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Nokia gets design patent for tablet PC

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Nokia, which dominates the mobile handset market in India and elsewhere, has now been awarded patents for two tablet computers by the US authorities.

Notably, Nokia has recently made it clear that it has no plans to jump into the tablet business.

Interestingly, Nokia had filed for the patents before May 28, 2010, which is almost a year old now. Clearly, the Finnish handset maker had plans for a tablet computer but it seems that it has shelved such plans.

Nokia had shown such flip-flops in earlier occasions also. Earlier this year there were news that Nokia might let go off the MeeGo operating system but during the Mobile World Congress, Nokia announced that it will launch another MeeGo based device by the end of this year.

With smartphones projected to surpass sales of computers, Nokia seems to be focusing on its mobile business.

Guerrilla Bob now on Android devices

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The gaming world of is improving all the time. Some time ago, the only games users could play over the Android operating system were elementary level games.

Now the users have the option to play with Guerrilla Bob with machine guns. The Guerrilla Bob game is about an action shooter who fights against villains of all types. It has come to the Android from platform.

The back and menu buttons are to control the shooting, but these controls do not work equally effectively on all the screens. On such phones, the touchscreen controls come quite handy.

The weapons are set at ‘auto aim’, which reduces the excitement of the game a little.

Overall, the game is fast paced, and the character gets upgraded whenever users mow down their enemies.

Those users who are on a WiFi network can play in a multi-player environment, as all the Android, Macs and iOS devices are compatible for multi-player gaming.
The game comes with some stunning graphics, good for Android standards. Sound effects are good and humorous at the same time.

One downside is that users can’t quit the game midway. The game keeps running in background and only the Android system can finish the game. Those who have a task manager may, however, kill it midway. The Xperia Play device controls can also be used to play the game.

Cloud deal between Microsoft and BlackBerry PlayBook

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BlackBerry PlayBook is quietly adding more capabilities to its tablet, this time the company has taken the help of Microsoft. Users will be allowed to sync their data with Office 365 cloud suite and it will be offered with BlackBerry Office 365 service, though Microsoft has not given a date for Office 365.

Research In Motion vice president Jim Tobin said, “Cloud based solutions is a more efficient model for everyone. Half of RIM’s current clients are expected to migrate their data to cloud systems by the end of 2012”.

Office 365 is actually Microsoft collaboration services in a reworked version and will also include Office Web apps and SharePoint collaboration. The Microsoft war with Google for users’ mind share is on with Microsoft trying to convince the market that more people are using its services instead of using Google Apps. The war is likely to increase when the transition to Office 365 becomes complete.

At the time of finalizing the deal, Research in Motion must have thought about additional foothold its PlayBook would get among the business customers, although it already is strong among the enterprise customers. The facility of synchronizing emails on Microsoft servers is important for success among businesses. Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync license was taken by Apple also which turned it into an executive email tool.

Best Android phones for Rs 20,000 and above

nilabh-jha
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When you spend more than Rs 20,000 on a phone, you need to be sure that you are getting value for every penny.

Here is a list of five phones that come with all the latest features and hardware, irrespective of the cost.

Olive Smart V-S300

Olive Telecom, which was the first Indian company to launch a tablet, has released India’s first Android smartphone, the Olive Smart V-S300.

What this means is that you will get speeds of at least 14.4 Mbps for downloads, and 5 Mbps for uploads. It also comes with a Wifi hotspot feature which lets you share this high speed network with five other devices over Wifi.

Other goodies include the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 5 mega camera for high definition video recording, a front facing camera for video chat, with Google Maps, and to top it all a 4.1 inch capacitive touchscreen.

With a 1GHz Snapdragon and dedicated graphics card, the phone is no slouch. Unlike earlier Olive products this phone doesn’t suffer from insufficient hardware.

The phone is DLNA certified so you can share data with other DLNA certified devices such as TVs, cameras, phones and PCs. You can also share data with devices that have a port.

The phone is the cheapest such device in India and costs Rs 20,000. Despite officially being announced more than a fortnight ago though, it is still not available in stores.

HTC Incredible S

The latest Android phone from HTC is worth every penny. It comes with a 4 inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, Android 2.2, (14.4 Mbps support), Wifi, A-GPS, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with and EDR.

The phone has an 8 mega pixel camera with auto focus and dual flash, and a 1.3 mega pixel secondary camera for video chat.

It uses a 1 GHz processor with 768 MB RAM. It comes with 1 of internal memory, which is expandable up to 32 GB.

