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Apple now releases unlocked iPhone 4 in USA; still costly for Indians

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Apple has finally put up unlocked iPhone 4 devices for sale in the USA and it can be used anywhere in the world with any micro-SIM from any cellular service provider.

A 16 unlocked iPhone 4 costs $649 (Rs 29,250 approximately) and 32 GB iPhone 4 costs $749 750 (about Rs 33,750) without sales tax, which is roughly between $40 and $53. The device is available in black and white colours.

However, all those who are just getting excited about bringing unlocked iPhone 4 phones from the USA should pay heed to the fact that the smartphone is about the same price in India.

In the past Apple has sold contract-free iPhone models that were configured to work with AT&T wireless in the USA.

Last month we analysed the cost of Apple iPhone 4 overseas (outside India). Our analysis still stands true that the “possession price” of an unlocked iPhone 4 in India is relatively cheap compared to what it is in the USA, UK and in other European countries.

Unlocked iPhone 4 devices are also available in Canada for CAD $659 (Rs 30,257 approximately) for the 16 GB model and CAD $779 (about Rs 35,768 ) for the 32 GB version, which is low compared to most other countries.

In India, Apple is selling an unlocked 16 GB iPhone 4 at Rs 34,500 and a 32 GB model for about Rs 40,900. Apple has pleased several USA based nationals who wish to use the iPhone 4 with other carriers of their choice. If you are in India and are looking to order an iPhone 4 through a friend, colleague or relative, then it’s not a wise choice.

Do note that despite being sold in the USA, the iPhone 4 does come with international warranty. So yes, if anyone has bought a ‘legally’ unlocked iPhone 4 from the USA then it will be under warranty in India as well.

Sony to launch tablet in India soon

nilabh-jha
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Sony is soon going to launch two tablets based on 3.0 operating system in the Indian market. The devices are codenamed S1 and S2. While S1 has a 9.4 inch screen, S2 has two foldable 5.5 inch screens.

The tablets were announced at the end of April this year and are going to be launched soon. An Indian spokesperson at Sony confirmed this but refused to divulge the date of launch.

Sony India is, however, holding an event in India on June 17 to showcase the products. The announcement came through a teaser on the Sony India website. The exact location or nature of the event has not been disclosed.

S1 is a 9.4 inch tablet with a curved top, much like a folded magazine. It has both front and rear-facing cameras. The device uses a Tegra 2 and has a customised user interface over Android 3.0 (operating system). It can also be used as a remote control for Sony gear thanks to its integrated port.

The second new tablet from Sony is a dual screen device called S2. It has a pair of 5.5 inch 1024×480 displays, runs on a Tegra 2 chipset, and has two cameras.

Not much is known about the device but it is one of the most important devices for Sony and the company plans to launch various devices that will connect enterprise hardware with network services like Qriocity, which connects many of Sony’s network-enabled devices and also makes it possible for one device to perform as a remote control for another.

Dual-SIM Samsung Ch@t 222 in India soon

samir-makwana
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Samsung is planning to introduce a handset with a keyboard, Ch@t 222, for the entry level segment in India.

Just like the previously launched Ch@t series handsets, the new Ch@t 222 (GT-E2222) extends special support to various social networking and email services. Priced roughly around Rs 3,500, the new Samsung Ch@t 222 is capable of holding two SIM modules in GSM configuration along with dual-SIM standby ability. Previously released Samsung Ch@t 322 and 335 handsets were single SIM models.

Samsung Ch@t 222 has 2.2 inch TFT display supporting 220×176 resolution. It has a VGA camera at its back with video recording support but has no Flash. A full Qwerty keypad is the enticing feature for many who are looking for an inexpensive BlackBerry look-alike.

Apart from that, it has all other necessary features like FM Radio, DNSe Sound support for the music player, internet HTML browser, and 45 of internal memory. The 1000 battery promises 11.5 hours of battery life.

