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Acer Iconia &#151 a tablet with a difference

prasoon-kumar
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In this world where new technology is being produced and discarded at a rapid pace, Acer has some time back come out with a tablet named as Iconia Tab A500, a product which really stands apart from the rest for many different things it allows the users to do.

The makers call this 3.0 based tablet a ‘touchbook’ simply because there is no keyboard in the device. It has a screen on the normal place with another one where the usual keyboard is placed in other devices.

The virtual keyboard in Iconia allows users to do things that would otherwise have been difficult with the physical keyboard. The moment users place their palms on the lower screen as if they are going to type, the device understands it and displays the keyboard, a full size complete keyboard.

The keyboard supports several languages. Users just have to select the language and the appropriate keys would be automatically displayed on it. Then there is predictive text, which displays the font on the keys you intend to type in.

Apple captured the world’s imagination by bringing in gesture controls which works the way humans naturally interacted with each other and things in the real world, such as the “pinch and zoom” function.

The Acer Iconia touchbook goes one step further and lets users open sites, launch apps, view the desktop and more with a predefined gesture. Users can even lock the computer using a gesture.

All the social media is also in one place with the help of SocialJogger, which enables users to check Facebook, Flickr and YouTube updates from it in one glance.

Since there are two screens, the bottom screen can be used to display different set of information or both the screens can be placed so as to make both one big flat screen -the result is less scrolling and more convenience for the users. Users can even use these two screens to view one large spreadsheet in one go.

Acer Iconia is projected to sell one millions devices by May 2011. In fact, Acer is finding it difficult to keep up with the demand for the tablet.

Till now, Apple’s iPad is the clear market leader, despite the fact that it was released long ago. Though nobody expects, but it is interesting to see if Iconia comes close to the iPad.

Nokia Windows phones to feature new processor

rahul-gupta
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The new league of Windows Phone based smartphones from Nokia will be feature the all new Novathor U8500 from ST Ericsson, according to the chief executive officer of STMicroelectronics Carlo Bozotti, who shared this information with Forbes.

St Ericsson is a joint venture between Geneva based STMicroelectronics and Swedish mobile equipment manufacturer.

The new microprocessor Novathor U8500 will be used in all or some of the upcoming Windows Phone 8 based smartphones that Nokia is planning to launch in the times to come.

The Novathor microprocessor is a dual core processor that allows faster processing for commands and has a dedicated ARM Mali 400 graphics processor for meeting the present day graphics requirements of the application.

The processor has native support for Full video recording at 1080 and is capable of delivering what smartphones are offering today. Along with that, the Nonathor U8500 also supports dual displays which can very well compliment the 3D phone for which Nokia was awarded patent sometime back.

Nokia is confident about the launch of its Windows Phone based smartphones and will be launching close to 11-12 smartphones by the end of 2012.

Planning a family: Avoid mobiles

anil-satapathy
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Men who are trying to have children should limit their cell phone use as it may lead to low sperm quality and a decrease in fertility, according to the findings of a research conducted by Queen’s University, Canada.

“The electromagnetic waves (EMW) emitted by cell phones may have a dual action on male hormone levels and fertility. EMW may increase the number of cells in the testes that produce testosterone; however, by lowering the levels of LH excreted by the pituitary gland, EMW may also block the conversion of this basic circulating type of testosterone to the more active, potent form of testosterone associated with sperm production and fertility,” a press release issued by the university said.

Commenting on the findings, Rany Shamloul, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and lead researcher on the project, said, “Our findings were a little bit puzzling. We were expecting to find different results, but the results we did find suggest that there could be some intriguing mechanisms at work.”

However, they added that more in-depth research is needed to determine the exact ways in which EMW affects male fertility.

This is not the first time that researchers have come out with such a report of adverse effects of mobile phone on humans.

Recently, the Council of Europe has warned that mobile phones have harmful effects on humans.

11.1 mn new GSM subscribers added in April

nilabh-jha
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Indian GSM telecom operators added 11.1 million subscribers to their kitty in April, according to the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).

However, the figure is lower than the March figure, when 14.49 million subscribers were added by the operators. With this, the total GSM subscriber base in the country has now climbed to 580.66 million.

