite has your new card reader. Eventbrite is an online ticketing platform is very near $1 billion in gross ticket sales. Typically, tickets are sold online preventing anyone from deciding to go to the show at the last minute and showing up at the door to buy a ticket.


That issue is being changed with the new iPad credit card system called the At The Door Credit Reader. The reader is a plastic device that plugs into the iPad docking connector. Once plugged in you can just swipe credit cards and charge tickets or entry fees and the venue.
The platform also combines ticket sales at the door with ticket sales online allowing the venue to have an accurate listing of attendance straightaway. The credit card encryption is done on the reader itself so all data transferred to the iPad is encrypted. The credit card reader is available for $10 and the purchase price is reimbursed through the buyers Eventbrite account. All transactions are subject to a 3% charge along with a service fee.

Moto RAZR XT910 OS update is not ICS, just bug fixes

Those who have been eagerly waiting for their new Motorola RAZR to receive an operating software update, here is some good news for you. The brand has started rolling out Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread to the international version of the RAZR with the update starting from Europe. To get this latest update, all one has to do is access it from the Settings menu and apply it. So far, this update has been seeded to users in UK, France, Spain and Italy and many other regions are expected to follow shortly after. Alternatively, one can just wait for the update to appear automatically on their handsets within the next few days.

Update for the RAZR rolling out

As per a report by Android Community, “Among the standard tweaks, bug fixes and minor enhancements, Motorola has added more Smart Actions, better syncing options and a revised Settings menu that should be easier to navigate. Motorola’s custom Smart Actions triggers are extended to include text messages, the Wi-Fi connection, VIP callers, calendar updates and sound effects. Other small changes include tweaks to improve camera performance, increased battery life and a small security patch from Google.”

The highlighted features of the Motorola RAZR are:

• Android 2.3, Gingerbread
• 1.2GHz Dual Core Processor
• 1GB RAM
• Dimensions are 130.70mm x 68.90mm x 7.1mm
• 127g weight
• 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display with a resolution of 540 x 960
• 8 Megapixel rear camera
• 1.3 Megapixel front facing camera for video calling
• 1080p HD video recording with image stabilization
• Bluetooth 2.0, HDMI, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 16GB internal memory, 16GB microSD card pre-installed
• 1780 mAh battery

Though this update brings about a few significant improvements, one would still need to wait a bit for the development of Google’s latest operating software, Ice Cream Sandwich to be available on the handset. If the forecast is to be believed, then one can expect the Ice Cream Sandwich update before the end of the second quarter of 2012. But, for those who cannot wait to get the official ICS update, here is an early build of the OS for the GSM version of the RAZR.

Spotify welcomes new apps from Warner, Def Jam, Matador, more

So, now that Rdio's got itself a fancy redesign, it's time for Spotify to fire back, right? The Swedish streaming service announced a new round of third-party apps, including selections from some big industry names, like Warner, Def Jam, Domino and Matador Records. The list also includes Classify, an app designed to help users discover classical music on the service, The Complete Collection, which offers up supplementary images, lyrics and liner notes and Fitr, which lets you build playlists based on Facebook friends. Also new is Hot or Not, which offers a song-based take on the internet voting site and [PIAS], which provides some curated playlists. In all, the site is rolling out a dozen new apps. Check the press release after the break for more info.

Synology outs DS412+, DS112 NAS drives, feeds the data hungry

If you're looking for somewhere to house all those high ISO shots you just took, then perhaps one of these new NAS drives from Synology will see you right. The DS412+ will be the one appealing to the big data hoarders, with four bays each capable of storing a 4TB drive (for a max total of 16). The box itself being is powered by a 2.13 GHz chip and 1GB RAM, which gives it top read / write speeds of 202.63 MB/s and 179.15 MB/s. A built-in redundancy mechanism comprising two 92 mm system fans should help prevent losing all your precious media. If you're not needing quite so much back-up, then the DS112 might be more your thing. A max capacity of 4TB ticks over with 1.6GHz processor and 256 RAM, and will take 3.5" or 2.5" drives. Both have USB 3.0 and eSata ports and run the firm's DSM4.0 operating system. You can start pouring your data inside them today, assuming you've got the $720 or $380, respectively, needed to pick one up.