The best part of any HTC phone these days is its Sense user interface. Incredible S comes at a market price of around Rs 27,500.

Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung Galaxy S is a hugely popular device in India. The phone has a 4 inch capacitive touchscreen, a 1 GHz processor, 5 mega pixel camera, 3G (7.2 Mbps speed support), A-GPS, Wifi and Bluetooth.

Galaxy S has 4 GB of (the maximum available,) which is expandable up to 32 GB. Samsung has integrated a lot of applications such as augmented reality apps, Google Maps, an that makes the phone work as a remote control for your TV, and Swype for easy typing.

The phone has a 5 mega pixel camera which is capable of recording video and a secondary camera for video chat. At Rs 25,000 the phone is definitely one of the better devices at this price point, a totally safe buy.

Dell Venue

Dell Venue comes with a healthy spec sheet that reads: 4.1 inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive multitouch display, 8 mega pixel camera, 1 GHz processor and Android 2.2.

Apart from these goodies the phone also has Wifi, A-GPS, 3G (7.2 Mbps speed support), Bluetooth and 3.5 mm audio jack.

Priced at Rs 28,500 it is not cheap but given that it has a wonderful display and other features to match Venue is worth buying.

Motorola Milestone XT800

Milestone XT800 is the first dual Android phone, that not only supports 3G GSM, but also CDMA Rev A (3.1 Mbps). However, processor speed, at 550 MHz, is quite slow.

Motorola recently announced an Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade for this phone which earlier used Android 2.1. Other features include a 3.7 inch capacitive touchscreen, 5 mega pixel camera with dual LED flash, HDMI port to watch video on TV, A-GPS, Wifi and Bluetooth.

The phone is priced at Rs 28,000 and provides a good option for people who want to use CDMA for high speed data transfer, and GSM for voice.

Uninor Karnataka introduces 5paise/min offer

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Uninor has launched a new voucher for its Karnataka customer, with which users can make calls to other local Uninor numbers for as low as Rs 5 paisa per minute.

The Special Tariff Voucher (STV) 33 plan, costs Rs 33 and is valid for three months or 90 days.

Frode Haugen, executive vice president, Uninor, Karnataka circle, said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of STV 33 plan in Karnataka. We understand that our customers like connecting with their near and dear ones and they should be able to do so without worrying about how much they are paying to make that call. “

This offer can be availed at all exclusive Uninor stores and other points-of-sale across Karnataka.

Nokia updater for Macintosh

rahul-gupta
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Good news for all the Nokia users who own a Macintosh. Nokia has officially released an updater application designed specifically for people using Macintosh computers.

With this new application, Mac users will be able to update their Nokia phones as well. Earlier there were no dedicated application for Mac for specifically upgrading Nokia devices.

Mac users will also be able to upgrade their Nokia phones directly from their computers. However with the beta or the release candidate version of this application only supports firmware upgrades for Nokia devices. The application with full software and application update will be added later on Nokia confirms.

Most of the latest Nokia handsets are already supported for update with the Mac version. However, users might experience some problems while updating cellphones as it is a beta application. So Nokia advices users to follow the instruction to the key till the application is finalised.

User who would like to give it a shot can download the application from the Nokia beta test labs directly or can also follow the following link for downloading the application. https://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia-software-updater-for-mac/download_and_installation

Nokia brings mobile banking services

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Union Bank of India (UBI), and Nokia, have launched mobile money service across India, starting with the National Capital Region.

Called ‘Union Bank Money powered by Nokia’, the service is already available to consumers in Gurgaon, and will be soon go live in Delhi, Faridabad and Noida. This will be followed by a nationwide roll-out over the next few months.

Users, who do not have a bank account, can use it to access financial services through their mobile phones.

The service will be provided in two categories. The first one called the no-frill category will be given to consumer with limited identity proof and will have limitations on the maximum amount that can be kept in the account and daily transaction limit.

While customers who provide full verification will have no such limits. The service will enable consumers to transfer money to other individuals, withdraw cash from Business Correspondents cash-out outlets (registered Nokia stores) and ATMs, pay utility bills as well as recharge prepaid cards (top-ups) by using their mobile devices.

Though the service is provided through Nokia outlets, it also works on all handsets. Also, consumers of all telecom service providers can avail this service.

However, Nokia is pre-installing the application (union bank money application) in a wide range of Nokia mobile handsets across price points. The application can also be installed nearly on all already existing Nokia handsets in the country.