Idea cellular was the biggest gainer with 2.45 million net additions followed by Airtel which increased its customer tally by 2.41 million. Vodafone also added 2.40 million subscribers taking its market share to 23.59 per cent.

The top three players in the GSM space now command 68 per cent market share, with Airtel leading the pack with 28.53 per cent market share and Idea Cellular at third place with 15.84 per cent.

Currently Airtel has 164 million subscribers, followed by Vodafone with 137 million users. Idea Cellular and BSNL follows next with 92 million and 87 million respectively. Aircel, which added 1.1 million subscribers in the month of April, is the fifth largest service provider with 56 million subscribers and is catching up fast.

New players like Loop Mobile, Stel and Etisalat have combined market share of less than 1.5 per cent. Videocon, which is another new player, could not sustain the momentum it got in March as it added only 134 thousand subscribers compared to 541 thousand last month. Videocon has a market share of 1.25 per cent.

The report does not include Reliance Communication and Tata Communications GSM (both offer CDMA also) figures as they have quit the association.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile telephony systems in the world. CDMA is the other technology platform on which Indian telcos offer services. Tata Teleservices (TTSL), Reliance Communications and MTS are the main CDMA operators.

Twitter 2.0 app comes out of beta for BlackBerry

prasoon-kumar
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Just about two weeks after its beta version was launched, the Twitter 2.0 application has been officially released and is set to be available in the BlackBerry world for download.
Those users, who haven’t experienced the beta version yet, would find the application more convenient and faster as everything they look for in a Twitter app have been combined in the same screen. Those who are conducting universal search on BlackBerry 6 will get results obtained from Twitter as well.

Compared to other products, the Twitter 2.0 app has come out of the beta phase faster. It comes with some additions such as Search Bar where tweets, usernames, real names, hash tags and much more can be searched. Direct messages will be displayed in a threaded view.

The app comes with an improved user interface. The navigation bar has been refreshed and simplified along with a compose tweet button that allows users to create a tweet instantly.

BlackBerry has said it will make the app available within next 24 hours.

Hotels.com launches mobile apps

The Mobile Indian Network
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Hotels.com, a hotel booking website, has launched two new smart phone applications for iPhone and phones. The two new applications, available in over 30 languages, allow travellers to search and book more than 20,000 accommodation deals from over 135,000 hotels around the world.

The apps act as an extension of the Hotels.com website, allowing travellers to log in as either a guest or they can create a Hotels.com account from inside the to begin researching accommodation options, browsing two million user reviews, accessing hotel deals and booking and managing their accommodation choices.

The ‘sign in once’ feature, which applies to both Android and iPhone apps, automatically remembers users’ log in details so that travellers needn’t worry about logging in each time.

Even without a data connection, all past and future bookings can be accessed, which displays hotel address, phone number and map, with just one touch.

Best capacitive touchscreen phones in India

rahul-gupta
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Best capacitive touchscreen phones in India

Touchscreens were initially introduced to understand how people would feel if physical buttons were removed from their beloved devices. And things took a totally different direction altogether. Today touchscreens have become main-stream, replacing physical keys and buttons in mobile phones, laptops and tablets, all of which have touchscreen variants that are loved by people the world over.

Users initially had to literally wrestle with touchscreens in order to get what they wanted. As the technology evolved, though, we came to see newer and more advanced touchscreens that are able to recognise even the slightest touch.

Today touchscreens provide flexibility, especially with smartphones in which users need to take care of so many functions. Pinch to zoom, flip and swype are some functions of smartphones that help in getting work done faster with the help of touchscreens &#151 not to forget the ease they add to device management.

Today every smartphone manufacturer is trying to manufacture phones with touchscreens that offer the best possible experience to users. Here we have the top three phones with the best touchscreens, which are fun to use while helping to get things done better.

iPhone 3GS

Successor to the third generation iPhone, which was launched in 2009, it is still one of the best touchscreen phones in the world.

The 3.5 inch touchscreen on this device does not display high definition, as most of its competitors do, but its 320 x 480 coupled with interface optimisation makes it brilliant nevertheless.

The touchscreen on the iPhone 3GS is regarded as one of the most sensitive and responsive to the slightest touch.

