Following Samsung launching high definition displays for tablets, Japanese electronics manufacturer Toshiba is all set to release its 4 inch mobile phone displays with high definition 720p resolution.

Toshiba is using a new technology called Low Temperature Poly-Silicon (LTPS) to manufacture displays that will be used for the next generation of smartphones.

The prime benefit of using LTPS technology is that with a Pixel density of up to 367ppi (pixels per inch), more detail can be packed into small displays.

Toshiba will be using this in display sizes ranging from 3.3 to 4.0 inches, with Resolution formats ranging from wide VGA (480 x 864) to HD (720 x 1280).

In addition, these displays will have high-contrast (up to 1,500:1); high-colour (up to 92 per cent NTSC), and wide viewing angle of up to H/V 176 degrees/176 degrees.

With the use of this new technology, smartphones need not be larger than 4 inches, which will make them convenient to carry.

And small screens also conserve battery power.

The Windows Mobile 6.5 Marketplace, launched in November 2009, will not have any new apps after July 15, when the App store will not accept submissions from developers.

The reasons behind the demise of this application market are obvious. First, Microsoft wants to focus on its new OS, Windows Phone 7; and second, the platform is not popular. It had only 7,000 applications at its peak. (Compare that number to the 1 lakh plus apps that Android has.)

Windows Mobile 6.5 Marketplace will have only around 1,500 apps going forward till a final decision is taken about its closure, which is likely to be in October this year.

An MSDN forum post by Edgeway software, which broke the news, said that it got an email from Microsoft saying that the company will not accept any further submissions to the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace from July 15.

The number of devices using Windows Mobile 6.5 or older is not known, but this OS was a contender to BlackBerry in the enterprise space. Of late it has not received favours from smartphone buyers, who have switched to new operating systems such as Android and iOS.

A few phones that recently came with Windows Mobile were HTC Touch 2, Acer BeTouch, Acer Neotouch, and Garmin Asus M10. Users of these devices are likely to be affected by this decision.

Even Microsoft has developed a completely new operating system &#151 Windows Phone 7, which is not backward compatible to the older versions of Windows Mobile.

Windows Phone 7 will of course remain the focus of Microsoft in the times to come and will consequently get a lot of applications.

If you are a user of Windows Mobile do write to us to share your feelings about this news.

T-Series, one of India’s leading music companies, has launched a new phone aimed at religious Hindus. The phone, called Bhakti Sagar, is loaded with religious features such as Aartis, Bhajans and Shabads in multiple languages, as well as Tirath Yatra apps, and yoga tips.

The phone features an SOS button for emergency situations. When the SOS button is pressed the phone dials a stored emergency number. It tries to connect to the number thrice,, and if the number does not respond, it contacts the number last dialed from it.

This is a dual SIM phone with a 2.2 inch screen, 1.3 Megapixel camera and an LED torch. The device has Bluetooth and GPRS connectivity options, FM Radio with recording, and it supports up to 8 GB of expandable memory.

T-Series, which gained popularity thanks to the devotional CDs it initially sold, is trying to recreate that success in the mobile space with this phone.

The phone also comes with an added feature of “12 Jyotirling”, which provides video, pictures and songs of Lord Shiva shrines. Also, the “Yoga” feature helps you practice Yoga postures.

Besides, it comes with Bhakti Sangeet (religious songs), Aartis, wallpapers and devotional themes.

The Bhakti application has more than 165 Aartis, Bhajans and Shabads in nine languages. There is also a scheduler that plays selected songs at a given time or date.

The application has the option of playing songs based on the day of the week, for example, Shiv Bhajans on Monday, Hanuman Bhajans on Tuesday and so on.

Commenting on the launch, AN Sehgal, the director of T-Series, said, “We are happy to introduce the innovative Bhakti Sagar mobile phone through Homeshop18 in India. This phone is pre-loaded with large devotional content and comes at a special introductory price for HomeShop18 customers.”

A devotional game called ‘Makhan Chor’ has also been included. It is about helping child Krishna get to his makhan (butter).

The phone is available exclusively for about Rs 3,000 from homeshop18.com, a merchant website of the Network18 group.

Karbonn Mobiles, a local handset player, has launched two new touch screen handsets. Named as the K1414 and the K1000, the new mobiles come with support for a wide range of social network websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and e-buddy.

Available across India, the new range combines sleek black design with dual SIM capacity. With their A2DP Bluetooth technology, which allows high-fidelity audio to be streamed from one Bluetooth device to another, one can easily share high quality audio like music from mobile phone to a wireless headset or car audio.

Both phones have 2,000 phonebook memory and video player.

In addition, the Karbonn K1414 and K1000 have an extendable memory upto 16 GB and 8 GB respectively.
The bar styled Karbonn K1414 has a 3D user interface and a 3.2 inch WQVGA touch screen display with 240 x 400 pixel resolution.
While K1414 has 3 Megapixel camera, K1000 features a 2 megapixel one.

Available at all mobile retail outlets, the K1414 is priced at Rs 3,990 while K1000 will cost you Rs 3,600.