HTC Sensation to be launched in India tomorrow

Sandeep Budki
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In the recent times, Indians have seen a lot of new smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S II and iPhone 4, which has given them a wide array of option to choose from. But, if you have still not zeroed on a particular phone, then wait till tomorrow as HTC Sensation is set to make its debut in the country on Thursday.

“HTC Sensation will be launched in India tomorrow and announcement regarding other devices will also be made by their top management in a press conference,” sources told The Mobile Indian.

The HTC Sensation, as reported earlier by The Mobile Indian, was unveiled on the April 12 in London.

The 2.3 based Sensation is HTC’s first ever phone to feature a 1.2 Ghz supplied by Qualcomm and a whole new interface with the latest HTC Sense 3.0.

The HTC Sensation has a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass, an 8 rear camera with dual-LED flash and 1080p HD video recording, a VGA front-facing camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, 1 of internal storage, 768 MB of RAM, microSD card support, and a 1520 battery.

Pricing of the Sensation still remains a mystery but with the kind of hardware the new smartphone features, one can easily expect it to be more than Rs 30,000.

Swype receives an update

prasoon-kumar
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The keyboard replacement software from Swype, which is still in beta, has just received a new update.

The third version of the virtual keyboard software has a simplified registration process and users can now choose the right words from a horizontal menu of predictive text.

There is a feature called Tap Correction which enables users to go from normal typing to Swyping and back without any disturbance in their writing experience.

The Horizontal Word Choose List is also an improvement since the annoying pop ups have been replaced with horizontal menus. This is in line with new standards. On some devices, Swype used to get disabled each time the device was rebooted, but this won’t happen anymore. Those users who had Swype pre-installed on their devices should download the update, as it would not work with their existing phones.

Users have the choice of using their fingers or stylus, and using multiple languages as well. All the common editing functionalities are available with it, and the company says its keyboard is now in use on about 50 million devices.

Another study says mobile usage ups cancer risk

anil-satapathy
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After World Health Organisation, another study has now said that using mobile phones ups risk of cancer in human beings.

The study, which was conducted in 13 countries, says using a mobile phone for just 15 minutes a day can substantially up the risk of brain cancer among its users. The longer people use it, the higher the risk.

A news agency, quoting Elisabeth Cardis, leader of the Interphone Study, said an increased risk of brain tumours, known as gliomas, was seen in the 20 per cent of users with the highest exposure to radio-frequency emissions.

Notably, Gliomas are fatal, usually within three to five years of diagnosis, even with treatment. Also, users may develop cancer close to the area where they held their phones to the head.

Earlier, World Health Organisation too said that mobile phones are cancerous in nature. Many other organisations have also come out recently with studies that have cited adverse effect of radiation of mobile phones on mental and physical health of not just humans but also animals.

Now tablets replace in-flight entertainment

nilabh-jha
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In a first, American Airlines (AA) has decided to provide Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for premium class in-flight entertainment. The airline plans to deploy 6,000 of the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices onboard on select routes beginning later this year.

Tablets are increasingly finding its way into the enterprise world, where companies are using tablets to empower their mobile workforce to be connected wherever they go and have a fully functional computing experience which is truly mobile.

Movie streaming on tablet is already available with some airline in the West. But, this is for the first time perhaps that tablets will replace the in-flight entertainment system.

The tablets will replace American Airlines’ current personal entertainment device in premium cabins on transcontinental flights between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles, JFK and San Francisco, and Miami and Los Angeles.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be customised for the airline’s use with array of applications enhancing the in-flight entertainment experience including AA’s streaming service mentioned last month, and will also offer “expanded memory” for the devices.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a WiFi-enabled tablet that measures at just 8.6 millimeters in width, making it the thinnest large screen tablet currently available in the world. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by the 3.1 (Honeycomb) platform.

The American Airlines already offers in-flight movie streams to iPad users via WiFi. But it’s not alone, earlier this year Alaska Airlines adopted the iPad for inflight manuals.