With a price tag of $499 (approximately Rs 25,000) for the 16 version, this phone offers superb value with a great bunch of features, but Apple should do something about its pricing policy in India as its phones, at Rs 35,000, are overpriced here compared to other countries.

Samsung Galaxy S I9003

Samsung Galaxy S I9003 is like a breath of relief for those who are on a limited budget but still need an exciting smartphone that offers both features and value for money.

The Galaxy S I9003 has a 4 inch Super Clear that displays vibrant images. The touch panel is protected by scratch resistant Gorilla Glass, which gives it the strength to endure Indian conditions and stay new for longer.

At Rs 20,000, it does not hurt the pocket of an average buyer either. The phone’s low price, however, does not signify that anything is missing from the device.

For the price, users get a 1 GHz processor, 4 GB onboard memory, and connectivity options with a frontal camera so that they can make video calls.

HTC Incredible S

The HTC Incredible S is an incredible marvel &#151 a 4 incher that has one of the sweetest touchscreens among smartphones in India.

The revamped HTC Sense user interface works flawlessly in conjunction with the touchscreen. The 1 GHz processor, along with 768 and 1.1 GB ROM, ensures faster and flawless performance.

The touchscreen of this phone has Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches, but nothing will protect it against smudges and fingerprints, which may appear inadvertently on the screen thanks to the tropical Indian weather.

Its Rs 30,000 price tag will pinch some users, but this phone does offer great value for money.

Mobile TV services in India

nilabh-jha
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Mobile TV services in India

State-run MTNL, which provides mobile services in Delhi and Mumbai, has launched a MobileTV service in partnership with DigiVive. The service, called NexGTv, offers over 50 live channels ranging from entertainment, reality, news, religious to popular regional channels.

“The new service will also offer video-on-demand content, including clips from mythological TV shows like Mahabharat; and Hindi movies in 15 minute capsule form, or mobisodes. This service is available for both 2G as well as users with compatible handsets,” DigiVive said in a press statement.

The service is available at a monthly subscription of Rs 99; weekly for Rs 35; and per day for Rs 8 for all the channels, with no additional data charges.

The video IVR solution service is to be called Vmotion. It will be priced at Rs 30 per month; Rs 10 per week and Rs 3 per day with no charges, and can be accessed by making a video call to the short-code 52627.

MTNL already provides mobile TV services with Apalya, another provider that will continue to offer its services to MTNL users.

Through this service you get access to 40 channels for Rs 150 (excluding premium channels). You can watch one channel per month for Rs 50 and for a day for Rs 10. There is no restriction on the type of channel. Like the with the NextGTv service, data usage is not charged.

But given the fact that MTNL is now offering a cheaper service, the price of this service is also expected to be revised soon.

All the operators offer mobile TV services through both 2G and 3G networks, of which the latter offers better viewing experience without buffering.

Here is a comparison of mobile TV services from different operators:

Tata Indicom

MTNL’s rival Tata Indicom, a CDMA service provider, also offers mobile TV services at Rs 75 per month for 63 channels (27 new channels will soon be added).

However, data charges are extra, which makes it very costly as watching TV consumes 1 to 2 per minute. Tata Indicom offers several data plans with 1 MB costing 50 paise. If you subscribe to bulk plans like Rs 500 for 2 or Rs 1,500 for 15 GB of data, this service could remain cheap, otherwise it proves to be costly.

Tata Docomo

Tata Docomo, which provides GSM services, offers 100 channels. Monthly subscription for all the channels costs Rs 99, and you can also subscribe to a weekly pack for Rs 30 for all channel,s and Rs 15 for a day.

Data charges are additional and are charged at 10 paise per 10 KB. If you have subscribed to a data pack, this charge will be applicable only when you exceed the limit of free data available with the pack.

Reliance Communications

Reliance Communications, which provides mobile TV services through both CDMA and GSM 3G networks, offers 60 channels to its subscribers along with 50 video on demand channels.

The good part is that there are multiple choices for subscription. For instance, you can choose to subscribe only to News channels or Kids channels, or can opt for the complete pack of 75 channels.

While the packs look costly on the face of it, with monthly charges starting from Rs 150 for 15 channels and Rs 250 for 75 channels, they are actually inexpensive as you don’t have to pay additional money for data downloads.