Adobe unveils Photoshop CS6 beta with redesigned UI and 65 new features, download it for free today

It's been two years since Adobe unveiled a new version of Photoshop, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the company's engineers have been toiling away behind the scenes on a major update. The outfit's clearly ready to start showing off the fruits of its labor, though, as it just unveiled the beta version of CS6. All told, the outfit's added 65 user-feedback-inspired features, including a new crop tool, expanded video editing options, auto recovery and the ability to search for specific layers. Fans of the dotted lines in Illustrator now get the same vector tools in Photoshop. Additionally, every slider for the Camera Raw 7.0 plug-in (exposure, contrast, etc.) has a freshly tweaked algorithm. And for anyone who's ever looked on helplessly as Photoshop locked itself up during a long file save, projects can now save in the background while you work on other things. Looking for more info? A brief rundown of the beta and a full list of new features awaits just past the break.

Sony Japan announces ICS for tablets in late April, WiFi-only Tablet P April 21st

Owners of Sony's Tablet S and Tablet P can look forward to receiving Android 4.0.3 next month, at least in Japan. Beyond the latest and greatest Google-provided underpinnings, the update will also expand their photo capabilities with activation from the lock screen and the ability to take panoramic pictures, plus a new "Recopla" app for viewing DVR'd TV programs from its Blu-ray recorders. They'll also have an enhanced "Small Apps" feature that lets users multitask more efficiently, pulling up a windowed web browser, calculator or remote control app. Finally, if the only thing keeping you from the dual-screen Tablet P was its 3G radio and associated data plans, Sony has also announced a WiFi-only version due April 21st with optional color panels for 50,000 yen ($600 US). There's no word yet on hardware or software availability over here, or further details on Ice Cream Sandwich for the Xperia line, but more details and pics can be found at the source links below.

Twitter turns 6, has 140 million users

Twitter, our ever loving microblog has turned six and is quite proud of it. They wrote in a blog post, "Six years may not be very long in human terms, but it’s been quite an enormous span for the thing we know and love as Twitter. When @jack first sketched out his notion in March 2006, no one could have predicted the trajectory of this new communication tool." Now, the company says that they have as many users on the microblog as the number of ways that they can express themselves in 140 characters. Which means they now have 140 million active users. They see 340 million tweets everyday, which means they see 1 billion tweets every three days.

Happy 6th!

Taking into account the importance of users to get to a sixth birthday, Twitter writes, "Without you, of course, there wouldn’t be a Twitter. We mark our sixth birthday with you in mind, and celebrate your myriad ways of engaging, enjoying, and emoting on our platform." When Jack Dorsey first sketched his idea out, he wrote, "I'm happy this idea has taken root, I hope it thrives". Twitter says, thanks to the users, it has thrived.

Twitter was conceptualized on the 16th of March in 2006. Dorsey and Biz Stone through the company Odeo (a podcast company). On March 21, 2006, Dorsey sent out the first tweet saying, "just setting up my twttr". Still more work was done on the microblog (which started out as an SMS service for communication within small groups) and on July 15th, Twitter was launched to the masses. In March 2007, Twitter was presented at SXSW and in April, it became its own company.

LG announces new 3D Sound home theatre system

In the recent past, manufacturers have been competing on having the biggest, widest screen with the most dazzling picture anywhere outside of a movie theatre, but to really capture the full cinematic experience, what they often forget is that you need the right sound to match. LG Electronics India has expanded the 3D home entertainment experience with the launch of the world’s first 3D Sound Home Theatre System, the HX906TX, that aims to elevate the Home Entertainment experience to new heights. “3D entertainment is set to explode this year and LG is setting the pace with its  new 3D AV line-up,” said Mr. Soon Kwon, MD LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. “From picture to connectivity to sound, all our products are tailor made to create the best 3D home entertainment experience possible that Indian consumers crave for.”