UBI, along with Nokia plan to bring banking services to over 10 million customers across 32,000 villages by 2013.

Interestingly, more than 50 per cent of Indians do not have access to a bank account, and that 90 per cent of the 600,000 plus villages in the country do not have a bank branch(Source: UBI).

Nokia retail outlets will serve as Business Correspondent agents for Union Bank Money services, in compliance with RBI guidelines.

Prospective customers can register for the service, deposit money, or withdraw cash from their accounts at these BC agents.

MV Nair, chairman and managing director, Union Bank of India, said, “Once rolled out across the nation, Union Bank Money will be the single largest network in India to provide mobile financial services to consumers in urban as well as penetrate rural areas to tap the unbanked populace.”

“Nokia is building an open ecosystem for mobile payments in India with multiple partners (banks, merchants, billers, service providers), to drive basic financial services across the country. Our partnership with UBI will help connect the unbanked population in the country by leveraging the wide reach of our combined networks and the deep penetration of mobile services in the country,” said D Shivakumar, vice president & managing director, Nokia India.

Handset Review: Byond Q99

rahul-gupta
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Gone are the days when keypads used to be an exclusive feature of high end business phones. Today Qwerty keypads are found on phones ranging from the very basic ones to the advanced business phones.

The Byond Q99 is a perfect example of a low end phone that has got good features. The dual phone has a nice and comfortable Qwerty keypad.

Rather than adding to the looks company has decided to give this phone a very basic and simplistic looks. The single color black tone with a glossy piano finish looks good but adds to the problem of accumulating dust and finger prints. The silver outlines of the phone add a sophisticated look to the device as well.

When it comes to the display this phone features a smaller 2inch QCIF display which is good and vibrant. The phone also features an optical track pad like the one found on the Micromax Q7 and in the BlackBerry too.

By far the track-pad on this phone has out performed track pads found on other phones in the same price band. The Qwerty keypad is nice and big so people with fat fingers should not have a problem with it. The feedback is accurate but the pitch should have been more to make it a little more comfortable.

The 1.3 camera does the job well. Surprisingly the phone supports PictBridge technology which allows users to print pictures directly from a compatible printer without the need to download it on a computer.

However, the hardware fails to enthuse.

Feature wise this is a great phone, it has got all the features what a user can expect from a phone in this price bracket.

To begin with you get a dual slot which helps in transferring content between the cards and increasing the memory of the phone as well. And you get a flash light as well and a bright one too.

Q99 features integrated social networking with Facebook, twitter and even MSN. For chatting or messenger services, this is probably the first low cost phone to feature Skype and yahoo messenger.

Call quality wise this phone is an average performer but does the job where most phones fail. Voice quality is loud and clear with an above average loudspeaker.

The most commendable feature is the battery which simply refuses to die. Even after keeping the phone functional for two days the three bars of the phone appear as it is!

The Q99 sports a multi format music and video player and with its expandable 8GB memory you can store a snapshot of your world in it.
With the 3.5 mm jack you can also connect any with this device. The bundled hands-free does the job but you might want to upgrade after you buy this.

To sum it all up the Byond Q99 is a nice and not to forget lightweight Qwerty keypad based dual SIM phone that has got a lot of features both hardware and software wise.

With a price tag of Rs 3500, it gives ample value for money. If you are looking for options the Micromax Q3, Q5 and Spice QT61 can also be considered for the same amount.

The company Byond is, however, not well known in Indian market and is one of the newest entrants.

Upcoming phones and tablets that will be path breaking

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Upcoming phones and tablets that will be path breaking

There is a lot of exciting news about devices scheduled to hit stores in India soon, and this time round it isn’t simple upgrades that we are talking about.

These new devices from different manufacturers are expected to hit Indian stores in about three months.

Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone (a phone and a PlayStation in one) has been one of the most anticipated handsets in recent times. It will be launched as Xperia Play.

Is it game changing? Well, it is expected to be.

After the Walkman series of phones from Sony Ericsson, music and phones became somewhat inseparable. And this time, even if the Xperia Play flops, it will certainly initiate attempts to create more gaming phones.

Another phone expected from Sony Ericsson is Xperia Arc with a 4.2 inch screen and famous Sony Bravia engine (a display technology used till now only in TV). Other goodies include an 8.1 mega pixel camera, HDMI port, support, and Gingerbread. And Xperia Neo will be a camera-focused Xperia phone.