BSNL

BSNL Mobile TV service offers 50 channels but its tariffs are a bit confusing.
For one channel for a day you have to pay Rs 10, while to watch all the channels for a day you have to shell out Rs 30, and to watch one channel for a month you need to pay Rs 50.

You can also buy a bouquet of 12 non-premium, non-regional channels for Rs 99. The most expensive plan costs Rs 150 for a month of 15 specified non-premium channels (that include some regional channels).

There are no additional charges for data usage.

Airtel

Airtel also offers mobile TV with an option of 60 channels to choose from.
The base pack costs Rs 40 for 20 minutes of viewing per week. Though there are no additional data charges, the pack seems to be costly. And for IPL (cricket), you will need to shell out an extra Rs 10 for 10 minutes of viewing per day.

You also have the option of watching one channel for a week for Rs 15 with a total of 30 minutes of viewing, and for Rs 10 you will get one channel for a day with 20 minutes of viewing.

Not cheap, is it?

Vodafone

Vodafone mobile TV offers 60 channels, just as most other operators do.

There are only two plans, Rs 150 for a month and Rs 7 for a day for all non-premium channels including the DLF IPL channel.

The problem is that you will be charged separately for usage beyond the free data limit, at the rate of 10 paise per 10 KB, unless you subscribe to an unlimited data plan.

Idea Cellular

Idea seems to have just one plan for its mobile TV service, which is Rs 3 per minute – no restriction on channels; no additional data charges.

But if you are interested in watching TV for long it will prove to be too costly as others are offering packs of Rs 10 for a day, which would buy just about 3 minutes on Idea. Idea’s list of channels is the same as those of Airtel or Vodafone.

Sony Ericsson to strengthen Xperia, Cybershot, and Walkman series

nilabh-jha
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To strengthen its product line, Sony Ericsson will be adding several phones to its Xperia, Cybershot and Walkman series of mobile phones in the next quarter, a company spokesperson told ‘The Mobile Indian’.

Spokesperson said, “We will be strengthening our product line with more phones in Xperia and Walkman series, and with camera phones.”

The expected phones include W8 in the Walkman series, Xperia Mini and Mini Pro and Cybershot with a 16 mega camera.

Besides operating system, these will have traditional Sony Ericsson features. For instance, the Walkman series will have good music.

The Cybershot brand, which is known for its camera capabilities, is expected to make a comeback with full touch screen (it vanished after the launch of the Xperia series), and a 16 mega pixel camera with Xenon flash (these specifications are not confirmed, but are highly probable).

Walkman series, known for its music capabilities, will also make a comeback. This time, the phone will use Android operating system and will have a full touchscreen.

Sony Ericsson has already created a niche for itself in the Android Market with several PlayStation certified applications. It might be looking to add some more apps for the Walkman series.

Xperia series already has models such as X8, X10, X12, Vivaz, Mini, Mini Pro, Play and Arc. These are expected to be joined by Mini HD and Mini Pro HD.

It’s great to hear about Cybershot and Walkman series returning. The success of these phones will depend on how well they are executed as there will be practically no similarity between the forthcoming models and the Cybershots of older days.

It will be a challenge to match people’s expectations with a completely new platform (not new per se, but new for these types of phones). Pricing will be another important factor in their success.

iPhone4 coming to India courtesy Airtel, Aircel

nilabh-jha
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Aircel and Airtel will be the first operators to bring the Apple iPhone4 to India, who have started the registration process through their respective websites to keep potential buyers informed about the arrival of the handset.

However, no launch date or special pack has been announced for this launch yet. iPhone 4 is the latest version of Apple iPhone and comes with features like Apple’s stunning Retina display, the highest display ever built into a phone and FaceTime for video calling. It was launched in the USA in June last year.

With a sleek, sharp and thinner design than its predecessor, the fourth-generation model of Apple iPhone comes with a 3.5 inch screen with 640 X 960 pixel resolution.

The phone’s operating system has also been upgraded and is now called 4, which offers features like multitasking, spell check, folders and iBooks.
The phone comes in two versions (of 16GB and 32GB memory capacity), a 5 megapixel camera, up from 3 megapixel in the earlier version. The camera has an flash. It has a second camera for video calling.

The phone’s connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and GPS. The device promises seven hours of talk time, six hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video and 40 hours of music playback.

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