Powering your home

Designed for the discerning buyer for whom hi-tech and hi-style are inseparable, the newly introduced HX906TX is LG’s top-of-the-range 3D Sound Home Theatre System. HX906TX that consists of 360 degree sound aims to be as immersive as a movie theatre. Its new approach to audio, includes the Vertical 3D Effect Channel, which works by emitting sound through top-firing upright speakers installed on four Tallboy Speakers. Along with a 360 degree Reflector, Sound field expansion and 3D Sound Analyzer directs the sound in such a way that it creates “Sound Shower” effect, with a crisp and detailed acoustic envelope.

Specifically designed for a co-ordinated look with 3D TV’s, the HX906TX has a glossy metallic hairline finish to create a Home Theatre that complements your living room or lounge. It’s a 9.1 speaker system, which adds four Upright 3D Speakers to the conventional 5.1 channels on a home theatre system. It has 10 speakers in total delivering multi-directional audio that is powerful enough to capture the delicate background sounds of everyday life.

Further sharing the plans on capturing 3D market, Mr. Kwon says, “We are all geared up to expand our full range of 3D AV products to further enhance the 3D market in India. We plan to capture 40% market share in the Blu ray HTS category as we already stand as market leaders in 3D TV’s with a 40% share (source: GFK  Jan’ 2012  in units). We aim to be a market leader in 3D Home Entertainment segment by June’12 with a market share of 50%”.

The HX906TX connects wirelessly through DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible devices, making it quick and easy to access digital content stored on PC’s and other gadgets. With built-in WI-Fi enabling it to hook up with Internet networks, the user can also take full advantage of online content, including video streaming and web albums through the netcast function.

The HX906TX comes with LG’s outstanding Smart TV functions. Premium Content provides a wide array of VOD services for the whole family, while ‘LG Apps’ feature delivers lifestyle, educational and interactive applications tailor-made for TVs. With the LG Remote feature, users need to only download an application for their Android or iPhone smartphone and they can change their smartphone into a comprehensive remote control for the HX906TX. The HX906TX will hit the Indian market from March, 2012 and will be priced at Rs.59,990.

Government allots Rs.765 crore for Aakash 2 in Budget 2012

The nation's most ambitious mission to deliver quality education to the have-nots in the country, reportedly got a Rs.765 crore boost from the Indian government, after a provision was made for it in the recently announced Union Budget 2012-2013. The Economic Times reports that under the National Mission for Education through ICT of Ministry of Human Resource and Development the government allocated the aforementioned figure, which they say will help set the wheels of the second phase of the tablet running. The report further adds that a fund of Rs.765 crores for the Aakash 2 is sufficient, since the government had estimated that procuring roughly 50 lakh Aakash 2 tablets would require them Rs.569 crores. 

Got a big boost!

Quoting a senior government official involved in the project, the report stated that, "Most of the money is likely to be utilised for the Aakash project. Some of it will be utilised for developing e-content." Aakash 2 enthusiasts would be thrilled to learn that the government plans to procure roughly 50 lakh units of the upgraded version of the low-cost tablet, with each selling for Rs.2,270. Reportedly, half of the cost, i.e. roughly Rs.1,138 per tablet will come as a subsidy from the central government, while the remaining costs will be borne by the state governments. Colleges and other institutions in the state will, reportedly receive the upgraded Aakash 2 tablets. A revelation made in the report throws light on the fact that the newly allocated amount of Rs.765 crores is in addition to the Rs.25 crores, which IIT-Rajasthan did not utilize in their Aakash 1 project.

In fact, there seems to be some level of discrepancy in the number of Aakash 1 tablet units procured, since the government claims to have procured only 500 units of the initial version of the tablet, while Canada-based manufacturers, Datawind claim that they had provided IIT-Rajasthan with about 10,000 units of the Aakash tablet, for which they haven't received the payment. 

With some shroud of doubt still looming over the initial version of the Aakash tablet, the government has a mighty task at hand. The Aakash 2, according to successive reports has been confirmed to launch next month, at the same price as its predecessor. The Aakash 2, needless to add, has a lot riding on it. Not only does it have to perform true to that upgraded spec sheet, it will also have seep into the education system in the country.