HTC

Only yesterday did we recieve the news that Incredible S has been released in India. In waiting are Desire S, Salsa and Chacha, and HTC Merge.

Desire S is part of the hugely popular Desire series and comes with better hardware (a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor), and improved software and design. Salsa and Chacha is the first Facebook phone, in which you get much better Facebook integration and a dedicated Facebook key.

HTC Merge is a world phone, which means that even though it has only one slot, the phone works on both GSM and CDMA networks. We expect that companies such as Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications, which have both CDMA and GSM networks, might release this phone.

Samsung

The biggest launch from Samsung is Galaxy S II and an 8.9 inch version of Galaxy Tab. The Tab will bring in a new 8.9 inch category to the tablet space, which has so far seen only two categories of 7 or 10 inches. The benefit of this move, however, is not clear.

Galaxy S has provided a huge boost to Samsung and now the Korean company is ready to upgrade it with a dual core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 4.2 inch WVGA Plus display, 8 mega pixel camera that can record 1080p video, a 2 mega pixel front camera, Touchwiz 4.0, and 1 of RAM.

Samsung is also upgrading some of its other popular phones such as the Corby even though it is not a smartphone.

LG

LG Optimus would definitely make it to the list of the best Android phones in India today. Now LG has another version of Optimus, with a 3D capable screen.

The new LG Optimus features a 3D 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen, 8 mega pixel camera with dual sensor capable of taking 3D images, dual core and Android Gingerbread along with other goodies that you expect from a high end phone.

Also from LG is Optimus Pad tablet, and a couple of other iterations of Optimus targeted at different price brackets. We are not sure whether the tablet will make it to our shores in the near future or whether it will take some time.

Motorola

Motorola has managed to make a tablet that is being billed as the real competition to iPad. This Android 3.0 based tablet has just been launched in the US market.

When will it arrive in India? We are still guessing, but it should come very soon.
The 1 GHz, Nvidia Tegra 2-based slate boasts a sizeable 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, a 10.1 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel capacitive display, and connectivity, along with front and rear facing cameras, HD video capability, and loads of wireless options including a keyboard.

Motorola has several other devices that are expected in India soon.

One of them is Cliq2, a full slider phone with 1 GHz processor, 3.7 inch touchscreen, 5 mega pixel HD camera, and Android.

Some sources say that Motorola Atrix, which supports networks (at speeds of up to 14 Mbps), might also be launched in India.

Its 4 inch screen with scratch resistant Gorilla glass is the highlight of this phone. The too is powerful and clocks at 1 GHz. What is interesting about the device is its ability to connect to a keyboard, mouse and monitor, and work like a computer.

BlackBerry

BlackBerry is will soon release its first tablet phone and also its new tablet operating system QNX. The tablet is yet to be launched any where in the world, but we expect it to arrive in India soon after it debuts.

Some other big releases in the offing are Dell and HP’s tablets, Apple’s iPad 2, iPhone 4 and LG Optimus.

In India only Tata Docomo network supports HD voice

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In India only Tata Docomo network supports HD voice

We all look for high definition sound while buying a TV; it’s time we started looking for high definition Voice enabled phones. HD Voice enables conversation that is more natural and is similar to speaking to the other party face to face.

According to a new report by GSA (Global Mobile Suppliers Association), there are 27 mobile phones and 15 mobile networks that support high definition voice.

Among the 15 networks, only Tata Docomo has deployed a network in India that supports HD Voice. However, more is expected to come with a new network being laid out in the country.

The 27 HD voice-capable phones are from Alcatel, HTC, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. All these handsets are available in India.

Chipsets supporting HD Voice are also made by some leading semiconductor companies, and the number of phones with HD Voice is set to grow many fold.

Nokia N8, C6, C7 and E7 handsets have HD Voice activated by default. Nokia C3 and X3 have recently been shipping with HD Voice, as have Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, Xperia Neo and Xperia Pro. All upcoming Sony Ericsson phones are expected to have HD Voice activated by default.

The first commercial mobile HD Voice service started in September 2009. The technology’s momentum has been growing since then.

HD Voice services operate on 15 mobile networks in 14 countries across the world: Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Russia, Spain, and the UK.

Maximum benefits from using the technology on a mobile HD-capable network are felt when both calling and called parties use HD Voice-capable phones.

However, improvements in call quality are observed even when calling a non-HD Voice phone, due to improvements in the acoustic performance and advanced noise reduction capabilities of most HD Voice phones.

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