Google removes Angry Bird malware apps from Android

prasoon-kumar
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Google has yet again removed some malware applications from its Marketplace. Some of these malware seemed to be exploiting the popularity of Angry Birds mobile game and were discovered by Xuxian Jiang, an assistant professor at NC State University’s Department of Computer Science.

He said in a statement, “While continuing an Android-related research project after the discovery of the DroidKungFu and YZHCSMS malware, my research team also came across a new stealthy Android spyware in the Official Android Market. This spyware does not attempt to root Android phones but instead is designed to be stealthy by running the payload under the radar. In fact, Plankton is the first one that we are aware of that exploits Dalvik class loading capability to stay stealthy and dynamically extend its own functionality.”

There were at least 10 such apps which came from three developers, he said. The apps managed to survive in the market for about two months because of their stealthy nature and their use of names that used Angry Birds’ popularity. Some of the names were – Angry Birds Rio Unlocker v1.0, Angry Birds Multi User v1.00 or Angry Birds Cheater Trainer Helper V2.0.

So how the users can ensure they don’t get entrapped by malicious apps?
Usually, malicious applications sound too good to be true; they do not promise too much nor they ask for unnecessary permissions.

Google had remotely removed some apps in early March also. It seems, as a policy, Google does not monitor the apps in the Android Market, and it responds only to complaints by others.

Nokia brings new Ovi suite for Windows based PCs

nilabh-jha
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Nokia has updated its Ovi Suite with a new version, Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.1.40 Beta, for Windows based PCs and is now available at Nokia Beta Labs. Nokia claims to have made downloading apps and maps easier with this update.

With this, you can get free apps directly from the home view to your connected phone. Simply point to the that you want and click “Download and install” to have it installed to your phone from Ovi Store.

The Maps view has also been improved. You can instantly see which maps you already have on your phone. Finding the maps you want and keeping track of the ongoing downloads is more straightforward.

With the latest version, updates will come in small packages, which can be installed more smoothly and with minimal interruptions to what you’re doing. Because of the small size of the packages, updating can take place more swiftly than before. This is why the update patches are an efficient way to sort out any problems that need an urgent fix.

Users can also upload their feedback on Betalabs.nokia.com, so that fixes can be made before the full fledged launch.

Yahoo gives its services a mobile push

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Yahoo gives its services a mobile push

Yahoo web services will now come embedded with all the mobile phones which will have microchips of MediaTek, the internet company has announced.

Many Indian handset makers, including Lava, MicroMax and Lemon Mobile, use MediaTek chips in their phone. The move is not likely to affect the pricing of the handsets having Yahoo services embedded in them.

The service, supported by MediaTek, would include Yahoo Mail, Messenger, Flickr, News, Weather, Finance, Cricket and Answers.

Besides, MediaTek is also planning to add other web apps in the phones as well. Yahoo web apps will be the first one in the line, with other web apps to follow soon.

MediaTek is mainly known for its wireless chips integrated in unbranded feature phones. These phones are mostly sold in emerging countries. The service will use the MAUI runtime environment (MRE) developed by the company.

The MAUI runtime environment is basically a middleware technology which will allow developers to develop apps for smart feature phones, a MediaTek spokesperson said.

This tie-up will benefit Yahoo since its content services would now reach a wider audience than before, though any additional revenue stream from the move is not foreseen at this point. With the increase usage, Yahoo may hope to sell more ads through the MediaTek mobile platform.

“This partnership will allow users of handsets powered by MediaTek’s System on Chips to easily discover and connect with Yahoo!,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

MediaTek is basically focusing on mass market smartphones, the main market driver for the handset growth, as this is the market segment which is mostly neglected by major apps developers. These low end phones often do not have a complete operating system either but they do have a and some storage as well. The other companies interested in targeting the same market include Opera Mobile and Myriad Technologies.

MediaTek is also working with handset makers such as Cherry Mobile and Spice Group. The new partners will also work together with the company in developing feature phone widgets &#151 after that the next logical step would be developing mass smartphones running on operating system.

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