Alleged official Samsung Galaxy S III picture leaks…again

Another day, another Galaxy S III rumour - this time from a Dutch site. GSM Helpdesk Netherlands have managed to get their hands on what appears to be, a pretty legit photo of the Samsung’s upcoming pride and joy. The picture is supposed to be an official press image handed to them by a very kind mystery tipster who probably is working in Samsung’s PR or marketing team. The image is pretty much identical to the one that was leaked a few days back.

Is this the real deal?

If this is the real deal then we have to say that we are a tiny bit disappointed with the design. The edge-to-edge glass screen is super cool, but what’s with the thick bezel all around it? We’re glad that Samsung has brought back the curves from the original Galaxy S, but the extra girth around the sides is a bit of a deal breaker. Imagine the phone with just the silver bezel and now you’ve got our attention. Despite Google’s persistence, Samsung has kept the capacitive buttons and we love how they’ve not wasted any space at the bottom. If you look closely at the home button, it does appear to have a rectangular ring around it which could mean that it’ a physical button. We really hope that is a dual function button, so if you simply want to go to the home screen, you light press it, so you’re actually using the capacitive button. But let’s say you want to bring up the recently closed apps, then you press it harder, in turn activating the physical button. Seems like a long shot but, it’s never been done before and would be super cool to have.

The specifications haven’t changed much from past speculations. The S III is said to have a 12MP shooter with an LED flash. It will also have some new features like slow motion, time-lapse and the ability to record videos up to 60fps. The display will most likely be a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED Plus with a HD resolution, which puts the pixel count to 313ppi so very close to the Retina Display on the iPhone 4/S. The S III is supposed to pack in a 1750mAh battery and yet, measure 8mm thick and weigh about 125g. Processor-wise, it will most likely be Samsung’s own quad-core Exynos SoC, up to 32GB on onboard storage and whole gig of RAM. Connectivity is taken care of by 3G HSPA (up to 42Mbps), Wi-Fi, ‘n’, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, HDMI, etc. The phone is said to launch on the 22 of May, so a late March or early April announcement seems very likely.

Report claims next iPhone will feature a large 4.6-inch display

As expected, with the dust of the new iPad announcement settling in, all eyes and ears are turning to what Apple is going to offer next. The rumours of the iPhone 5 have surfaced once more and this time around reports have been speculating that the next flagship smartphone from Apple may feature a display measuring at 4.6 inches. The report states, “Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed industry source. Its major display suppliers LG Display and Samsung Electronics Co declined to comment.” If Apple does intend to launch a handset with a display measuring at 4.6-inches, it will be quite a significant bump over its existing 3.5-inches size which the brand have maintained for five generations of iPhones and not changing the size of the display at all.

Concept design (Image Credit: Digital Trends)

In a related report regarding the display, MacRumors stated that previous rumours have indicated that the brand would in fact increase the size of the display from 3.5-inches to 4-inches and not 4.6-inches. The report notes, “A 4.6-inch screen, however, would be significantly larger than that has been previously rumored. There have been persistent rumors that the next generation iPhone would carry a larger 4-inch screen. And we are convinced that Apple had exactly such designs in late prototype stages in China. The proliferation of iPhone cases with measurements of at least a 4-inch screen seemed to suggest that a number of suppliers were also convinced of that fact.”

Quoting sources they state, “The next-generation iPhone will not look like the teardrop-shaped version that was widely rumored for release in 2011. We’ve been told that the device will have a 4-inch display and will be 8mm longer than before, with a metal casing (probably aluminum). It is on track to be introduced in summer of 2012, and is still in the engineering phase, not early production. We suspect that poor battery life doomed the prior prototype version, and that this one is being built with LTE-ready battery drain in mind.”

As of now, the only thing that can be gathered from this is that the brand has no intention of sticking to a 3.5-inch display and instead will opt for something larger. With there being no clue of when Apple would host the iPhone 5 announcement, one can only expect the rumour mills to start buzzing a little more loudly now.